Sunday night sunset

At least we got one good sunset while at Fort De Soto

Lunchtime

I wonder if this bird knows how much a red snapper dinner costs?

Defensive mode...as another bird checks out the possibility of a lunchtime robbery.

TIERRA VERDE, FL - - Osprey are good hunters.  This raptor has a large red snapper.  It takes a strong bird to haul a big fish from the water to the top of a utility pole. Unfortunately, no matter how hard you work for your meal there is always another bird ready to try and steal it.

Ship traffic

The Green Nova, a "reefer" ship based in Bergen, Norway, motors past the Eggmont Key lighthouse.

The Overseas Texas City (oil/chemical) tanker

This tanker wasn't waiting for the holidays. 

TIERRA VERDE, FL - - At home we watch the yachts and other craft head south for the winter.  At Fort De Soto, there a view of the main shipping channel heading to the Port of Tampa. Some shipping lines work in a port call during the holidays.

Gliding on

Sails await the call to take to the air. 

Some of the 25+ sailboarders in action.  In the background, the Sunshine Skyway bridge and a freighter headed to port for the  holidays.

TIERRA VERDE, FL - - A few days ago we took off for the West Coast of Florida and one of our favorite places to camp at Christmas: Fort De Soto - - a Pinellas County park.  The first day was breezy with high clouds.  The perfect day for Sailboarding.  Since then the wind, out of the North, then East, then various directions has been very brisk...sometimes 30mph brisk.

Cruisin' on the river

The Native II tour boat on the St. Johns River

A female Anhinga blending in with the scenery

A Snowy Egret drifts onto the buffet line

Let's ignore each other, the sun is too nice

It seemed as if this BIG gator was checking us out as we passed.

ORMOND BEACH, FL - -Since I purchased a Florida State Parks pass on December 1, the sun has been playing hide and seek.  Tuesday, the forecast looked good so we headed to Blue Spring State Park near Orange City.  BSSP is a designated manatee refuge.  Manatees love the constant 72-degree water, especially when the temperature dips in the St Johns River.  In really cold weather, upwards of 300 manatees utilize this safe haven.  So how many of these large, ugly creatures did we see on this warm day?  About a dozen.  And none were willing to pose.
     So we spent two hours meandering down the St John on the Native II tour boat with 12 other folks. The shallow draft pontoon boat allowed us to check out the turtles, gators, bushes, trees while listening to our guide go over the history of the area and the harvesting of the cypress trees.  We had hoped to spot a lot of birds, but the only feathered friends we saw were the usual suspects.  Still, the time spent was well worth it.
    

South bound

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Living one block from the Intercoastal Waterway (Halifax River portion) provides plenty of things to watch and do.  One favorite:  The yearly 'heading south for the winter/heading north for the summer' boat traffic.  Three miles south of our location lies Sunset Park in Holly Hill which has a fishing pier way out into the river allowing a great vantage point for watching the traffic.  Here, two sailboats motor south past craft moored.  Click on the photo and look just above the blue-hulled craft and you'll see a catamaran also heading my way.

     The sailboat in the lead is the Isolde II, a 35' Hallberg Rossy 352.  A Google check turned up a strikingly similar boat owned by a retired individual from Chicago who started a blog called"Sailing the dream" in 2007.  It appears sailing was more fun or the blog was too much work as the blog stopped at the end of 2007.  Apparently, chasing the dream didn't.

Still life

Look closely

Boat wake ripples

Water droplets on swamp grass

More 'Keys" photos

Breakfast and early morning sun on the Gulf side

You can find any style Keys transport you need: Caddy, pirate or luxury

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - It pays to double-check all the cameras when returning home.  I found these pics in my Canon 1100s point and shoot which I carry in my pocket when we're just 'out.' In this case it was breakfast at a Gulf side cafe in Islamorada. 

A look back at this year's trip #1

BIG bus and 'our' bus

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - This huge red and white snow coach takes folks up to and onto the Athabasca Glacier (left).  It's late June (2012) and we were at the Columbia Icefields visitor center in Alberta, Canada. This portion of the Canadian Rockies is about halfway between Banff and Jasper on the Icefields Parkway.  It was cold and windy with plenty of clouds...a perfect day.

Our short vacation in the Keys is over

Heading home to OB

Soaring with the pelicans

This guy had damaged wings but still soared

Follow the leader - - the 3rd pelican down on the left has a big hole in  his beak

Close quarters flying

IN THE MIDDLE KEYS - - Some days you don't get much choice in your subject(s).

Another type of Keys flyer

Free as a bird - - almost.  A line is attached to the parasail

IN THE MIDDLE KEYS - - You are fine as long as you keep the front of the sail up.

Birds in The Keys

The snowy egrets have started an advertising campaign

So, the brown pelicans have taken to the sky in search of vittles

This osprey has its talons full with a houndfish / alligator gar.

While this osprey refines his gliding technique

MM 81.5 ISLAMORADA, THE FLORIDA KEYS - - We spend a lot of time taking pics of birds.  We have lots and lots because here in The Keys birds are everywhere and present plenty of photo opportunities.  Then the fun begins as you have to decide between what's good/really good/even better and eliminate the rest.  And then you get an osprey pic with a 'fish' which locals identified as a hound-fish or alligator gar.

Key West..The good, the bad and the ugly

The holiday spirit is 'different' in Key West:  a crab trap Christmas tree

The 'unofficial 'currency' of the Conch Republic

Cruisin' and 'boozin'

The Southern Most Point marker:  next stop Cuba

Parrot-Head Headquarters

Thanksgiving Break

Sunrise and a lonely cormorant

 THE FLORIDA KEYS MM 81.5 - - We had to walk about 50 yards from our accommodations at The Ragged Edge to catch the sunrise.  It was time to abandon Ormond Beach for a few days and Thanksgiving is  a perfect excuse.  And, with this  being Florida and winter in most other parts of the country...the campgrounds are full.

Towed 'toad' along the Oregon coast

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - From this year's wanderings.

A new dance step

Ruddy Turnstone in winter colors trying out a new move

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - It's tough trying to work a new dance step into your foraging routine.

Looking for the next meal

Still life with Spanish moss and palmetto bushes

The quest for food:  Great Blue Heron gazing...

Red-shouldered hawk checking things out...

and a large 'gator looking for small treats

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - We made our first Fall trip to Lake Woodruff NWR today hoping that some feathered visitors from Up North had arrived on their migratory trip to warmer weather.  Summer rains have left the wildlife reserve with high water, not the best situation for the birds who spend some time in DeLand.  The usual suspects, though, were on hand and resolutely on the lookout for something to fill their stomachs with. 
    

Rat-a-tat-tat

Red-bellied wood pecker

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - After a steady diet of pigeons and blackbirds, it was nice to see something colorful for a change. 

Playtime

A pigeon searches the surrounding area for anything edible

Neighborhood rose

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - I have added a new lens to my Canon equipment, the first in seven years.  This 70-200mm telephoto lens adds a lot of versatility.  I went out today looking for our neighborhood cats - - which usually number between 5 and 10 over  a three block walk.  Naturally,  they were all hiding out.  So you get another pigeon on a red tile roof and a red rose.  Perhaps the weekend will provide us with some bird action.

By the numbers

California gas $$$.  No, we didn't get any at this price.

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Here's the final tally for our working vacation:
14,921 miles traveled
149 days away
136 nights camping
8 nights staying with/at (Lydia's) relatives
5 nights in lodging...mainly due to weather or no viable campgrounds nearby
9 U.S. National Parks visited:  Rocky Mountain; Glacier; North Cascades; Olympic; Yosemite; Zion; Bryce; Escalante Staircase; Capitol Reef
4 Canadian National Parks visited:  Kootenay; Yoho; Banff; Jasper
See Lydia's blog for more info. 

St. Louis

Our friends in Zion NP were sad to see us leave.

ST. LOUIS, MO - - We haven't crossed the Mississippi River yet, but we're close.  We've been taking it "relative"-ly easy.  As in visiting some of Lydia's relatives in St. Louis.  We haven't camped out for two nights...a record on this year's trip.  The schedule puts us back home in Ormond Beach on Sunday.

Sky shots

Sunset in Hanksville, UT

'Moon set' in Zion NP

A pine tree, much older than it looks, trying to survive - - Bryce Canyon NP

Clouds, Aspen in Fall color and an empty (Utah) Rt. 12

SHAMROCK, TX - - Along the way to Texas...