This is a mangrove that’s taken over a sandbar just down the street from my home along the Manatee River in Palmetto. In the southern states along the Gulf Coast these mangroves are a natural defense against the erosion caused by hurricanes. As a result they are protected by the state and local governments. Basically you don’t mess with them, just leave them alone and let them do their job. Anyway, I thought the calm water created by the sandbar made for a nice reflection. Have a lovely day everyone.
Long Weekend
It seems like it’s been a long week and so I’m looking forward to the weekend. Maybe a little time at the beach. Okay, I won’t actually go to the beach, but I’ll drive by it and maybe take photos, like I did with this shot about a week or so ago. Thank you so much for enjoying my photos, I read and enjoy every comment on all the social media outlets. Have a great weekend everyone!
Sundown Cortez
One evening a couple of weeks back I walked through the commercial fishing docks at Cortez. Early evening the place is deserted, so it was a little strange walking in and amongst empty docs. The engines on this boat were idling and I suspect the occupants still sleeping before heading out for the evening run. When I drive over the draw bridges to Anna Maria Island in the morning I’ll often see these same boats returning to port to unload the catch. Work all night, sleep all day.
Perfect Ending
The perfect end to the day. I took this at Emerson Point last night right after the sun went down. As it seems this lady is enjoying the last few minutes of the day, I’ll keep quite and not fill up this page with words.
Walk Along the Beach
A walk along the shore in the evening. When I see an image like this I imagine myself in the picture. It’s Sunday so go ahead, even if you can’t be by a body of water, do a little day dreaming. You’re allowed.
Neal Preserve
I left home this evening knowing I wanted to take pictures but with no clear destination in mind. I was headed to the beach to capture a sunset when I noticed this preserve. Two days ago Neal Preserve in Bradenton Florida opened to the public after about a year of construction. I’ve been anticipating this for ages and this evening I lucked out. I’m not sure construction adequately describes the work that goes into the creation of a preserve, it’s part ecology, part terraforming and a good dose of trail construction. Many of the pathways are elevated above the mangroves, and the scrub is perfect for nesting and burrowing. Just after sundown I saw owls and raccoons coming out for their nocturnal routines. In any case, I took a more photos which I’ll post in the coming weeks. I’m so happy and excited that I’ve found a new place to take photos of nature near my home.
Quiet Morning
This is another one of my favorite little spots at Emerson Point. Actually there are quite a few of these walkways through the mangroves and each one is my favorite. Sometimes I’ll be here on a quiet afternoon where the only sound is the splashing fish jumping for food in the otherwise undisturbed waters. On this morning it was pretty quite as well, kind of a nice way to start the day. Now that I look at this I realize I’m overdue for another walk through the trails. Maybe tomorrow. Have a great day everyone.
Terra Ceia Bay Fishing
If you want to get a few birds in your shot go find some fishermen. Actually, I’m not sure if he birds where here because of the fishermen or the other way around. In any case, the waters were full of fish and this seemed to be the place to be, bird or human. This is just by the bridge in Terra Ceia Florida.
Sitting on the Dock of the Bay….
If the title of this post reminds you of that great Otis Redding song you might be, …um, experienced. Okay, I was trying not to say old. I’m experienced, enough said. When I saw this guy paying his guitar at the end of the dock that song started playing in my head. In any case, I took this last week with my Sony camera. I normally shoot with a Nikon but it’s being repaired so I picked up a Sony and went to the river to practice. As that song continued to play in my head I started to get the hang of it and got a few I liked, this being the first.
Tip of the day: Whether you’re old or young, go listen to a little Otis Redding, you’ll be glad you did.
Taking Pictures of the Beach
Even though I live near the beach I haven’t posted many shots from there lately. That’s the danger of living where I do, I might begin to take it for granted. I like shooting all kinds of landscapes, but something about standing by the water with the gentle waves, its very relaxing. So it’s time to post another Bradenton Beach photo and then head out to go get some more. Yeah, I know, life’s a beach. Happy Friday Everyone.