The Wandering Disciple

Rising up from the center of the Magic Kingdom is one of the most iconic sights at Walt Disney World, Cinderella’s Castle. The castle not only serves as the park’s icon, it is also the heart of the park as all the worlds branch off from the castle. (Photo: February 6, 2005)

The Budweiser Hospitality House at Busch Gardens Tampa once provided park guests with a sample of Anheuser-Busch products as well as an inside look at the beer making process. But when they sold to the Belgian brewer InBev, that tradition came to an end and today, the Hospitality House serves as a restaurant. (Photo: January 2, 2005)

The Edson Keith Mansion sits along the banks of the Phillippi Creek and is the centerpiece of the Phillippi Estate Park. The mansion was built by Edson and Nettie Keener Keith in 1916 and is built to the Italian Renaissance architecture style. The mansion remained under private ownership until purchased by Sarasota County in 1985. It was then converted into a county park and today the mansion hosts meetings, weddings and much more. (Photo: December 9, 2004)

Roses boom all year round in the colorful rose garden at the Ringling Museum. Completed in 1913, Mabel Ringling planted and took care of the roses of the garden. It is one of several gardens on the estate and is probably the most popular on the property. While none of the roses in existence here today were planted by Mabel, they are the same variety in which she had planted years ago. (Photo: September 26, 2015)

Happy Thanksgiving from us at Donten Photography to you and your family. We are very thankful for your support of our photography hobby and I hope you enjoy the content we bring to you. Today's Thanksgiving Day themed picture is a turkey found at Myakka River State Park in eastern Sarasota County. (Photo: November 18, 2015)

Englewood, Florida: After an exciting race on Friday, the racers of the Offshore Powerboat Association returned to the waters off Englewood Beach for the final day of the Englewood WaterFest and the second half of the OPA World Championships. The two day event rounds up the 2015 season for the OPA and crowns the World Champion in each race class. Like Friday’s event, the ten classes were divided into three races that would race head to head on the four mile course in the Gulf of Mexico. Here are the results from Sunday’s race: Super Cat – Amsoil (#77)  Super Vee Lite – LSB Racing (#3)  Class 2 – Bat Boat (#211)  Class 3 – 2nd Amendment USA (#306)  Class 4 – Saris Racing (#441)  Class 5 – Wanna Race (#502)  Class 6 – Woah Mama (#632)  Class 7 – Bay Rat (#723)  Cat Lite – FJ Propeller (#S-19)  Extreme – Cat Can Do (#19)  The points from Friday’s race were combined with Sunday’s results to crown the World Champion. H...

Two offshore powerboats race down Englewood Beach in search of the OPA National Championship. Englewood Beach hosted three races on Friday afternoon as part of Englewood WaterFest. These race crews will be back on the water at Englewood Beach on Sunday in the World Championship. (Photo: November 20, 2015)

Englewood, Florida: The racers of the Offshore Powerboat Assocation converged on Englewood Beach for the inaugural Englewood WaterFest. The premier racing group would be hosting two racing events over the weekend, starting with the OPA National Championships on Friday. The OPA National Championships was originally scheduled to occur during the Ocean City Grand Prix but Hurricane Joaquin forced the event to be cancelled, forcing the sanctioning body to declare Friday’s race in Englewood as the National Championship. Racers took to the Gulf of Mexico on a four mile course that extended from Englewood Beach southward towards Stump Pass State Park. The event featured three heat races with boats from ten classes. The race winners included: Super Cat – Cleveland Construction (#4)  Super Vee Lite – LSB Racing (#3)  Class 2 – Batman (#211)  Class 3 – Strictly Business (#V-6)  Class 4 – Saris Racing (#441) Class 5 – Wazzup II (#513)  Class 6 -Smith B...

A dolphin comes up to interact with guests at Sea World Orlando. Located in the Key West portion of the park, Dolphin Cove is where you can feed or pet these gentle sea mammals or go under water in the cave to watch the dolphins swim beneath the surface. (Photo: August 28, 2004)

A flock of Flamingos hang out near a pond in the Bird Gardens section of Busch Gardens Tampa. One of the oldest portions of the park, Bird Gardens is home to many species of birds and two free flight aviaries. (Photo: June 27, 2004)

The bright teal water of the Gulf of Mexico and the sandy beaches are what make the Suncoast a top destination on the coast of Florida. (Photo: May 1, 2004)

A giant sword rising from the ground at Arlington National Cemetery pays tributes to the soldiers who enlisted in the Canadian armed forces in Europe. The Canadian Cross of Sacrifice was proposed by Prime Minister William Lyon in 1925 to honor the brave American soldiers who joined the Canadian military to fight in World War I before the US entered the conflict. (Photo: April 29, 2004)

The highest court in the land, the US Supreme Court in Washington DC is where many historic decisions have been made by the Justices of the Supreme Court.  The Supreme Court reperesents the judicial branch of government as one of the three main portions of our nation’s government structure.  (Photo: April 29, 2004)

A dense fog sets over the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. The Brooklyn Bridge connects the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan and is one of the icons of the Big Apple. (Photo: April 26, 2004)

The church at the Jamestown Settlement was the center of early settlers life in the new colonies. Religion was one of the many reasons why the early settlers risked so much to make the journey across the Atlantic to America. (Photo: April 24, 2004)

A field of colorful flowers brightens the ground in front of a home in the historic district of Williamsburg. Much of the historic district is preserved to spotlight the events surrounding the American Revolution. (Photo: April 25, 2005)

I would like to take a moment and thank all the men and woman who have served or are currently serving in the United States armed services. Your dedication to preserving our freedoms is great appreciated by me and my family. In honor of Veteran's Day, today's photo of the day comes from the Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base. (Photo: December 22, 2014)

While much of the nation is seeing bright colorful fall leaves, a look at thermometer in Southwest Florida makes you think its July not November. But if you look closely you can see signs that Fall has arrived even if the temperatures don't reflect it. (Photo: November 7, 2015)

Bradenton, Florida: A sunny Sunday gave way to competitive youth baseball as the teams converged on Braded River Park for the Suncoast Out Hit Hunger Tournament presented by Suncoast Travel Ball. After finishing pool play 1-1 on Friday night, the Sarasota Shock came into Sunday as the #5 seed and faced the GCBA Black Sox in the opening round. The Black Sox took the lead early, pushing across seven unanswered runs. But the Shock were not going down without a fight, clawing their way back into the game. But the Shock ran out of time and eventually fell to the Black Sox 7-4. The loss eliminated the Shock while the Black Sox advanced into the semi-finals. Click on the photo above to view my Shock/Black Sox photo gallery .

Naples, Florida: Over the past couple weeks, the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary has posted some phenomenal wildlife photos on their Facebook page. Watching these photos made me want to go back and revisit the swamp so we decided to take the trek out to their boardwalk in eastern Collier County. The park was hosting a Photo Safari over the weekend so what better time to go and enjoy a walk in the wilderness while taking photos of what we encounter. Our last trip back in 2010 provided a bunch of great photos so I was hoping that today would be no different. During our exploration of the wilderness, we came across quite a few species including: Anhinga  Black Racer  Black Vulture  Cottonmouth Snake  Green Tree Frog  Gulf Fritillary butterfly Little Blue Heron  Northern Cardinal  Squirrel  Racoon  Red Shouldered Hawk  White Tail Deer  White Peacock butterfly  Wood Stork  We also had a chance to see the rar...

Lakewood Ranch, Florida: After a big win earlier in the evening, the Sarasota Shock took to the field for a second time on Friday night, this time against a tough Lakewood Ranch Mustangs Elite team. It didn’t take long for the Mustangs to set the tempo for the game, jumping out to a big lead. The powerful offense was backed by an even more dominating pitcher and some great defensive work to hold the Shock quiet all night. The first nine Shock hitters sent to the plate were all retired and the game was called early with the Shock suffering the 19-0 loss. The Shock will be off on Saturday before coming back on Sunday for the Suncoast Out Hit Hunger Tournament at Braden River Park. Click on the photo above to view my Shock/Mustangs photo gallery .

A clothesline hangs from the window of an Amish homestead to a barn. Without the conveniences of electricity, the Amish revert to simple ways of completing everyday household chores. You can get a glimpse into Amish life at the Amish Village in Lancaster County. (Photo: April 23, 2004)

A pair of tigers prepare to take a dip in the water to beat the heat at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida. Busch Gardens brings the thrill of theme park rides with wild animals for a one of a kind experience. (Photo: March 20, 2004)

Vintage cars sit outside Mel’s Drive-In at Universal Studios Florida. The diner transports guests back to the time when long skirts and American Muscle were popular. (Photo: September 20, 2003)

Dale Earnhardt’s famous #3 NASCAR race car sits on display outside the NASCAR Café at Universal Orlando’s City Walk. Nicknamed the Intimidator, the seven time Champion was a dominating force in the series until losing his life in a tragic crash in the 2001 Daytona 500. (Photo: September 20, 2003)