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Robinson Preserve Dusk

Robinson Preserve is in Bradenton Florida and serves as a sanctuary for all manner of migratory birds and waterfowl, not to mention eagles, osprey and all manner of critters. I like taking photos at dusk however the park closes at 6:00pm this time of year and they insist you get out. That gives me about 20 minutes after sunset to get my butt out of the park, which at over 600 acres is easier said than done when on foot. So I strap on my camera, lenses and tripod, ride my bike to a spot, shoot a scene (like this), quickly ride back, throw everything in the back of the minivan and drive out just as the electric gates are closing. I’m a little crazy, I know. Also, the critters know very well when it’s closing time because as I ride back to my car I hear them all coming out and scampering about their evening routines. I get the sense that as soon as the last human leaves it’s one big critter party until the first light of day. Just one more thing I’ll never really know for sure.

This is a view of Robinson Preserve at dusk. Robinson Preserve is in Bradenton Florida and serves as a sanctuary for all manner of migratory birds and waterfowl, not to mention eagles, osprey and all manner of critters. I like taking photos at dusk however the park closes at 6:00pm this time of year and they insist you get out. That gives me about 20 minutes after sunset to get my butt out of the park, which at over 600 acres is easier said than done when on foot. So I strap on my camera, lenses and tripod, ride my bike to a spot, shoot a scene (like this), quickly ride back, throw everything in the back of the minivan and drive out just as the electric gates are closing. I'm a little crazy, I know. Also, the critters know very well when it's closing time because as I ride back to my car I hear them all coming out and scampering about their evening routines. I get the sense that as soon as the last human leaves it's one big critter party until the first light of day. Just one more thing I'll never really know for sure.

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Palmetto Pier at Night

This is the Palmetto Fishing Pier. It’s actually an old bridge that crosses the Manatee River but now only goes halfway. Not only is it a good place to fish, it’s a fun place to visit as it goes out about a half mile or more from the north shore. In the evening you have the lights of two towns on either side as it’s filled with joggers and walkers. This is another one of my favorite places to walk my two little four leggeds as they sniff every little thing the whole length of the pier.

This is the Palmetto Fishing Pier. It's actually an old bridge that crosses the Manatee River but now only goes halfway. Not only is it a good place to fish, it's a fun place to visit as it goes out about a half mile or more from the north shore. In the evening you have the lights of two towns on either side as it's filled with joggers and walkers out for some exercise. This is another one of my favorite places to walk my two little four leggeds as they sniff every little thing the whole length of the pier.

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Manatee River Sunrise

The Manatee River is not very long as rivers go, about 36 miles and serves mainly as a water shed. It runs into the Gulf of Mexico and so near where I live in Manatee County it’s not uncommon to see dolphins or manatees swimming by. At this point the river is about a mile wide and as far as I know it’s not that deep. A few of my neighbors that own boats are very cautious to avoid the bottom as they head out to the Gulf of Mexico. One neighbor used breadcrumbs in his GPS unit and engages autopilot as the boat drives itself out. Pretty soon I suppose we’ll be doing that with the Google cars, which leaves us more time to concentrate on texting while the car drives itself.

The Manatee River is not very long as rivers go, about 36 miles and serves mainly as a water shed. It runs into the Gulf of Mexico and so near where I live in Manatee County it's not uncommon to see dolphins or manatees swimming by. At this point the river is about a mile wide and as far as I know it's not that deep. A few of my neighbors that own boats are very cautious to avoid the bottom as they head out to the Gulf of Mexico. One neighbor used breadcrumbs in his GPS unit and engages autopilot as the boat drives itself out. Pretty soon I suppose we'll be doing that with the Google cars, which leaves us more time to concentrate on texting while the car drives itself.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.

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Pink Mullet Dusk

This is one of those shots that I took with my iPhone while hiking through the mangroves near my home. This is Terra Ceia Bay which is full of Mullet and at dusk they begin a feeding frenzy and start jumping all over the place. If you look at the full resolution, you’ll see rings where mullet just jumped creating a cacophony of splashes as they grab every last mosquito. One of my favorite spots.

This is one of those shots that I took with my iPhone while hiking through the mangroves near my home. This is Terra Ceia Bay which is full of Mullet and at dusk they begin a feeding frenzy and start jumping all over the place. If you look at the full resolution, you'll see rings where mullet just jumped creating a cacophony of splashes as they grab every last mosquito. No wonder this is one of my favorite spots.

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Fishing Pier

This is one of the many fishing piers at Emerson Point State Park in Palmetto Florida. The water is crystal clear so it’s common to see the fish swim by. In any case, I’m no fisherman and so living here in Florida I’m like a fish out of water. Bad pun, I know. I’m one of the three people in Florida that doesn’t fish. Kinda like Facebook, until last year I wasn’t on Facebook, that changed however and now the only thing left for me to do is get a fishing pole. Ain’t gonna happen.

This is one of the many fishing piers at Emerson Point State Park in Palmetto Florida. The water is crystal clear so it's common to see the fish swim by. In any case, I'm no fisherman and so living here in Florida I'm like a fish out of water. Bad pun, I know. I'm one of the three people in Florida that doesn't fish. Kinda like Facebook, until last year I wasn't on Facebook, that changed however and now the only thing left for me to do is get a fishing pole. Ain't gonna happen.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.

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Terra Ceia

This bridge is in Terra Ceia Florida just a few minutes from my home in Palmetto. This is another one of those bridges I cross constantly without much notice and wanted to go back and take a closer look. Fishermen are always throwing nets from the bridge as it crosses a channel the fish use to come and go with the tides. I’m not sure why but I seem to enjoy the perspective under a bridge, it’s a perspective that most of us never get. I also like looking at the structure of the bridge, gives me a little more appreciation for what went into making it. I guess I’m just a bridge guy.

<This bridge is in Terra Ceia Florida just a few minutes from my home in Palmetto. This is another one of those bridges I cross constantly without much notice and wanted to go back and take a closer look. Fishermen are always throwing nets from the bridge as it crosses a channel the fish use to come and go with the tides. I'm not sure why but I seem to enjoy the perspective under a bridge, it's a perspective that most of us never get. I also like looking at the structure of the bridge, gives me a little more appreciation for what went into making it. I guess I'm just a bridge guy.

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Rod and Reel Sunrise

I took this shot at sunrise quite a few months ago not knowing that shortly after there would be a fire here. This is the Rod and Reel which is at the end of it’s own pier on Anna Maria Island in Florida. There is no question they have the best Grouper sandwiches around, not to mention the best scenery. It’s currently being rebuilt and I think they’re getting close to re-opening. I for one have been in Rod and Reel withdrawals and can’t wait to get back here for an afternoon of just kicking back to the best Florida has to offer.

I took this shot at sunrise quite a few months ago not knowing that shortly after there would be a fire here. This is the Rod and Reel which is at the end of it's own pier on Anna Maria Island in Florida. There is no question they have the best Grouper sandwiches around, not to mention the best scenery. It's currently being rebuilt and I think they're getting close to re-opening. I for one have been in Rod and Reel withdrawals and can't wait to get back here for an afternoon of just kicking back to the best Florida has to offer.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.

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No Christmas Trees

Florida has a lot of things and Christmas tress aren’t one of them. If you need a Christmas tree it’ll be imported or plastic. On the other hand, we have plenty of Christmas Palms. Everyone down here is frond of decorating the palms with lights, it’s quite the sight. In fact, this evening we’ll probably do our annual drive down Longboat Key to see all the decorated palms. It seems to me that Santa might get a little warm in that big red coat down here, but then he flies at altitude and with the wind chill and all, … I’ll bet Florida is a nice stop for him, long enough to warm up, throw back a couple of Mohitoes and then off to colder climes. Merry Christmas to All.

Florida has a lot of things and Christmas tress aren't one of them. If you need a Christmas tree it'll be imported or plastic. On the other hand, we have plenty of Christmas Palms. Everyone down here is frond of decorating the palms with lights, it's quite the sight. In fact, this evening we'll probably do our annual drive down Longboat Key to see all the decorated palms. It seems to me that Santa might get a little warm in that big red coat down here, but then he flies at altitude and with the wind chill and all, ... I'll bet Florida is a nice stop for him, long enough to warm up, throw back a couple of Mohitoes and then off to colder climes. Merry Christmas to All.

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Real White Sand

I shot this just two nights ago near the appropriately named Sunset Park along Bradenton Beach in Florida. Unlike the white sand blowing in snow squalls up north, this is the real stuff. I love taking pictures of sunset at Bradenton Beach, each time I go there I seem to find a new section that I’ve never noticed before. And of course no two sunsets are the same. Head down here around sunset on any given day and folks have their lawn chairs out waiting, as if for the final act. I’m always busy taking pictures, one of these days I’ll try putting down the camera and just watching it myself. Or not.

I shot this just two nights ago near the appropriately named Sunset Park along Bradenton Beach in Florida. Unlike the white sand blowing in snow squalls up north, this is the real stuff. I love taking pictures of sunset at Bradenton Beach, each time I go there I seem to find a new section that I've never noticed before. And of course no two sunsets are the same. Head down here around sunset on any given day and folks have their lawn chairs out waiting, as if for the final act. I'm always busy taking pictures, one of these days I'll try putting down the camera and just watching it myself. Or not.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.