The Wandering Disciple

An American Eagle flight takes to the skies from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.  American Eagle is a group of several regional airlines that combine to help augment the American Airlines routes.  (Photo: December 29, 2014)

A pileated woodpecker peeks out of his home inside the palm tree in our yard.  The palm tree which recently died has become a home to a family of red-bellied woodpeckers and now a family of pileated woodpeckers.  The pileated woodpecker pair just began building their home this past weekend.  (Photo: December 30, 2014)

A diesel locomotive from the Stone Mountain Railroad sits on the tracks at Stone Mountain Park.  Once utilized by the Stone Mountain Granite Company to help their quarry operations, today the railroad provides a scenic tour around the base of Stone Mountain. (Photo: December 21, 2014)

The Confederate Memorial adorns the side of Stone Mountain.  The memorial is the largest bas relief sculpture in the world, measuring nearly three acres.  It features Confederate president Jefferson Davis with generals Robert E Lee and Stonewall Jackson.  (Photo: December 21, 2014)

The bright pink color of a Chilean Flamingo adds some life to a dreary winter day at Zoo Atlanta.  Although most people associate the flamingo with the color pink, flamingos are actually born white and get their pink coloration over time.  (Photo: December 20, 2014)

One of the most feared sights in the War on Terror, the business end of a US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II.  The 30mm GAU-8 Avenger cannon means business and can fire close to 4,000 rounds a minute.  This A-10 is on static display at the Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base.  (Photo: December 22, 2014)

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  I hope each and everyone of you are enjoying your holiday.  Thank-you for continuing to follow Donten Photography and I hope you enjoy the photos we have provided over the year.  (Photo: November 29, 2014)

The village at Stone Mountain lights up the night sky as thousands of bright Christmas light adorn the buildings.  Christmas at Stone Mountain is a holiday celebration featuring Christmas lights, holiday shows, a sing-along train ride and much more.  (Photo: December 21, 2014)

A Delta flight taxis into the terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport during the busy holiday travel season.  The airport services an average of 2,500 flights per day connecting passengers to 150 domestic and 75 international destinations.  (Photo: December 21, 2014)

This home in the Sweet Auburn section of Atlanta was the birth home of the civil rights pioneer Dr Martin Luther King Jr.  Today you can tour the home and follow in the footsteps of Dr King in this historic district which honors the progress that he had in the civil rights movement.  (Photo: December 20, 2014)

Warner Robins, Georgia: Robins Air Force Base has served the United States Air Force for seven decades. It role as home to the Air Force Materiel Command has made the base a key player in maintain the Air Force’s feel or aircraft. To honor the rich history of Robins Air Force Base, they opened the Museum of Aviation in 1981. Housing four large structures and over ninety aircraft, the museum takes visitors on a trip through the history of operations at Robins AFB from World War II through the War on Terror. A visit to the Museum of Aviation begins at the Eagle Building. The three story building is home to many exhibits. In the atrium as you entrance is an F-15 Eagle to showcase Team Robins maintenance mission. Throughout the building you will travel through time through exhibits showcasing aircraft from World War II both the European and Pacific theaters, Korean War and much more. The Eagle Building is also home to the gift shop on the first floor, the Georgia Hall of Fame ...

Atlanta, Georgia: Today marked our final day on our road trip which meant it was time to hit the road.  We had an eight hour drive ahead of us and had to have the rental car back by 8pm.  Like usual, we managed to cram a bunch of activity into a short trip and barely scratching the surface on what we would have liked to cover. I had planned on hitting the airport for a little more photography followed by a trip downtown for some photography of the city, but weather just was not cooperating.  It was raining and the fog was so thick, you couldn't see anything. So we decided to just hit the road and head towards home.  On the way, we made a stop at Robins Air Force Base to visit their Museum of Aviation.  What a hidden gem.  I was amazed at what they had on display there.  What I thought was just going to be a quick sidebar stop turned out being a gold mine for aviation. We spent a good deal of time walking their exhibits but did not get to see th...

Color in the trees and leaves on the ground is a sign of the change of seasons in the south.  Unlike up north, the south starts to see Fall scenes during the winter like the one here seen in Atlanta's Grant Park.  (Photo: December 20, 2014)

Stone Mountain, Georgia: Rising over 1,600 feet above the Earth, Stone Mountain is home to Stone Mountain Park. A brief drive outside Atlanta allows you to leave the city life in the rear view and enjoy Mother Nature’s finest creations as well as take a glimpse into history. The history of Stone Mountain goes back several million years ago during the creation of the Blue Ridge Mountain range during the Ordovician Period. Geologists believe that magma during the creation of the mountain solidified underground. Over the years, erosion exposed the solidified magma, resulting in the Stone Mountain we see today. European settlers learned of the mountain in 1597 but when they arrived they realized that they weren’t the first inhabitants of Stone Mountain, the Creek and Cherokee Indians already resided on the mountain. In 1790, President George Washington visited the mountain to negotiate a treaty with the Indians, but that resulted in a war and the land being ceded to the state of ...

Atlanta, Georgia:  A blustery, foggy morning sky welcomed us as we began day two of our Atlanta trip.  The overcast skies were a flashback to the winter days I remember browsing up where is was always gray and cold during the winter. Today's adventure was the highlight of the trip, our visit to Stone Mountain. Stone Mountain was the main purpose of this last minute trip.  My wife and son have been begging to see snow and after growing up in the Mid-Atlantic, I've seen my fair share of it.  So when we came across the advertisement for Snow Mountain, I knew we could make that work. After breakfast we still had a little time remaining before we needed to hit the road for Stone Mountain so we headed over to the airport for some photography.  Anyone whose been through Hartsfield-Atlanta Airport knows how busy and how large the airport is.  We decided to head over to the south terminal cell phone lot for an up-close view of the action.  Boy was it c...

A red panda curls up in a ball to stay warm as he takes an afternoon nap at Zoo Atlanta.  Native to the  eastern Himalayas Mountains and western China, the red panda is one of many species that can be found at Zoo Atlanta.  (Photo: December 20, 2014)

Atlanta, Georgia: The sweet Auburn Community in Atlanta is home to the most powerful civil rights leaders our country has ever known. His legacy is alive and well at the Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site where visitors can pay tribute to Dr King’s legacy by walking through the streets of his childhood. The vision of preserving the history of this neighborhood began in 1974 with several building being added to the National Register of Historic Places. The preservation expanded in 1977 when it was declared a National Historic Landmark. The Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site was finally established in 1980 and included roughly 35 acres historically significant buildings. A visit to the historic site begins with a stop at the Visitor’s Center. A walk down the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame through the Gandhi Promenade will lead you from the parking lot into the Visitor’s Center. Here you will find exhibits that chronicles the life of Dr King and...

Atlanta, Georgia: Just outside downtown Atlanta lies a lush oasis home to 1,400 wild animals. Zoo Atlanta features 40 acres of habitat home to over 200 species of animals including the Giant Panda. In fact, the zoo is one of only four places in the United States where you can see the Giant Panda. Zoo Atlanta was founded in 1889 by George Gress. He purchased a travelling circus and created a zoo with the circus animals at Grant Park. The zoo continued to expand throughout the years, resulting in the world class venue it is today. The park is broken down into four regions: African Plains, The African Rain Forest, Asian Forest and Kid Zone. The African Plains is the first region you will encounter in the park. Here you will find the elephants, lions, rhinos and a savannah home to giraffes, zebras and Bongos. Next you will enter into the African Rain Forest. The highlight of region is the gorilla exhibit, home to nation’s largest collection of gorillas. Here twenty gorill...

Atlanta, Georgia: Whether you are just laying over on a flight or spending a couple days in Atlanta, Westin Atlanta Airport has you covered.  Located a short drive south of downtown Atlanta, the hotel overlooks Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The Westin features 500 guest rooms ranging from the standard 300 square foot guest room through the 1,000 square foot presidential suite.  Each room features amenities like the Westin Heavenly Bed, flat screen TV's, wireless internet and more. The hotel features a fitness center, indoor/outdoor pool and three options for dining.  It also has plenty of convention and meeting space. The Westin Atlanta Airport is located just a brief drive from the airport terminal and they provide shuttle service to help you get to your flight. Proximity to the airport and major roadways makes the Westin Atlanta Airport the perfect place to stay for business or pleasure.

Atlanta, Georgia:   For the past couple years, my family has been asking to see snow.  But having grown up in Pennsylvania, I have seen my far share of it and don't really look forward to being back in the cold again.  But then my wife came across an advertisement for Snow Mountain, just outside of Atlanta.  So I figured it would be the great compromise, they get to see snow and I don't have to deal with the extreme cold.  So we already had off the week of Christmas and I decided to pull the trigger and me it happen. Call it the trip that almost didn't happen.  Thanks to a myriad of set-backs, we finally got situated and on our way.  Earlier this year when we took our trip to Savannah, we had a hiccup at car rental due to a limit on our bank account.  Trying to keep this happening again, I met with our bank Wells Fargo in Venice to ensure there would be no problems.  After Ashley, the banker I met with confirmed that it was a $500 per swi...

The Universal Globe spins near the lagoon at the entrance to Universal Studios Florida.  The globe is the icon of Universal and marks the entrance to the theme parks in Central Florida.  (Photo: December 25, 2005)

The Royal Bali Sea at the Royal Pacific Resort is a kid-sized aqua playground that give the kids a chance to play in the water while their parents relax in the nearby pool or on the many lounge chairs surrounding the lagoon.  (Photo: December 24, 2005)

The Ferris Wheel at Hersheypark towers over the Midway America region of the park.  Hersheypark is home to 70 rides including 12 heart-pounding roller coasters.  (Photo: August 29, 2005)

In Florida, a snow bird is a term given to anyone who lives in Florida half the year to escape the cold winters up north.  But who says only people can be snow birds, take a look at this collection of snow birds on the bank of this central Sarasota lake.  These white pelicans, much like their white haired counterpart snow bird, migrate to Florida to escape the cold.  (Photo: December 16, 2014)

Like a beacon of hope, the Statue of Liberty stands tall in New York Harbor as a sign of freedom and hope found in the United States.  Given to the United States as a gift from France, Lady Liberty has become known as a welcome sign to immigrants to the United States as they immigrated through Ellis Island.  (Photo: August 28, 2005)

A motorcycle from the NYPD Motor Unit sits on display at they New York City Police Museum in lower Manhattan.  Housed in the historic first precinct, the museum houses memorabilia from the rich history of the NYPD.  (Photo: August 27, 2005)

Englewood, Florida: The holiday season was ushered into Old Englewood as the 2014 Englewood Community Christmas Parade took to the streets.  The annual parade of festive floats leads the way as Santa arrives in Englewood. The parade began at Veteran's Park along the bay and headed along Dearborn Street through the heart of Old Englewood. The evening was filled with festivities including choral concert and tree lighting ceremony. Click on the photo above to view more photos from the parade in my 2014 Englewood Community Christmas Parade photo gallery .

A great blue heron is having second thoughts as he is coming to a landing on a spot of the island inhabited by a large alligators.  Herons and gators can be seen daily along the banks of the Myakka River at Myakka River State Park in eastern Sarasota County.  (Photo: December 13, 2014)

Sarasota, Florida:   We spent a couple hours testing our new camera while photographing wildlife at Myakka River State Park.  Here is a report of what we saw during the visit. Our first stop of the morning was at the Alligator Bridge.  Here we saw: American Alligator Anhinga Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Great Egret Limpkin Osprey Snowy Egret Tri-color Heron The next stop was the trail to the right of the bridge.  This was our first time on this trail.  The 2-mile walk along the banks of the Myakka River gave us a great collection of wildlife.  On the trail we saw: American Alligator Black-crown Night-heron Black Vulture Gray Catbird Great Blue Heron Great Egret Green Heron Little Blue Heron Limpkin Palm Warbler Pie-billed Grebe Red-shouldered Hawk Snow Egret Tri-color Heron Turkey Vulture Wood Stork Our next stop in the park was the Birdwalk.  As soon as we got out of the car, we were greeted by a h...

The bright neon lights of Times Square do more then just light up the block, the bright lights can be seen from the International Space Station some 268 miles above the Earth.  The colorful signage of the Great White Way is a result of a zoning ordinance that requires illuminated signage on each building in Times Square.  (Photo: August 26, 2005)

A giant guitar and an upside down Cadillac adorn the facade of the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  This amazing thrill ride featuring the rock band Aerosmith has riders jamming out to the band's hits while speeding through the coaster at 60 miles per hour.  (Photo: April 9, 2005)

The flair of the Big Easy is alive and well at Port Orleans: French Quarter at Walt Disney World.  No details are spared to help make the Disney resort look and feel like New Orleans.  (Photo: April 9, 2005)

Rafiki, the knowledgeable and silly star of the Lion King, points the way to Rafiki's Planet Watch and Animal Kingdom.  A short train ride takes you to Planet Watch, an inside look at Animal Kingdom's conservation work.  (Photo: April 9, 2005)

The canals of Venice come to life in the sunshine state at Epcot's World Showcase.  The World Showcase provide a unique look at twelve different countries.  Italy features Venetian canals, the Doge Palace and more.  (Photo February 26, 2005)

Within these walls lies 999 happy haunts just looking for one more.  Take a ride through the Haunted Mansion aboard a doom buggy and watch these happy haunts come to life.  But beware of hitch hiking ghost as one might try to follow you home.  (Photo: February 6, 2005)

A trio of zebras take a defensive stance in the Serengeti Safari at Busch Gardens.  In the wild, zebras pair up in this stance to deter an attack from a predator.  Because of the way they blend together, they give the appearance of being much larger then they are, preventing them from being attacked.  (Photo: January 2, 2005)