on closer examination – A Snowbird's Life Through the Lens

'scene' along the way, flowers, fun, gardens, Just do it, life, live and learn, nature, on closer examination, perseverance, photography

Succulents…

May 8, 2021May 7, 2021 naturecoastimagesblog

I’ve certainly raved over photo ops that come to me in the past, but this one didn’t come to me. No, I had to walk across the street to see it. And I heard it before I saw it. The fountain gurgling caught my attention. A sweet little succulent garden. I’ve been offered cuttings, but my track record with plants isn’t great. Fortunately for my kids and pets I’ve done better with them.

This last one is the flowers that really caught my eye. So sweet, love them.

brainstorms, bucket list, connections, fantasy images, finding my way, following the rules, friends, glass ceilings, just imagine, making memories, on closer examination, perseverance, photography, special effects

Things are looking up…

May 1, 2021 naturecoastimagesblog

Things are looking up in a lot of ways right now, but in this particular case I’m intending for you to look straight up. Up onto the ceiling in a little hallway at the Chihuly Museum yesterday. The feature photo is a small section of that amazing ceiling. I resisted the idea of trying to use my camera for these shots when I knew that the iPhone would handle the issues of lighting better than my camera skills could. I had wanted to go there for quite a while, but in this case the idea of going there popped into my head at the perfect moment, so I had a friend to view this with. I have gone everywhere on my own for a long time now, but I don’t think this would have been as much fun without someone who stood there as amazed as you were at what we were seeing.

I have so many more photos but these will do as a tease to get you to go there also. There are many Chihuly exhibitions scattered all over the country, maybe there is one near you. But… bring a friend.

'scene' along the way, a second look, adventure, Hudson Beach, Just do it, on closer examination, perseverance, photography, sunset

Skeleton Key…

April 26, 2021April 25, 2021 naturecoastimagesblog

I’ve been to Hudson Beach so many times over the years, but hadn’t ever walked all the way to the far end of the parking lot before. Which is how it is that I had never noticed this sign until last night. One of the reasons I kept walking past where I normally would have turned was that I heard lots of commotion and couldn’t decide if people were having fun or not. They may have been having fun then, but by the time I left there were police cars in the area and my guess is someone wasn’t having fun anymore.

This sign was behind a locked fence, I wished for a different angle.

This is a different angle on a familiar view.

There were no clouds to light up the sky but it was a pretty sunset anyhow.

a second look, adventure, bucket list, fun, learning, life goes on, live and learn, making memories, nature, Nature's beautiful creatures, on closer examination, perseverance, photography

Riplee…

April 23, 2021 naturecoastimagesblog

All that had to cross my mind yesterday was to think of how long it’s been since I’ve been to the zoo and I was out the door so fast that I got there before they were open. Oh, they’d let you in, but you couldn’t leave the entry plaza. But soon I was looking at the orangutans, of course, but I honestly had a very hard time spotting ‘our’ baby. Mom doesn’t hold him in quite the same way these days, he is expected to hang on for dear life as she moves around their enclosure. I saw an especially small baby who was all over the place playing, including as high as he/she could climb, and I finally had to ask a keeper if the newest baby was allowed to play yet. She said that he wants to, but Mom doesn’t let him, so far. And I finally remembered to ask about the contest they held to name this little guy. With a grandmother named Dee Dee, and a mother named Randee, I’m not surprised that the winning name was Riplee.

I only got a couple of shots of little Riplee’s face.

Randee got up in response to one of the keepers tossing pieces of fruit to the group. There were some really great catches.

I didn’t notice any squabbling when one caught a piece, he just got to eat it and the rest tried for the next piece.

What I thought I saw was this orang race over and pose when she spotted this photographer. He had cameras the likes of which I hadn’t seen before, plus he was accompanied by a keeper, so I suspect he’s an official photographer. I’m telling you, she was posing.

And this one also took up this position in response to seeing the photographer. Posing for sure.

This one is very small, especially to see her all over the enclosure, but she sure seemed to be having fun.

It’s more fun to have a playmate of course, and these two were inseparable.

If we had opposable thumbs on our feet maybe we could also do this, when we are young at least.

I thought this was a loving mother’s face when I took this picture, but then they unfolded themselves and the one I thought was the mom hitched a ride on the actual mom.

I wish I understood their relationships to know who is who, they had me fooled.

Even as I took this picture I thought of all the times that someone came up to us in the supermarket in our dental office neighborhood and started trying to show Charley the tooth that was bothering them. He liked to go out to one of the corner bars after work to relax for a little while, but he was picky about which ones to avoid for exactly this reason.

I did walk the zoo of course, but I just can’t stay away from the orangutans for long. In looking at this scene I told myself that we might see a scene like this if we were in Africa. I wasn’t noticing the man-made structures at that moment though.

'scene' along the way, a second look, finding my way, Florida landmarks, home, Hudson Beach, life goes on, moments, on closer examination, perseverance, photography, sky, sunset, weather

Cloudy skies…

April 21, 2021April 20, 2021 naturecoastimagesblog

After days of rain I convinced myself that the sky was clearing up and it would be a great sunset last night. So off I went to Hudson Beach, an hour earlier than I meant to, but that wasn’t such a mistake after all. The skies were pretty and the clouds seemed to be breaking up when I looked at the sky at home. Just a few miles up the road and it seemed like the clouds were threatening to take back over. My weather app called for rain soon too. So I settled for enjoying the rays of sun shining through the clouds for a little while, but when the clouds seemed to be taking over that’s all I needed to see to convince me to head for home.

I’ve often wished for the sun to be setting behind this marina in Hudson Beach, I guess I almost got my wish.

The sun’s rays showed up more in person.

I’ve heard people comment about the fishing boats leaving the beach area around sunset, but it took this not-so-luxury-liner for me to see it.

I always look forward to this view when the sunset lights up the faces of the houses. Not last night of course. But what caught my eye was that big boat in the background. I know I haven’t seen that before.

'scene' along the way, adventure, bucket list, exploring new places, Florida landmarks, fun, history, Just do it, making memories, moments, on closer examination, perseverance, photography, road trip

Lighthouses…

April 17, 2021April 16, 2021 naturecoastimagesblog

Something is wrong with this picture. Not the actual picture. No, the idea that climbing up the 214 steps to the top of the St. Augustine Lighthouse only burns 24 calories, there is something wrong with that number. Most landings announce how many steps you have left as you climb, something that didn’t make me pant any less hard. Some landings had benches and they did help get me to the top. In my anticipation of seeing this lighthouse I expected my view to be of the lighthouse plus ocean, which didn’t materialize. As a matter of fact the little park around the lighthouse is small enough that I had to mostly rely on my iPhone for photos. This is the first lighthouse I ever climbed, and I will admit the view was great, both on the way to the top and from the top itself. But one bite of cookie would negate the climb, that is just wrong…

The path from the parking area to the lighthouse.

The main event with the sun sinking behind it.

Yes, it’s pretty, and 214 steps to the top, keep that in mind.

One young man took these steps at a run, two at a time. I called him out for showing off.

I would never dream of what hard work this job would have been, at least in 1874.

I wouldn’t try anything that requires a parachute.

There were windows around every turn as you climbed, and they framed the view beautifully.

Getting blown to bits was worth the view.

You never know what corner you may turn and find a like-minded photographer.

Was it comforting to read that you will spend another 11 calories climbing down the steps? Not so much…