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Early one morning on Anna Maria Island near the public pier. It’s amazing how many people are up at dawn to watch the sunrise on a Sunday morning. And then ten minutes later they all leave to go back home for breakfast or whatever. Yet some stay around to linger and enjoy the relative solitude of an early morning walk along the beach. Note to self, I’m going to do that more often.
Little Manatee River
About a half hour drive from me is this state park where you can walk the trails or launch a canoe and explore the Little Manatee River. I managed to get here on a work day and so I pretty much had the place to myself even though all the campsites were full. I think people must have been out canoeing because I didn’t see anyone on the trails. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
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Stanley Park Path
This is a path through Stanley Park in Vancouver. This is one of world’s great urban parks, easily on par with Central Park, some would say it exceeds. The air is cleansed by the abundance of trees and walking on this path you could easily forget you are in a major city. If I was king of the world my first decree would be that every city must have a big beautiful park like this. But in the meantime, Vancouver will do.
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Walk in the Park
A North Carolina forest last fall. The only sounds were the leaves beneath our feet, birds and the distant sounds of the river. After the sensory overload of everyday life I need a period of quiet from time to time. North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains has quiet and beauty for those who seek it out. It’s no wonder so many creative people live hear, you can finally hear your own thoughts for a change.
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Maligne Lake
If ever there was a place to rent a canoe and be inspired by all that surrounds you it is Maligne Lake in Canada’s Jasper National Park. It’s about an hour drive off the highway to get here and you are rewarded with one of the most scenic settings on the continent. In fact the drive is just as awesome. We were here in the peak of summer and I sat on the deck of the lodge looking out at the lake as I took this photo.
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Dakin Dairy
I spent the afternoon at Dakin dairy, which is a sustainable farm in Manatee County. Next to the dairy they have some farm animals as well as a few calves. This is Luck, she was curious about what I was doing so I managed to hold her attention for a few seconds. Spending the afternoon on a farm with all manner of animals was refreshing food for the soul. I have to get out of the city a little more often.
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Mount Creighton
This is the top of Mount Creighton in New Zealand’s southern alps. I used a wide-angle lens, which has the side effect of making the slopes seem less steep. In fact the slopes are more severe and once out of the helicopter, I was careful to watch my step. It is a long way down and I had the feeling it would be a very fast one-way trip. That’s Lake Wakatipu off on the right and Queenstown, our final destination would be left of that. This is one of the last stops as we flew from one mountain to the next checking out the amazing landscape of New Zealand.
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Mount Bonpland
This is taken from Mount Bonpland, high up in the New Zealand alps not far from Glenorchy. We landed on these rocks and clamored about looking for shots but mindful of the engine time on the helicopter. I don’t recall the exact number but it was more than a dozen stops on peaks with views I could only dream of, this being one. This was taken a few days after a snowfall in the autumn of the southern hemisphere.
Linger Longer Jungle
This is the Florida Jungle located in Bradenton. The Linger Longer Lodge is a well-known campground and lodge nestled into a jungle setting reminiscent of a forgotten time. There is all kinds of wild life including turtles, herons and I suppose alligators…, not that I saw any on this day but rest assured, they’re in there. But let’s not pick on alligators, they’re people too and, we all gotta eat. 😉
Crowley Chickens
These chickens were a little uncertain of what I was up to. Stalking them with my camera put them a little on edge and for whatever reason they refused to allow me within a dozen yards. Being a city slicker in their eyes probably had something to do with it. Anyway, I just thought it their antics were fun to watch as I slowly lowered my camera to their level for a close up perspective. This was the best I could do before they made a commotion and wandered further off.
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