The Wandering Disciple

A tiny bird tries to blend in among a sea of lettuce plants at Myakka River State Park.  Tiny birds use areas like this to camouflage themselves to avoid becoming prey.  (Photo: December 27, 2015)

A great egret wades through the lettuce plants at Myakka River State Park looking for its next snack.  The egrets are among the numerous wading birds that can be found fishing on the river's edge.  (Photo: December 27, 2015)

Designated a wild and scenic river by Florida legislature, the Myakka River slowly flows from northern Manatee county to Charlotte Harbor with much of the river being undeveloped leaving visitors to take a glimpse of what life in Florida was once like.  The easiest way to explore the wild and scenic Myakka is at Myakka River State Park where 12 miles of the river flow through the park boundaries.  (Photo: December 27, 2015)

A rabbit nibbles on the greens along the walking path at Manatee Park in Fort Myers.  Usually the manatees steal the show at the park but the warm gulf waters are making land animals, like this rabbit, the center of attention.  (Photo: December 19, 2015)

Once only a bird could have a view like this of Myakka River State Park.  That is until the Canopy Walk and Tower came along.  Now guests can walk through the treetops on a suspension bridge before climbing 75 feet above the park on the observation tower, giving those who can make it to the top, a bird's eye view of the surrounding park.  (Photo: December 27, 2015)

Nokomis, Florida: Every holiday season, the quiet Mission Valley community springs to life with colorful Christmas lights at Enander's Winter Wonderland. The annual event bring hundreds of people a night to gaze at the wonderful creations. The display was started in 1975 with just 200 lights and since grown to over 250,000 lights stretched over 2 acres of land. In the displays are the classics combined with new additions from Disney’s Frozen, the Minions and much more. The event runs nightly from 6pm to 10pm until January 7th and admission is free. Enander's Winter Wonderland is located at 2281 Mission Valley Blvd in Nokomis, Florida. Click on the photo above to view a few more photos from my Enander's Winter Wonderland photo gallery .

Merry Christmas from Donten Photography.  Today's Christmas edition of Photo of the Day comes from Stone Mountain Park.  Each year, the park transforms into Snow Mountain Park filled with millions of Christmas lights, shows and snow.  (Photo: December 21, 2014)

An osprey takes flight from its nest at Manasota Beach.  Ospreys can be found throughout the coastal areas of Florida making nests along the shore and diving for fish in the water.  (Photo: December

An alligator lies along the Myakka River as seen on today's tour of the river aboard the Nan-Sea.  Alligators are cold-blooded and can be seen on the riverbanks lying in the sun on cooler days, helping to regulate their body temperature.  (Photo: December 23, 2015)

Venice, Florida: Departing from historic Snook Haven, Logan River Tours embarks on a scenic tour of the Myakka River. While only traveling a couple miles, the 1-hour tour lets guests see the wild Myakka River in all her glory. The tour begins at Snook Haven, a popular Old Florida restaurant on the Myakka River. Here you board the Nan-Sea, a 40-foot pontoon boat which will be your ticked to exploring the river for the next hour. The Myakka River is a 68-mile river which begins in northern Manatee County and flows south into Charlotte Harbor. The 34-miles which passes through Sarasota County was designated as a Wild and Scenic River by Florida Legislature in 1985. Much of the section seen during the tour is undeveloped and looks as it appeared when settlers first discovered the region. It was a rather quiet ride on our trip today thanks in part by higher than normal water levels. But we did manage to see a few alligators and turtles sunning themselves as well as a little...

Englewood, Florida:  The unseasonable warm temperature saw us hitting the beach just a couple days before Christmas and no trip to the beach is complete without photographing the wildlife found at the beach. It was a very active day for shorebirds at the beach and they were found in large groups throughout the beachgoers.  Spotted during today’s trip to the beach were: Anhinga Laughing Gull Osprey Ring-billed Gull Ruddy Turnstone Royal Tern Sandwich Tern Snow Egret Willet The highlight of the day was the Osprey nest by the pavilion. The Osprey was actively working on the nest and we watched it for a little while as it perfected its nest. Check out the Into the Wild page of Donten Photography for photos of today's wildlife.

A UPS cargo plane disappears into the fog as a dense early morning fog blankets Southwest Florida International Airport.  (Photo: December 16, 2015)

Fort Myers, Florida: Every year as the Gulf water temperatures drop below 68 degrees, manatees look for warm shallow waters to spend the winter in such as the ones found at Manatee Park. This seventeen acre park locate on the Orange River was opened by Lee County in 1996. It features a pathway along the canal with several observation shelters to view the manatees. It also has a vast butterfly garden along the way. The manatees can be found in high numbers in late December through February as the temperatures drop in the Gulf of Mexico. As the manatees come, so do the visitors so be prepared for large crowds. The weather in Florida has been rather warm this winter and the Gulf temps are still in the 70’s so there were no manatees visible during our visit. However we did see a rabbit, a black snake and a bunch of butterflies. Manatee Park is located at 1901 Palm Beach Boulevard in Fort Myers. It is open daily from dawn to dusk. There is no admission charge however there i...

Like a beacon of freedom, the Statue of Liberty stands tall in the New York Harbor.  Given to the United States as a gift from France, Lady Liberty has been a sign of freedom since 1886.  While most people recognize the Statue of Liberty as a monument, most people do not know that it also served as a lighthouse for a little over a decade.  (Photo: August 28, 2005)

The red brick walls of the Netherlands Inn and Spa rise up from the surrounding cornfields in the the heart of Amish Country in Lancaster County.  (Photo: August 28, 2005)

A historic dispatcher console for the New York Police Department sits on display at the NYPD Museum in lower Manhattan.  This is how the early calls were dispatched to the patrol units of the nations largest police force.  Today the NYPD processes over 11 million calls a year.  (Photo: August 27, 2005)

The midtown Manhattan skyline as seen from the 40th floor window of the Hilton Times Square.  The NYC skyline is filled with iconic high rise building, center in this view is the Worldwide Plaza.  (Photo: August 26, 2005)

This United Airways aircraft was painted in the Blue Skyway livery to celebrate the airlines 75th Anniversary and to pay tribute to the airlines Continental Airlines heritage. (Photo: December 8, 2015)

Bright colorful blooms of a flower brighten the day along a lake bank in Sarasota. Despite it being the middle of December, colorful flowers can be found in bloom throughout the Sunshine State. (Photo: December 8, 2015)

The cast of the Today Show on NBC makes a permanent appearance at Madame Tussauds at Time Square. Here the likeness of Al Roker, Katie Couric and Matt Lauer join many other celebrities at the popular wax museum in New York’s Time Square. (Photo: August 26, 2005)

Travel today is made easier thanks to a President Dwight D Eisenhower’s Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956. This helped connect the country via a system of cross country highways now known as the Interstate. What was once a controversial plan is now the backbone of our country’s transportation system. (Photo: August 31, 2005)

Riders prepare for the splashdown as SheiKra comes screaming in for the splash finish at Busch Gardens Tampa. Bases on a mythical bird hunting prey, SheiKra pulls 4 G’s as it drops 200 feet and reaches 70 miles per hour along the way. (Photo: July 24, 2005)

The sound of water cascading over the waterfall provides a tranquil environment at the former Cypress Gardens theme park in Winter Haven. Although the theme park has been reopened and redesigned as Legoland Florida, much of the garden elements of the Cypress Gardens theme park still remain. (Photo: July 4, 2005)

A bronze statue of Mexican politician Benito Juarez sits on display in Bryant Park in New York City. The statue was dedicated in 2004 by the State of Oaxaca on behalf of the Mexican government. The Juarez statue joins other international figures to be memorialized in bronze in Bryant Park. (Photo: June 18, 2005)

A vintage city cab sits on Hollywood Boulevard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Several older cars are used to represent the Golden Era of film production, helping to enhance the story at the park. (Photo: April 9, 2005)

A quiet residential street is one of the many scenes recreated at the United Kingdom Pavilion at Epcot. At Epcot’s World Showcase, the scenes of twelve countries come alive along the banks of the World Showcase Lagoon, allowing park guests to experience the cultures of each country without ever leaving Central Florida. (Photo: February 26, 2005)