Category: adventure

'scene' along the way, adventure, bucket list, following the rules, fun, Just do it, kids, moments, nature, on closer examination, perseverance, photography, road trip, technology, unintended images

Kite Fest…

naturecoastimagesblog

Kites on the beach, what could go wrong? Well, as you see in the feature photo, a huge expanse of beach, tiny little kites in the sky, (K heard there were huge kites the day before), and even a plane crash…

Loved seeing the surf.
Getting the kite and the flyer into the same shot wasn’t easy.
You could get the kite and flyer into the same shot sometimes, but you got way too much other stuff in the shot also.
Maybe I should learn Photoshop so I could take this girl and put her on the beach all by herself.
Flying these kites is more complicated than I thought.
There was a crowd up the beach and when I investigated I discovered that engine problems coupled with a student pilot had resulted in this. No injuries, thankfully.
Not a kite, but a low flying plane buzzing right overhead, which was slightly alarming after seeing the downed plane.
So people caught my eye, namely the little girl who was watching the other kids playing ball.
I was using my zoom so I couldn’t see the facial expressions when I took the picture.
She was so cute, all dressed in pink with her red-haired doll, but alas, she never cracked a smile.
I should have bought one of these…
My last photo. You see what the sky was doing, and I had an hour’s drive home, and it was time…
'scene' along the way, a second look, adventure, friends, fun, making memories, nature, perseverance, photography, road trip

iPhone photos…

naturecoastimagesblog

There’s the camera and then there’s the iPhone. The 11 pro max to be exact. Not the latest, greatest iPhone any longer, but I have no complaints.

I hesitate to aim my camera at random people, but no one pays attention when you have your iPhone in your hands.
City pier very early.
Setting up the camera for a shot of the pier when I noticed my own shadow and took a picture with my phone. Good thing I did because they turned the lights out just after I took it. And the sunrise was totally grayed out this time.
Seems this orchid was hitching a ride on this tree right outside the condo door.
Willet wading…
More driftwood art.

It occurs to me now that going to Anna Maria City Pier for the sunset would also be a good idea. On top of a potentially gorgeous sunset you might also follow the suggestions on this sign have enjoy some shrimp and beer. Wherever you go, and no matter what you see and how many pictures you take, you always need to go back for more…

'scene' along the way, adventure, friends, fun, Just do it, life goes on, making memories, nature, Nature's beautiful creatures, perseverance, photography, road trip, sky

Fun in the sun…

naturecoastimagesblog

Wasn’t it lucky that I stopped at Coquina Beach on my way back to the condo and spotted this row of umbrellas sitting out on the beach? There were a few people walking about, but no one was sitting, which was fine by me. And we walked the beach closer to home too.

And doesn’t this look like fun?
Fishing buddies…
I wonder what they were discussing?
I think this was Coquina Beach again.
No trespassing doesn’t apply to our feathered friends.
The sky was getting colorful and we were getting hungry, so we set out to find some dinner and hopefully watch the sunset.
Turns out I was wrong about this being my first trip to Longboat Key. We came down and met friends for lunch in the Beach House restaurant several years in a row. We would visit for a while and then drive back home. So we had dinner here, at the Beach House restaurant, and enjoyed the sunset and a great dinner.
I love to see the light rays come through, even in the grayest sky.

This was a message left on a piece of driftwood on the beach. I hope there will be lots to smile about in 2021.

'scene' along the way, a second look, adventure, birds, blessings, boats, friends, fun, nature, perseverance, photography, road trip, simple things, sky, unintended images

Camera worthy moments…

naturecoastimagesblog

I had my camera ready in case I saw anything photo worthy on my way to Longboat Key, so when I saw horses on the beach you know I had to stop for a picture. For a brief moment I thought how fun it would be to ride a horse on the beach, and then I remembered my age and thought better of that idea. I also stopped to see the whashed up boat on the causeway again, hoping that the RV would be gone. And it was! But a car with a kayak on top was parked way too close to the front of the boat. Seems you can’t win.

When I heard that there was a lot of driftwood on the beach nearby the condo I really didn’t picture this. Driftwood trees, decorated with shells, was new to me.

My friend found it amazing that this Great Blue Heron let us walk as close to him as we did while we were on our walk.

I also saw two new birds to me, the tiny little Sanderlings, and two Piping Plovers.

On this trip I learned that this is called ‘wrack’. It just looks like ocean junk but it provides an important environment for tiny organisms to thrive. Nothing is wasted in nature.

Social distancing was not a problem on this trip. We had the beach to ourselves, or nearly so. Walking and learning and enjoying the days.

'scene' along the way, adventure, blessings, friends, fun, Just do it, making memories, nature, perseverance, photography, Rise and shine, road trip, sky, sunrise

Rise and Shine…

naturecoastimagesblog

Not everyone is up for getting out for the sunrise, including my hostess for my trip to Longboat Key. And that was fine with me because I’m pretty sure that only another photographer would put up with my early morning shenanigans. I was sure that since I was on a skinny little slip of land with beaches on the east side, that finding a place to view said sunrise would be a no-brainer. But evidently Holmes Beach is more of a town than a beach, and even though I was beginning to see some color in the sky I couldn’t find a place to pull over. I was sure I was too late period, and then I saw an arrow pointing me to Anna Maria City Pier. It was right on the water, and with parking right there too. In just a minute or so I was finally able to see the sunrise, and it was worth all the angst.

And always remember to check to see what’s going on behind you…

'scene' along the way, a second look, adventure, boats, fun, moments, perseverance, photography, sky, weather

Shipwreck…

naturecoastimagesblog

I had been seeing photos of this washed up sailboat from my group for a few weeks now. Lovely shots against the sunset, I was envious. Today the skies were dramatic and I thought that I might have missed this boat already, so I decided to take a trip to the Dunedin causeway to check it out. Happily it was still there, unfortunately there was an RV parked right next to it. I wondered what the thought process was that had someone park their RV in such an obviously annoying spot. Charley used to call that, “Hooray for me and the heck with the other guy.”

As I looked at the photos I found that my dramatic skies weren’t quite as nice as I’d hoped, and as I edited I found that I liked a softer look than I usually like. The skies seemed to demand it.