The Wandering Disciple

A laughing gull flies over the beach at Brohard Beach in Venice. The beach is home to many species of shorebirds and snow birds thanks to the warm Florida climate. (Photo: April 14, 2013)

The Venice Pier extends into the Gulf of Mexico by the popular Sharky's at the Pier restaurant.  The 700 foot pier is a popular place to cast a line and wait for a fish or to sit back and enjoy the Florida sunset.  (Photo: April 14, 2013)

Fire fighters from the Englewood Fire Department perform venelation training on an abandoned church building in Englewood.  Members of the EFD used the building to perform various training evolutions prior to the building being demolished.  (Photo: March 28, 2013)

Bradenton Marauders infielder Alen Hansen turns two over a sliding Brandon Macias as the Marauders hosted the Brevard County Manatees at historic McKechnie Field.  (Photo: April 30, 2013)

Charlotte Stone Crabs first baseman Alejandro Segovia makes a play on a pop-up in a Florida State League game against the Fort Myers Miracle. Segovia is in his sixth season in the Tampa Bay Rays organization after being signed as an international free agent in 2007. (Photo: May 19, 2013)

Venice & Englewood, Florida: The nice crisp fall weather provided by the first cold front of the year provide great weather for a fishing Sunday. Although we were battling low tide conditions, we still managed to catch five fish in the group with my wife leading the group with three, I had two and my Dad had one. Following our success last trip, we decided to go to the South Jetty again. We armed ourselves with 2-dozen live shrimp from the Crows Nest and hit the rocks. First shrimp in the water and my wife already had a fish. Her first was a Mangrove Snapper. But we were fighting a really fast current in the Jetty enhanced by the outgoing tide. So we decided to go the Gulf side of the rocks where nothing was happening except watching a Manatee playing in the water about thirty yards offshore. We decided to hop around a bit and try some new locations. The first of these was the boat ramp at the Venice Train Depot. Despite some rather large Snook under the docks, there...

The entrance of Mary’s Chapel as seen during our Ghost Hunting Tour on Friday night. For one night only, Historic Spanish Point opened up for ghost hunting tours. Led by historians and actors, the tour took you though one of the most haunted properties in Sarasota County. Check back later for more photos from Friday’s tour. (Photo: October 25, 2013)

Osprey, Florida: Our October tour of haunted sites continued with a stop at Historic Spanish Point for their Ghost Hunting Tour. Historic Spanish Point is reported to be one of the most haunted locations in Sarasota County and its reputation did not disappoint us on our tour. Located along the bay in Osprey, the 30 acre Spanish Point has a rich history. It was the site of a native American village as well as the pioneer homestead of the Webb family and eventually the vacation home of socialite Bertha Palmer. With burial mounds, a pioneer cemetery and original homesteads there was sure to be plenty of paranormal activity to witness at Spanish Point.  Our tour started at 8pm at the white gazebo. Here we were introduced to two of our guides Ryan (an archaeologist with Sarasota County) and Bill (a historical actor at Spanish Point). Then our group of twenty ghost hunters headed out to explore to property. On this tour, we came a little better prepared. The staff at Sp...

Punta Gorda, Florida: Lost in history is the town of Rouxville and the rich lumber industry created by industrial pioneer EV Babcock. But in it’s place is the hidden gem of the Crescent B Ranch, home of the Babcock Wilderness Adventure. Sit back and take a buggy ride into the heart of the wilderness where you will see wild animals and learn about the history of the Babcock Florida Company. Located in Eastern Charlotte County, Babcock Wilderness Adventure is a 1 1/2 hour buggy tour through the Crescent B Ranch. The ranch founded in 1914 by lumber giant EV Babcock for the Babcock Florida Company. Babcock Florida Company would provide lumber harvesting and create the logging town Rouxville on the property. In it’s prime, Rouxville had almost 200 residents working and living on the 156,000 acre property. To adapt to the changing times, the ranch began to be used for cattle ranching and farming. In the 1940’s, the Babcock family sold 65,000 acres of the property to the State of...

An alligator makes a move towards the water at Babcock Ranch. The eco-tour takes you deep into 90,000 working ranch where you can see gator and much more. Check back later for more photos from our trip to the Babcock Wilderness Adventure today. (Photo: October 25, 2013)

President Dwight D Eisenhower’s presidential aircraft on display at the Florida International Airport. The L-26 Commander is the smallest Air Force One aircraft and served in that capacity from 1956 to 1960. (Photo: March 24, 2013)

Tampa Bay Rays minor league shortstop Leonardo Reginatto gets ready for the season during a minor league spring training game between the Rays and the Baltimore Orioles at Twin Lake Park. Reginatto was signed by the Rays as an international free agent in 2009. (Photo: March 22, 2013)

A performer with Cirque Italia performs during a recent stop in Venice, Florida.  Cirque Italia travels the country with a great lineup of acrobatic and humor combined in a family friendly show.   (Photo: March 17, 2013) Click on the photo to see the Cirque Italia photo gallery.

Tampa Bay Rays minor league pitcher Jake Floethe gets ready for the season in a minor league spring training games against the Orioles. Floethe was drafted by the Rays in the sixth round of the 2011 draft out of Cal State-Fullerton. (Photo: March 14, 2013)

Tampa Fire Department’s Truck 42 “Little Mack” is on display at the Tampa Firefighters Museum. Located in a historic firehouse, Tampa Firefighters Museum houses photos and memorabilia highlighting the of the Tampa Fire Department. (Photo: October 19, 2013)

Tampa, Florida: For over a hundred years, the men and women of the Tampa Fire Department have been protecting the citizens of Tampa. The Tampa Firefighters Museum was opened to honor those brave firefighters who risk all to keep Tampa safe. The Tampa Fire Department was formed in 1895 by a resolution passed by the city council. The department started with just 22 firefighters and hand drawn pumpers. Today the department has grown to 22 stations staffed by more then 600 firefighters. A museum of tell the story of the Tampa Fire Department opened in 2008. From within the walls of the historic station, the museum has exhibits that show how Tampa FD has evolved over the years. Here you can see bunker gear from past and present, antique fire engines, and tools of the trade from throughout the years. There is also a memorial for those who have lost their lives in the line of duty. The museum is housed in the original 1911 fire station. This historic station was the main stati...

Tampa, Florida: Since 1926, thousands of movie goers have passed through the doors of the Tampa Theatre to catch a film in the historic theater. But its not just the guests that love the theater, the Tampa Theater has five ghostly spirits that love the theater that much they don’t ever want to leave. It is the actions of these spirits that makes the Tampa Theatre one of the most haunted places in the area. Today we took a look at the ghosts that haunt the Tampa Theatre as part of the Ghost Stories tour hosted by the theater. Guided by the theater’s Director of Marketing & Community Relations Jill Witecki, we took a look at the historic theater’s haunted history. Today’s tour combined the history and architecture of the theater with a detailed focus on the ghosts that still roam the halls. The tour began in the lobby of the theater were we heard the story of a box office attendant who died of a head injury on payday. The attendant known for his unique way of taking tic...

Surrounded by modern buildings in the heart of downtown Tampa is the historic Tampa Theatre. Built in 1925, the fully operational theater has been giving movie goers a historic venue to catch their favorite movies. Inside the theater, visitors are transported from Tampa to a Mediterranean village thanks to an intricate design by architect John Eberson. (Photo: October 19, 2013)

Tampa Bay Rays minor league catcher Alejandro Segovia plays in a minor league spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles. (Photo: March 13, 2013)

A gopher tortoise crosses the hiking path at Stump Pass State Park on the southern end of Manasota Key in Englewood. The 245 acre park is home to plenty of wildlife as well as great aquatic activities on the Gulf of Mexico and Lemon Bay. (Photo: March 5, 2013)

An Airbus A320 operated by Air Canada Jetz approaches Orlando International Airport.  Air Canada Jetz is a premium charter service for Air Canada.  Operating a fleet of six aircraft, Jetz provides charter service for Canadian sports teams, musician, corporations and more.  (Photo: February 12, 2013)

A GM Prototype is on display at Test Track at Epcot.  Sponsored by GM, Test Track takes riders on an interactive ride through designing and testing cars.  Start by creating your car in the design studio and then have your design loaded into ride vehicle to be tested on the ride. Click on the photo to see more photos from Epcot. (Photo: February 12, 2013)

A musician entertains visitors to the African village at Disney's Animal Kingdom. No details are spared in making guests feel like they have been transported to Africa in this section of the park. Africa is one of five themed land at the theme park and is home to one of the park's biggest attractions, Kilimanjaro Safaris. (Photo: February 11, 2013)

A fountain featuring Gaston sits outside Gaston's Tavern at the Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World. Highlighting one of the lead characters of Beauty and the Beast, Gaston's Tavern is one of the Magic Kingdom's newest addition, opening with the recent Fantasyland expansion. The tavern features drinks and snacks to help satisfy your needs during a fun filled day at the park. (Photo: February 11, 2013)

Sarasota, Florida: Sarasota has a rich and colorful past. Throughout history, the city has been home to many influential people as well as a hotspot for arts and entertainment. Many people have called the city by the bay home including John Ringling who’s mark can be seen throughout the city. But with all this glimmer, Sarasota also has a much darker side. A side filled with murder and suicide which can be explored with the Sarasota Ghost Tour. For the past few years, we have wanted to take the ghost tour through Sarasota’s Rosemary District. However I have always been hesitant to go. I have spent 13 years in public safety in Sarasota, working these same streets and visiting these same places in which the tour visits. I’ve worked deep inside the Golden Apple Dinner Theater, Sarasota Opera House, McCown Towers and many more of these haunted places. After countless visits to these places with no experiences, did I really want to pay for a tour of these places. But my wife d...

The clear waters of the Meadows Swimming Pool provide a great place to unwind from a busy day at Walt Disney World. The Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground features two pools for guests to enjoy while camping at the resort. (Photo: February 12, 2013)

A Ring-Billed Gull patrols the surf at Service Club Park looking for his next meal. Many species of shore birds can be found here on the Gulf of Mexico beaches. (Photo: February 3, 2013)

A white tiger entertains the crowds at the Animal Extravaganza at the Big Cat Habitat. The non-profit animal sanctuary in eastern Sarasota provides a safe home for tigers, bears and more. To raise money for the care of the animal, the staff presents a wildlife show to help educate on these special animals. Click on the photo to view more photos from the Big Cat Animal Extravaganza . (Photo: February 2, 2013)

A flock of seagulls enjoy the warmth of Manasota Beach in the winter. All types of birds from shore birds to snow birds flock to Florida to enjoy the warm weather in the dead of winter. (Photo: January 24, 2013)

A law enforcement officer guides a US Navy helicopter in for a landing at the American Heroes Air Show. The show is a one a kind event featuring helicopter from law enforcement, military and the private sector. Click on the photo to view my American Heroes Air Show photo gallery . (Photo: January 19, 2013)

Engine 12 of the Sarasota County Fire Department sits outside Sarasota Technical Center. The SCFD provides fire and emergency medical service to Sarasota County, Florida out of 27 stations. (Photo: August 15, 2013)

Venice, Florida: After a long hiatus from fishing, we decided to take advantage of the nice weather and go fishing. We decided on the Venice Pier for today's trip. We picked up two dozen live shrimp at the pier and headed out to fish. We picked a spot mid-point on the pier and went to work. It was a very slow day on the pier, while I am used to us not really catching anything, but others around us were not having any luck either. We did catch a juvenile Crevalle Jack, a Lizardfish and a crab. While fishing, we watched a pod off dolphins playing on both sides of the pier for much of the afternoon. Since we were not having much luck at the pier, we decided to head to the South Jetty and try our luck there. We had a lot more success there. While we didn't catch a bunch, we had plenty of hits on our remaining bait. At the Jetty, we caught a Mangrove Snapper, Gag Grouper and an unidentified fish. We also observed some Snook near the seawall in which my Dad hooked...

A Piper Cub approached Venice Municipal Airport. The airport located on the island of Venice is popular spot for aviation enthusiasts to fly out of. (Photo: March 19, 2013)

Englewood, Florida: As they prepare for their final tournament of the year, the Englewood Crabs invited the North Port Power to Englewood Sports Complex for a 9-inning exhibition game on Saturday morning. Both teams worked on perfecting their play with a competitive game. The Crabs will travel to Sarasota for their final tournament of the year next weekend. The Suncoast Travel Ball Fall Classic will feature two pool games on Saturday and a single elimination tournament on Sunday. Click on the photo above to view the Crabs/Power photo gallery .

An American Alligator lies along the shoreline at Myakka River State Park. Just inside the park entrance off State Road 72, there is a bridge over the water which is a hotspot for alligators like this one to gather. Click on the photo to view my Myakka River State Park photo gallery . (Photo: January 17, 2013)