The Wandering Disciple

A patrol car from the Tampa Police Department sits in front of Tampa Police headquarters in downtown Tampa.  Founded in 1855, the Tampa Police Department protects and serves the 175 square mile city and its 375,000 residents.  (Photo: July 27, 2013)

A mother Great Horned Owl watches over her nest of baby owls along the hiking trail at Stump Pass Beach State Park on the south end of Manasota Key in Englewood.  The nesting pair of owls had two baby owls during the early part of 2013.  (Photo: March 5, 2013)

A Delta flight passes over Airport Lakes Park as it arrives at Orlando International Airport, welcome a plane full of passengers to the Sunshine State.  Orlando International is the gateway to Central Florida, connecting passengers from around the world to Florida.  Airport Lakes Park, located just outside the airport, is a great place to relax and watch the arrivals to the airport and enjoy the wildlife found around the lake.  (Photo: February 12, 2013)

During the planning of the Florida project, Walt Disney envisioned a new type of city in which cutting edge technology would advance us into the future.  Originally dubbed the Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow, this concept was unlike anything the world had ever seen.  Following the passing of Walt, the imagineers turned this concept into a theme park called Epcot.  Today Walt's vision can be seen in elements throughout Future World and the dedication plaque at the entrance helps keep Walt Disney's vision alive.  (Photo: February 12, 2013)

Mining for gold was a prosperous expedition and to help transport the gold from the mines in Tumbleweed, the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was built.  But little did the miners know, their mine was over a sacred Native American site and pretty soon the land would be cursed and flash flood would turn the mine into a ghost town.  However, the railroad still exists giving riders the "Wildest Ride in the Wilderness".  That is the story behind Walt Disney Worlds's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, an exciting rollercoaster that has been a park favorite since opening in 1980.  (Photo: February 11, 2013)

Through these gates a wild world awaits at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The newest theme park to Walt Disney World opened in 1998 and the clever folks at Disney went though great lengths to make sure guests realized the theme park was not just a zoo. But it is anything but a zoo as they mixed wild animals, wild rides and great shows for a one of a kind experience that meets Walt Disney World's high expectations. (Photo: February 11, 2013)

Sarasota, Florida: The home team came out swinging as the GCL Orioles defeated the GCL Rays 9-0 on Friday afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium. The Orioles broke the scoreless tie in the third inning. A two run double by Carlos Baez gave them a 2-0 lead. The Orioles extended their lead an inning later with a five run fourth inning. Two runs came on an RBI single by Robbie Thorburn and three more came via a double by Willy Yahn to extend the lead to 7-0. The Orioles picked up another pair of runs in the sixth inning. An RBI single by JC Escarra and an RBI single by Yahn gave the Orioles the 9-0 win. Click on the photo above to view my Orioles/Rays photo gallery .

The Walt Disney World resort has no shortages of options for accommodations for your Disney vacation.  But for those of you who like to bring your home with you, the campsites at Fort Wilderness should meet your needs.  Situated along Bay Lake, Fort Wilderness features campsites for tents and RV's as well as fully outfitted cabins.  (Photo: February 12, 2013)

A colorful macaw rides a bike across the platform during a performance at Big Cat Habitat.  Each year the Rosaire's put on a display of animal ingenuity during their annual Animal Extravaganza.  The show lets the world see the wonders of these majestic animals while raising awareness and money towards Big Cat Habitat's rescue mission.  (Photo: February 2, 2013)

The clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico make it a popular destination for tourists and locals.  The usually calm waters are a great place to take a swim especially considering that in much of the peninsula the water never dips below 70 degrees in the winter.  (Photo: January 27, 2013)

The beaches in Southwest Florida are always crowded.  In the summer, the beaches are filled with sunbathers enjoying the sun and sea.  In the winter, its packed with shore birds escaping the winter chill up north.  Here is a scene from the winter of 2013 at Manasota Beach in which the shorebirds overtook the beach and shore making for a stunning visual of the birds and beach. (Photo: January 24, 2013)

After serving the citizen of New York City, retired Rescue 5 now travels the country to help remember the 343 fallen firefighters on September 11.  Rescue 5 hails from Staten Island but on September 11, it answered the call to the World Trade Center.  At the end of that fateful event, eleven firefighters from Rescue 5 lost their lives among the 343 firefighters killed in the terrorist attack.  After the rig was decommissioned in 2011,  it became the centerpiece of the Remembrance Rescue Project, a non-profit charity that travels the country to continue the legacy of these brave firefighters. (Photo: January 19, 2013)

In an emergency, every second counts and can be the difference between life and death.  In critical moments like these, its up to air medical services like Aeromed to intervene and rush the injured person to a nearby trauma center within the golden hour.  (Photo: January 15, 2013)

A Florida scrub jay sits on a utility cable in Englewood, Florida.  Only found in Florida, the scrub jay can be found in scrub habitats in Central Florida.  It is currently listed as vulnerable to extinction because of habitat destruction as a result of over development. It is believed there are only 8,000 Florida scrub jays left in the wild.  (Photo: January 5, 2013)

A bright colorful flower in full bloom lightens up a path at the Biltmore Estate.  The country's largest private residence, the Biltmore has thousands of flower in gardens and along paths.  All year long, guests to the Biltmore can see flowers in bloom including a rose collection with more than 250 varieties of roses.  (Photo: June 12, 2017)

The Memphis Belle, a US Army Air Force B-17 had a storied history.  During World War II, the crew of the Memphis Belle flew 25 missions with the crew intact, a major feat during the war when the bombers were sitting ducks to the faster fighters of the Luftwaffe.  However one little known story of the Memphis Belle occurred in downtown Asheville.  While on a world tour to generate sales of war bonds, the crew of the B-17 decided to do a fly-over the city.  They brought the aircraft down low to entice the crowd but failed to realize how close the courthouse and city hall were to each other.  With the buildings only separated by 50 feet and the 103 foot wingspan of the B-17, pilot Robert Morgan turned the wings down and  successfully flew the aircraft between the buildings at a 60 degree angle.

A race car from Nicodemus Racing sits on display at the Englewood Firecracker Festival.  Nicodemus Racing helps support our nation's veterans and families by raising money via motor sports and provide them with the resources needed to help recover from the burdens of serving our country.  (Photo: July 4, 2017)

Happy birthday America. From us here at Donten Photography, we would like to wish you a Happy Independnce Day. Have a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July and don't forget to remember those who help keep us free. (Photo: July 4, 2015)

Fort Myers, Florida: After being rained out a night ago, the Fort Myers Miracle hosted the visiting St Lucie Mets to a doubleheader of baseball under the bright Florida sunshine at Hammond Stadium. The visiting Mets took the first game of the twin bill with the Miracle picking up a win in game two. In game one, the Mets used four run fifth inning to lead them to a 5-4 win in the opening game. The Mets broke the scoreless tie by scoring in the second inning. An RBI double by Michael Paez scored Wuilmer Becerra to give them a 1-0 lead. The Miracle tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. Tanner English singled home Kevin Garcia to tie the game. But it would not remain tied long as a the Mets struck big in the fifth. JC Rodriguez, John Mora and Anthony Dimino each singled to load the bases. Then Peter Alonso went deep to left for a grand slam to give the Mets a 5-1 lead. The Miracle picked up a run in the bottom of the fifth. Zander Wiel drove home Max Murphy to make it...

Fort Myers, Florida: Our quest to watch baseball games is as many minor league ballparks continued with a trip to Fort Myers and beautiful Hammond Stadium and a Saturday night matchup between the Fort Myers Miracle and St Lucie Mets. Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow was promoted to St Lucie and was expected to play and it was David Ortiz bobblehead night, so there was no better time to head south and catch a game. However, Mother Nature had other plans. Shortly after the players took the field to begin warm-ups, the radar and lightning detection got active. The players headed back to the clubhouse and the tarp was pulled to protect the infield. After about an hour of nothing happening, the skies opened up. The front office staff eventually postponed the contest and rescheduled it as part of a doubleheader on Sunday. Click on the photo above to view my Miracle/Mets photo gallery.