The Wandering Disciple

Bright colorful flowers can be found throughout Mabel's Secret Garden at the John & Mabel Ringling Mansion.  The sprawling estate is home to many colorful gardens planted by Mabel to provide more elegance to their winter home.  (Photo: June 14, 2009)

A chimpanzee grabs a snack under a shade tree at the Myombe Reserve at Busch Gardens Tampa.  One of the highlights of Busch Gardens, the Myombe Reserve is home to chimpanzees and gorillas.  (Photo: May 31, 2009)

A fire engine from the Sarasota County Fire Department sits outside Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota.  Be sure to follow my Boots and Badges page for more great public safety photos like this.  (Photo: March 12, 2016)

A full moon rises over Tampa Bay.  This was the view as we crossed over the Sunshine Skyway on the way home from last weekend's Tampa Bay Rays game.  While the picture doesn't do it justice, the moon on the horizon dwarfed the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and we had to pull over at the rest area to grab a photo.  (Photo: August 19, 2016)

The flowing feathers of a snowy egret on full display at Ponce De Leon Park.  These flowing feathers are the breeding plumage for these birds found along the waterways in Florida.  (Photo: March 22, 2009)

Today the National Park Service celebrates its 100th year anniversary. On August 25, 1916, President Ulysses Grant signed the National Park Service Organic Act which gave birth to the Department of the Interior and our park system. Since then, the nation has grown to 59 national parks and over 413 locations governed by the National Park Service. Pictured here is rhe most visited park in the system, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Photo: June 8, 2016)

St Petersburg, Florida: The Tampa Bay Rays played host to the hottest team in the American League when the Texas Rangers came to town to kick of a three game series. The Rays struggled to contain the long ball as they dropped the opener 6-2 on Friday night. The Rangers broke the scoreless tie by scoring in the top of the fifth inning. Mitch Moreland opened the frame with a solo home run to put the Rangers on the board. Later in the inning, Ian Desmond delivered an RBI single to score Elvis Andrus to make it 2-0. The Rangers momentum carried over to the sixth inning where they pushed across three more runs. Adrian Beltre got things started with a solo home run to center. Jonathan Lucroy followed with a single and Moreland drew a walk to put two runners on the bases. Nomar Mazara then singled home Lucroy with a ground ball through the left side. Moreland later scored on a bases loaded walk by Jurickson Profar to increase the lead to 5-0. Beltre led off the seventh with an...

Sarasota, Florida: The GCL Rays offense came to life on Friday afternoon as they defeated the GCL Orioles 16-5 at Ed Smith Stadium. The Rays used four four-run innings to cruise to victory. The Rays took the lead in the second inning. An RBI double by Kevin Santiago, a sac fly by Alexander Alvarez and a two-run homer by Jose Tonton gave the Rays a 4-0 lead. The Orioles answered by scoring three runs in the bottom of the second. An RBI double by Garrett Copeland, a sac fly by Branden Becker and an RBI double by Jean Carillo made it 4-3. But the Rays extended their lead by scoring four more runs in the third. An RBI double by Jonathon Arrrowood, a two run double by Juan Carlos Arias and an RBI single by Santiago increased the lead to 8-3. The Rays continued to push across more runs with back to back four run frames in the fifth and sixth. In the fifth it was three run triple by Tonton and an RBI single by Vidal Brujan to make it 12-3. Then in the sixth it was a solo home...

A duck tries to take a nap in front of guests at the Florida Aquarium.  While most people know about the great sea life on display at the aquarium, the aquarium also boasts a large collection of birds that help complete the aquatic ecosystem.

A wax likeness of J Edgar Hoover interrogates guests at Madame Tussauds in Washington DC. The interactive wax museum recreates political, entertainment and sports stars and allows visitors to interact with them, bringing history alive. (Photo: February 15, 2009)

Sitting high atop a hill in northern DC, the Washington National Cathedral rises above the history skyline. Construction of this massive cathedral began in 1907 and never really finished until 1990. It has been declared the National House of Prayer by the United States Congress and has hosted presidential prayer services and state funerals. (Photo: February 15, 2009)

A normal sight in any town throughout the United States, the postal truck keeps America connected. Mail delivery has taken many forms through the years and the entire history is on display at the National Postal Museum in Washington DC.  (Photo: February 15, 2009)

A Douglas DC-3 hangs from the ceiling at the National Air and Space Museum. The America by Air exhibit is one of the many exhibits at the museum that highlight the advancements in aviation. From the early days of flight with the Wright Flyer to the great space race, all eras of history are represented here. (Photo: February 16, 2009)

The history of transportation is spotlighted in the America on the Move exhibit at the National Museum of American History.  The exhibit which takes up much of the first floor of the museum is a popular attraction featuring modes of transportation spanning the decades.  (Photo: February 14, 2009)

A statue of a noble eagle guards the entrance to the Arlington National Cemetery.  It is only fitting that the symbol of our great nation be one of the icons seen while driving into the final resting place of many of the nation's great warriors.  (Photo: February 15, 2009)

On of the most popular attractions on the National Mall, the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History welcomes over seven million visitors a year.  It is the most visited museum in North America and the third most visited in the world.  Guests flock to the museum to see exhibits on animals, rocks and minerals, culture and much more.  (Photo: February 14, 2009)

A white-tail deer looks up for a photo at Myakka State Park in Sarasota. More great wildlife photos like these can be found on the newest page to the Donten Photography family called Into the Wild . (Photo: November 14, 2014)

A ladder truck for Tampa Fire Rescue responds ton an emergency within the City of Tampa. For more great emergency services photos like this, be sure to check out my Boots and Badges page of the website. Here you can find photos of fire, EMS and law enforcement apparatus. (Photo: January 1, 2016)

Stone Crabs manager Michael Johns talks to the team during a mound visit. Be sure to follow the Touch Them All page of the website for more great baseball photography like this. (Photo: August 4, 2016)

Port Charlotte, Florida: All eyes were on Charlotte Sports Park on Thursday for a couple of reasons, three major leaguers in rehab and a few organization debuts added to the club following moves at the trade line. Alex Cobb and Mikie Mahtook were on a rehab assignment while newcomer Matt Duffy was on a rehab assignment and making his Rays Organization debut. Joining Duffy making their debuts were Jonah Heim and Nathan Lukes. In addition to all the headlines, fans were also treated to a great ballgame that saw the home town team squeeze out a 2-1 win. Palm Beach took an early lead by scoring in the second inning. Oscar Mercado delivered a two out double to center to put a runner in scoring position. Mercado later scored on an RBI single by Dylan Tice to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. The Stone Crabs threatened a few times but didn’t reach the scoreboard until the seventh inning. Andrew Velazquez singled to lead off the inning. He moved to third following a single by Cristia...

Sarasota, Florida: The GCL Orioles continue to struggle against the divison leading GCL Red Sox as they lost their third straight game against the Red Sox by the score of 5-4 on Wednesday afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium. Despite an early lead and outhitting their opponent, the Orioles bullpen collapsed in the late innings to suffer the loss. The Orioles looked to have the upper hand as they jumped out to an early four run lead in the opening frame. An RBI single by Carlos Diaz followed by a two run homer by Seamus Curran and a solo shot by Ronald Soto put the O’s in front 4-0. The Red Sox score their first run of the afternoon in the third inning. Lorenzo Cedrola was hit by a pitch and later scored on a sac fly by Stanley Espinal to make it 4-1. The Red Sox cut the lead in half by scoring in the fifth inning. Chad Hardy opened the frame with a single to left. Hardy stole second and later scored on a ground ball by Rafael Oliveras to make it 4-2. But the Red Sox showed why...

An American Eagle flights takes off from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.  You can see more great aviation photos like this on the Above the Clouds page of Donten Photography .  (Photo: July 28, 2016)

Following the assassination of President Lincoln, the Petersen House across the street from Ford's Theatre became the heart of the nation.  The front parlor was the waiting room for Mary Todd Lincoln and family.  The front bedroom was the temporary seat of government where the county was run and the manhunt was overseen.  Then in the back bedroom was where Lincoln was being attended to and would eventually take his last breath.  (Photo: February 14, 2009)

Within the walls of this popular DC theater, the history of our nation would change forever following the assassination of President Lincoln at the hands of John Wilkes Booth.  The First Family was enjoying a night at the theater when Booth stormed the box, shooting Lincoln.  Today the theater and the nearby Peterson House are preserved in memory of the fallen leader.  (Photo: February 14, 2009)

Sarasota, Florida: The GCL Orioles and GCL Red Sox opened up the month of August with a four game series with game one in Sarasota on Monday afternoon. The Orioles jumped out to an early lead but it wasn’t enough as the Red Sox picked up the win 9-2. The Orioles grabbed the lead in the first inning. Jake Ring led off the bottom of the first with a walk. Ring stole second and later scored on a wild pitch to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead. The Red Sox tied the game in the third inning when Chad Hardy connected for his first professional home run to tie the game 1-1. The Red Sox manufactured a run in the fourth to take the lead. Stanley Espinal was hit by a pitch deep in the count to lead off the frame. He moved into scoring position following a single by Imeldo Diaz. A sac bunt move both runners closer to home. Espinal would then score on a sac fly by Yomar Valentin to put the Red Sox in front 2-1. The Red Sox would put up three runs in the sixth and four more in the seve...