St..Augustine Waterfront

I started December with the objective of posting photos only taken in the St. Augustine, Florida area for the entire month. I hope everyone has enjoyed the mini-tour. We've only begun to explore the area, so I'm sure future posts will continue to include images captured in this most beautiful part of Florida.

I'll end the month with a photo of the Old Town waterfront along Menendez Ave taken at twilight from the temporary bridge (the one in place as they rebuild the Bridge of Lions).

Stay safe tonight (its "Amateur Night") and best wishes to all for a Happy New Year!

Frog Fountain, Flagler College

I haven't had much time recently for taking new photographs, so I've returned to the group of photos I took at Flagler College several weeks back. The subject of today's photo is one of the frogs that make up the fountain within the courtyard.

Gazing, Washington Oaks Gardens

This photo was taken at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, Florida along the shoreline were there are scattered stretches of exposed coquina rock formations. When we arrived at the beach, the sun was shining but soon a front began to make its way through and the sky filled with clouds. This particular shot is of my daughter gazing out over the Atlantic Ocean from on top of one of the rock formations.

Bronze Cannon, Castillo de San Marcos

Today's photo shows one of the bronze cannons mounted along the walls of the Castillo de San Marcos, St. Augustine, Florida and was taken in the warm light of early morning.

Sunrise and Sea Oats

Today's photo was taken the same morning as last Monday's post of the sun rising over the Atlantic Ocean on St. Augustine Beach, Florida. Just a shift in location and zoomed in a bit tighter.

Kite Surfing on Salt Run

Today's photo is of a kite surfer doing his thing along Salt Run in Anastasia State Park, St. Augustine, Florida. The magnificent dunes of the park can be seen in the background.

On Santa's Lap

I took today's photo of my son on Santa's lap during an open house at the St. Augustine Lighthouse a couple of weeks back. I really liked this Santa. He had a great way of getting the kids to open up. This shot captured the moment Santa was contemplating my son's request for a particular toy.

Merry Christmas!

The Plaza De La Constitucion at Night

Taken at twilight, today's photo is of the Plaza De La Constitucion decorated with lights for the holidays.

Lights at the Lightner

Today's photo was taken on one of two evenings last week when I left the office with camera and tripod and hit the streets of St. Augustine at twilight to try and capture some of the holiday lighting and decorations that are up everywhere. This particular photo was taken from the garden area in front of the Lightner Museum back towards Flagler College.

Beyond the Surf

Today's photo is of the sun rising over the Atlantic Ocean off of St. Augustine Beach.

Snowy Egret Drinking Water

Today's photo is of a Snowy Egret and was taken earlier today during a quick visit to Anastasia State Park.

I was able to capture quite a few good shots of this little guy and a bigger cousin (Great Egret) while they were waiting for some handouts from a couple of fishermen. One shot I was tempted to post had him eating a mullet but I thought this was a better photo overall. He is actually taking a sip of water to wash down the mullet in this shot.

Mockingbird at the Beach

Today's photo is of a Mockingbird which is also our Florida State Bird.

I spotted this bird as I was leaving the Matanzas Bridge where I had been photographing terns, gulls and pelicans and one energetic dog that was racing along the beach. Although not what I had expected to photograph at the beach, he patiently remained on his perch while I got my camera ready providing me with what turned out to be the best photo I took during the outing.

Laughing Gull at Sunset

The warm light just prior to sunset produced a golden tone in this photo of a laughing gull resting at the crest of a dune on Vilano Beach, Florida.

Brown Pelicans on Patrol

One of my favorite birds is the Pelican. With wingspans over 6 feet they are a very large bird. I love to watch them cruise in formation along the beach looking for fish.

Today's photo is of a group of Brown Pelicans patrolling off of the beach near Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, south of Saint Augustine, Florida.

Koi Roy?

Close-up of a Koi in pond at Lightner Museum. See yesterday's post for more info.

Koi Reflection

Heading out of the flower bed at Flagler College and across the street, today's photo is of a koi surfacing in the courtyard pond at the Lightner Museum

Although not the most colorful koi in the pond, the dark tone of this fish created a great surface for reflecting the palms which surround the pond.

Want to learn more about koi, click here.

Yellow Pansy

One more flower photo before moving on to another subject.

Thanks to everyone who responded yesterday, I can say with reasonable certainty that this is also a Pansy...a very yellow Pansy.

Pansy Close-Up

Another photo from the courtyard at Flagler College. This one is a close-up of a Pansy.

Thanks Poncho for your help identifying it. I'm definitely no expert on flowers.

Hibiscus Close-Up

I think its worth mentioning that this photo has not been cropped. It was taken with a macro lens on a tripod and is of the pistil and stamens of a Hibiscus along the same hedge as yesterday's photo. This lens has a very shallow depth of field so any motion of the subject will cause it to go out of focus. It was windy on this particular day, so I ended up with a lot of blurred shots and a couple that were pretty crisp like this one. The blue and green are the sky and a leaf in the background, respectively. If you look real closely, you can see a couple of specs of pollen in the air and other fine details.

Hibiscus

Is anyone getting sick of St. Augustine? Hope not...there are still 19 days left in December!

Today's photo was taken, you guessed it, at Flagler College. BUT, it could have been just about anywhere in Florida. It is, of course, a species of Hibiscus.

Some interesting info on this flower can be found at Wikipedia. Click here for more.

Ponce de Leon Hall, Flagler College

Today's photo was taken from the courtyard outside of Ponce de Leon Hall at Flagler College. Note the frogs with water flowing from their mouths into the pond in the foreground.

If you're interested in seeing some other great photos of the college on their web site, including some of the incredible interior, click here.

Flagler College from The Lightner

Today's photo is of Flagler College, St. Augustine, Florida and was taken by the fountain in front of the Lightner Museum. I haven't been further than just inside the entrance to the college, but the exterior architecture is amazing as was the little I saw of the interior. Below is a snippet of information on the college from Wikipedia along with some links if you're interested in learning more.

..."The school is located on 19 acres, the centerpiece of which is the Ponce de Leon Hall, built in 1888 as a luxury hotel. The architects were John Carrere and Thomas Hastings, working for Henry Morrison Flagler, the industrialist, oil magnate and railroad pioneer. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places."

More British Night Watch Parade

Today's photo is of a woman dressed as one might during the period of British occupation of Saint Augustine. Taken during the British Night Watch Parade, Saint Augustine, Florida last Saturday evening.

British Night Watch Parade

Group of men dressed in period costumes for the Annual British Night Watch Parade which took place last Saturday evening in Old Town, Saint Augustine, Florida.

Rough Surf at Sunrise

Today's photo was taken at sunrise on Anastasia Island, Florida. The soft blurring is due to a slow shutter speed relative to the fast motion of the waves.

Plover?

I think all of us who have been to the beach have seen these little guys scurrying along in the surf. I'm not 100% certain, but I believe today's photo is of a type of Plover. If this is not correct or if you know what type of plover this is, please let me know.

Hope everyone has a great Saturday.

Do you see what I see?

Back on the ground for today.

In the plaza in front of my office I spotted what looked like a bunch of eyes staring at me from the trunk of a plant. I thought it would make an interesting picture, so I returned a couple of days later and took this photo.

Although I've seen these plants in different parts of Florida all my life , I had never before noticed this feature. I did a search on the internet for the name of the plant and believe it is a Philodendron selloum.

Bridge of Lions, St. Augustine

One last photo from the rooftop...this one looking east from downtown St. Augustine towards Anastasia Island.

One of the landmarks of the city was the Bridge of Lions which spans the Matanzas River between St. Augustine and Anastasia Island. Built in 1927, it was determined to be structural unsound and obsolete in 1999. In 2006, a massive engineering project costing approximately 77 million dollars was kicked off to reconstruct the old bridge. The marble lions which stood at the ends of the bridge were placed in storage and will be returned once construction is complete in approx. 2010.

To allow for this construction, a temporary bridge was erected. In this photo you can see the temporary bridge with traffic passing across it. To the right is the "new" Bridge of Lions under construction.

Castillo de San Marcos

This photo is looking north over the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida.

The Spanish began construction of the fort in 1672 and it is made from rock largely composed of the small clam shell called coquina ("tiny shell" in Spanish). It is the oldest masonry and only still existing 17th century fort in North America. In 1924 it was made a national monument by President Calvin Coolidge and is now maintained by the National Park Service.

Anastasia Island

Today's photo, like yesterday's, was taken from the roof of a building in St. Augustine. This view is to the east-southeast looking across Anastasia Island. In the foreground are homes fronting the Intracoastal Waterway. The St. Augustine Lighthouse is visible and beyond it and to the right, the white sand dunes of the beach at Anastasia State Park.

St. Augustine Waterfront

December is here! Hard to believe the year will soon be drawing to a close.

I thought I'd try to use only photos from the St. Augustine area for the month, so today's photo is one I took from atop a building in Old Town looking northeast over some of the city's waterfront toward Valano Beach. On the left, you can see a portion of the Castillo de San Marcos (fort). The bridge in the distance is the one which takes you to Vilano Beach. The St. Augustine Inlet is also visible as is the north Davis Shores (our home) and the north end of Anastasia Island State Park.

Harbor - Juneau, Alaska

Today's photo was taken using a wide angle lens from a small whale watching vessel as we returned to the small harbor from which we had originally departed near Juneau, Alaska.

The day had begun with a great deal of clouds but by mid-morning the sun broke through offering this beautiful view of the mountains in the distance.

Swan on Lake Eola, Orlando

This photo of a white swan was taken yesterday when I visited Lake Eola with the family.

Located in downtown Orlando with the skyline of the city as a backdrop, it is a great place to go for a walk, jog or to people watch. It also has the best playground that I know of which Edmund enjoyed very much. In addition to white swans, black swans, herons, ibis and seagulls can be found at the lake and all are easily photographed as they are accustomed to visitors passing close by. As you can probably tell, I was able to get within a couple feet of this swan.

Barrel Cactus in Bloom

Today's photo is of a Barrel Cactus and was taken on the one day I spent in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California earlier this year. I was in the park at just the right time to see many of the cactus blooming.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Euphoria

Today's photo is of Crystal and was taken yesterday on Vilano Beach, Florida.

Mikala, the daughter of a close friend of mine, is Crystal's agent. I didn't get a model release on this photo...hope you're OK with that Mikala!

Anyway, Crystal had a doggone good time frolicking in the surf and chasing her tennis ball and a few of the seabirds as well. Thanks for bringing Crystal over and hope to see the whole family again real soon.

Best wishes to all for a Happy Thanksgiving!

Some days you're the gator, some days you're the fish...

Today's photo was taken in March of 2007 along the La Chua Trail in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Gainesville, Florida.

This gator had stationed itself below an old spillway that delivers water, and the occasional fish, to a sink. After missing several potential meals, he or she managed to catch this mudfish. Once firmly in its mouth, the gator swam over to the shore where I was shooting from so it could reposition the fish in its mouth, head first, for swallowing. I have a couple of rather gruesome shots of the aftermath of the meal I might post at a later date.

Canyon Gazer

Today's photo was taken in a Canyon near Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California (very close to the photo of the VW Bug posted on 11/08/08).

I had to back up against a canyon wall to include what I think looks like the profile of a persons face (right side).

Venture a Highway

I don't recall the name of this highway, but it was very straight and plowed through some serious desert with a spectacular view of the distant mountains for many miles. Eventually it led into Borrego Springs, California.

Kid Collage

Today's photo is a collage of photos from 2007 of Diana and Edmund. Hope you enjoy it.

Reflecting

Lots of talk lately of bailing out the Detroit automakers so today's photo is of an airbrushed Ford logo on a old Ford (of course). The owners can be seen in the reflection. It was taken at the Yesterday's Festival at Gold Head Branch State Park, Keystone Heights, FL.

Guam Bay

When you view today's photo, one response might be, "Ed sure is lucky to have visited all these cool places". Well, I couldn't agree more, even if, as was the case when this photo was taken in Guam, it took 21 hours flight time to get there and was made possible due to business. Actually, I made three trips to Guam this year. And to give you an idea of just how far away Guam is, when you get to Hawaii, you have another 7 hour (3,800 mile) flight across the South Pacific to reach the Island.
Guam is a US Territory located in the Marianna Island chain and was occupied by the Japanese for a period of time during WWII. For more information including some of Guam's history, click here..
This photo is looking over one of the many beautiful bays. I believe this one is Tolafofo Bay
Hafa Adai, Ed

College Fjord from the Sapphire Princess

This photo was taken from one of the upper decks looking aft over the stern of the Sapphire Princess as she was leaving College Fjord, Whittier, Alaska. In the left portion of the photo you can see ice calving from the glacier. To the right, you can see the wake from a recent calving. When one of these huge blocks of ice would begin to separate from the glacier, you could here a sharp rifle sound and then the crashing of the ice into the water. A spectacular place on earth. So fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit there.

Friendship Sloop

Staying in Bar Harbor, Maine today with this photo is of a Friendship Sloop sailing at sunset. This sloop was designed in the late 1800's by Maine fishermen and was used for hauling lobster traps. Today, it provides the opportunity for tourist to step back in time while cruising on Frenchman Bay.

Bar Harbor at Sunrise

This photo is of Bar Harbor, Maine and was taken at sunrise from the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park.
Note the masts of several sailboats in the lower left corner of the photo near the shoreline. They help to give a sense of scale to the scene.

Mendenhall Glacier

Today's photo is of Mendenhall Glacier in the Tongas National Forest near Juneau, Alaska. The photo was taken in July of 2008 on a gorgeous day with temps, as I recall, in the 60's and 70's.

Red Rose

Taken with a macro lens, this is a close-up of a rose I gave to Diana. The droplets are from a little water I sprayed on it prior to taking the photo.

Rainbow in the Mist

This photo of Niagara Falls was taken on a combination business/vacation trip back in the fall of 2005. To the right is the US and to the left Canada.

We were very fortunate during our visit to have outstanding weather.

Begonia Blossom

Today's photo is a close-up of a Begonia...simple as that.

Acadia Shoreline

Today's photo was taken last year when we visited Bar Harbor, Maine with my in-laws, Poncho and Zeida, Zeida's sister Marina and husband Jim, and their children Alicia and Jonathan.
It is a view up the coastline along the Acadia National Park Loop-Road near a cove called Sand Beach.

Bar Harbor is a wonderful town and the park is a true national treasure. For someone who loves photography, the area offers endless opportunities.

Lady in Pink

Only in St. Augustine (or maybe Palm Beach) could you find a poodle as fashionable as the one in this photo. Actually a service dog in training, she was being made accustomed to the crowds and noises along St. George Street on this particular day. And to my surprise, the glasses were not just perched on her snout to make a fashion statement. They are to protect her eyes from the sun as poodles are prone to cataracts...or so I was told.