The Wandering Disciple

Much of the neighborhoods in Florida share the same qualities, flat streets and typical houses. But Roser Park in St Petersburg is not your typical Florida neighborhood. This historic neighborhood features unique houses built on land with elevation. Long staircases lead to houses built on the hill overlooking the creek nestled right in the heart of downtown. (Photo: March 30, 2019)

The exciting world of Nemo and friends comes alive at the Seas with Nemo at Friends at Epcot. Climb aboard your clam and help Merlin and Dory find Nemo and then explore the seas and come face to face with the fish that share these waters with Nemo. (Photo: (January 7, 2012)

A colorful butterfly helps to pollinate a flower at the Myakka Islands Preserve in North Port.   While bees are known for their jobs as pollinators, butterflies also help nature stay bright and colorful.   (Photo: December 4, 2011)

Forever resting in formation, the heroes of our nation are laid to rest and honored for their service in national cemeteries around the country.   For their bravery and sacrifice for our freedoms, these brave men and woman will forever be honored and respect both in life and after.   (Photo: November 13, 2011)

The Sky Academy Englewood baseball team has been firing on all cylinders, dominating the competition as they won yet another game in middle school baseball action.   The Storm defeated their partner school Sky Academy Venice 13-4.    The Storm are undefeated in their inaugural season.   (Photo: March 26, 2019)

A long set of spiral stairs leads to the top of the St Augustine Lighthouse.  219 steps take visitors to the top of the 165 foot lighthouse for a panoramic view of St Augustine.  (Photo: November 13, 2011)

The last line of defense Castillo de San Marcos was one of several forts that helped protect St Augustine from enemy fighters.   The fort is the largest and oldest masonry fort in the United States and has protected the city from 1672 until 1900 under five different flags.   (Photo: November 12, 2011)

Port Royal was a wild place for visiting pirates.  This port in Jamaica was close to many of the shipping lanes and became a popular place for Pirates.  As a result, it was known for Pirate shenanigans as the swashbucklers visited port for booze and booty.  Today you can learn more about life as a pirate and Port Royal at the St Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum.  (Photo: November 12, 2011)

Long before the Civil War era Underground Railroad, there was a slave asylum located along a salt marsh in northern Florida.  In the late 1600's, Spanish government offered asylum for slaves if they go to Florida, convert to Catholicism and four years military service for men.  As a result, Fort Mose was born.  The men that came here were the first line of defense for the Spanish city of St Augustine.  Remnants of the fort were discovered in an archaeological dig in 1986 and today the land is protected as part of the Fort Mose Historic State Park.  (Photo: November 12, 2011) 

A patrol car from the Clearwater Police Department sits on a special detail at a Philadelphia Phillies spring training game at Spectrum Field.  Whether protecting a stadium full of spectators or patrolling the streets of downtown Clearwater, the Clearwater Police Department is tasked with keeping the citizens and visitors of Clearwater safe.  Led by Chief Daniel Slaughter, the department is leading the way into the future by providing a culture of putting public safety first by ensuring the safety of all people in the city.  (Photo: March 16, 2019)

Throughout the city, artists turn blank walls into vibrant works of art through colorful murals.   They turn even the darkest alley into an art gallery.   They range from inspiring quotes to unique abstract designs like this mix of Disney and Nickelodeon characters.   (Photo: March 19, 2019)

The mayor of St Petersburg has a bold vision for the city. St. Petersburg will be a city of opportunity where the sun shines on all who come to live, work and play. We will be an innovative, creative and competitive community that honors our past while pursuing our future. This can be seen throughout the city. Like here where the historic St Pete High School has been transformed into apartments. It is projects like these that support the vision of the city by preserving the past while forging the future. (Photo: March 18, 2019)

The quaint coastal town of Tarpon Springs was built on Greek immigrants and the sponging industry.   After moving to Tarpon Springs, they reinvented the industry and put Tarpon Springs and sponging on the map.   Today you can see this industry in action at Tarpon Springs or learn more about it at the Pinellas County Heritage Village where this sponging warehouse is part of the historical village highlighting Pinellas County’s rich history.   (Photo: March 16, 2019)

As the sunshine city welcomes guests to the city by the bay, I too open a new chapter in life as I begin a career in a city I have come to love.   From colorful murals on the walls, entertaining parades, delicious restaurants and city street that you can stroll forever just taking in the beauty of the city, St Pete has it all and I am excited to begin working in such a fun city.   It is pretty cool to know that I get to work where so many people come to vacation.   (Photo: March 9, 2019)

Flower, Pretty Flower.   That’s not a flower that’s a cactus.   Well actually its both.   It is a Florida Prickly Pear Cactus in bloom along the Upland Trail at Weedon Island Preserve.   While we think of Florida as a wet tropical climate, it was once a desert environment much like the deserts of the southwestern United States.   There are still small reminder of this in the state and the cactus is one of them.   (Photo: March 16, 2019)

Rays minor league outfielder Beau Brundage makes the catch of a fly ball during a minor league spring training game.   These spring training games are good opportunity for players to work on fundamentals and impress the coaching staffs before camp breaks in a couple weeks.   (Photo: March 15, 2019)

In a historic moment, Sky Academy Englewood played their franchise first baseball game as the Sky Academy Storm hosted the St Stephens Eagles in the opening game of the middle school baseball season. The Storm went into the record books with a win, earning the first win in the history of the program in their first game.   (Photo: March 14, 2019)

The Boys of Summer are back on the field as minor league spring training games kicked off this week.   The minor leaguers will spend the next couple weeks playing scrimmage games to prepare for their regular season.   Unlike the major leaguers who get all the attention, the minor league players grind it out every day in the shadows of the stadiums as they chase their dreams of playing in the majors.   (Photo: March 13, 2019)

The usually dark colors of the swamp pop with color as the Southern Blue Flag is beginning to bloom. Found in swampy and wet coastal areas from Louisiana to Virginia, the Southern Blue Flag is in the iris family and gets its name from the Greek Goddess of the Rainbow. This Southern Blue Flag was found in full bloom by the boardwalk at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers. (Photo: March 10, 2019)

Put my toes in the water, ass in the sand....the lyrics of the Zach Brown Band song come to life at Pass-A-Grille Beach.  Historic Pass-A-Grille is located on the Gulf of Mexico at the south end and provided a quaint seaside get-away just minute from the hustle and bustle of downtown St Petersburg.  (Photo: March 9, 2019)

In the heart of downtown, the St Pete Museum of Fine Arts has colorful artwork in its galleries and even more colorful trees on its grounds.  The museum is home to a giant bombax tree that when blooming is full of bright and colorful red flowers.  The bombax tree was planted by the museum's first director from a bucket and has grown to over fifty feet tall.  (Photo: March 9, 2019)

Congrats to Josef Newgarden and Team Penske for winning the NTT Indycar Series opener at the Grand Prix of St Petersburg. The 110 lap grand prix kicks of the 2019 season for these drivers as they chase the championship. Newgarden is the 2017 champion and kicked off his quest for a second title with a season opening win. (Photo: March 10, 2019)

Congrats to Braden Eves and Cape Motorsports on their win today in the USF2000 race at the Grand Prix of St Petersburg. The USF2000 series is the first step in the path to the Indy Car series, the premier open wheel racing league. (Photo: March 9, 2019)

St Augustine is known for its unique architecture and its haunted history and the Villa Zorayda has both under its roof. The palace is believed to be extremely haunted and as a result, no two windows in the building are alike. A superstition states that if the windows are all different, the spirits would not be able to find their way back into the house. Based on the haunted history of the Villa Zorayda, the theory may not be that helpful. UPDATED: I have been corrected on the history of the Villa Zorayda. The story about the haunting and window/door sizes were told on three separate tours of St Augustine both haunted history and sightseeing. Prior to writing this photo, I also did an online search as well and came across some of the same stories. However after posting the photo, the staff of the Villa Zorayda Museum reached out to correct the history and help put an end to the false history being given out by the tour guides. The architectural style of the Zorayda is based...

At 8 foot and 11 inches, Robert Wadlow is the tallest man ever recorded by Guinness Book of World Records. He had a arm span over over 9 feet and his hand measured over a foot from the wrist to the tip of his middle finger. A figure of Wadlow joins an entire gallery of oddities at the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum in St Augustine where you can stand behind this giant and see how you measure up to the World's Tallest Man. (Photo: November 11, 2011)

The sunrises over the beach at Anastasia State Park signaling the start of a new day in the Sunshine State. Sunrises are proof that no matter how bad a day can get, the sun always rises and gives you a fresh start at making things better. (Photo: November 12, 2011)

Every once and while you need to take a turn off the highway and hit some of the many back roads scattered throughout the country. These two-lane roads lead to some of the nation’s most charming one-stop light town. I know we all love to get to our next destination but sometimes if pays to make the journey just as much part of the adventure. (Photo: November 11, 2011)

The United States air power from past and present are on display during the USAF Heritage Flight during the 2011 MacDill AirFest. The Heritage Flight travels the country to show the advancement in technology for the US Air Force. For this demonstration, the World War II era P-51 Mustang paired with the F-15E Strike Eagle. (Photo: November 6, 2011)

American writer and philosopher Henry David Thoreau once said "You learn that if you sit down in the woods and wait, something happens." Too many times we are in such a rush, we miss out on just taking a moment and enjoying what nature has to offer. A great place to take a break and watch nature is at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. This urban oasis is home to a variety of plants and animals that live in the distinct ecosystems found within the park. To help you get closer with nature, the park feature an elevated boardwalk with plenty of benches to allow you to sit and watch the beauty of nature all around you. (Photo: October 23, 2011)

Fort Myers, Florida: The sun was shining and baseball was back on the diamond as the 13U field chased the title during the 2019 Fort Myers Classic hosted by Prostyle Tournaments. With four teams in the field, the SWFL Yard Dawgs faced off against the Florida 9 Hardball in the semifinals matchup. Both teams were evenly matched early with the Hardball scoring in the bottom of the first and the Yard Dawgs bouncing back to tie the game in the top of the second. But then Hardball rallied for seven runs in the second and two more in the third to take a commanding lead. The Yard Dawgs posted two in the fourth and another in the fifth but it was too little, too late as they fell 10-4. The loss eliminated the Yard Dawgs while sending the Hardball into the championship round. Click on the photo above to view the entire SWFL Yard Dawg/Florida Hardball 9 photo gallery .

Fort Myers, Florida: The SWFL Yard Dawgs returned to Field 2 at the Stars Complex for their second of two pool games during the 2019 Fort Myers Classic. This time the Yard Dawgs faced off against Florida 9 Hardball under the lights for the final game of the day. Both teams battled hard but at the end of the evening, it was the Hardball that would walk away with the 12-7 win. The SWFL Yard Dawgs finished 0-2 for the day in pool play and have earned a rematch with Florida 9 Hardball in tournament play on Sunday afternoon. Click on the photo above to view my SWFL Yard Dawgs/Florida 9 Hardball photo gallery .

Fort Myers, Florida: We had a break in the middle of our travel ball tournament today so we decided to head over to nearby Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve for a hike in between games. It was very hot for March, sitting in the upper 80’s and low 90’s all day so the wildlife viewing was extremely limited. But nonetheless it was a great walk. Whether you see animals or not, the boardwalk at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve is one of the region’s best walks. Here is a look at the wildlife seen on today’s walk: Black-crowned Night Heron  Cottonmouth  Mourning Dove  Northern Cardinal  Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve is located at 7791 Penzance Boulevard in Fort Myers, Florida. The park is opened daily from sunrise to sunset. There is no admission for the park but Lee County charges $1 an hour/$5 daily max for parking. Click on the photo above to view my photo gallery from Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve .

Fort Myers, Florida: The SWFL Yard Dawgs kicked off the 2019 Fort Myers Classic with a pool game against the SWFL Scrappers to kick off the tournament weekend. The Yard Dawgs found themselves down early and never recovered as they fell 11-6 on Saturday afternoon at the Stars Complex. The Scrappers put up 2 runs in the first and seven more in the second to take a commanding 9 run lead. The Yard Dawgs put up a big six run third inning to avoid being shut-out but the rally fell short following Scrappers putting up two more in the bottom of the frame and cruising to the 11-6 win. The Yard Dawgs will face Florida 9 Hardball later this evening for the second of the two pool games of the afternoon. Click on the photo above to view my SWFL Yard Dawgs/SWFL Scrappers photo gallery .

Englewood, Florida:  The roar of aircraft engines and the smell of breakfast took over the usually quiet Buchan Airport for the annual fly-in breakfast.  Pilots and aviation enthusiast flock to the little grass airport each year to talk about aviation and see some unique aircraft.  Each year the event gets bigger with more aircraft on display as well as a few aerial acts.  In addition to the social aspect of the fly-in, the event also raises money for local scholarships. Click on the photo above to view my 2019 Buchan AirportFly-in photo gallery .

Venice, Florida: The sun was shining bright and the spotlight was on the City of Venice Fire Department for the 2019 Public Safety Day. The local heroes set up their toys in the parking lot of the Venice Community Center and invited the public to come see what the tools that their hometown fire department uses to keep them safe. In addition to the apparatus on display, the firefighters even put on a few demos to show their skills in use. The event is one of the many outreach programs that the Venice Fire Department uses to connect with the citizens of the City of Venice. Click on the photo above to view my 2019 City of Venice Public Safety Day photo gallery .

The train has pulled into the station and our friends have arrived. It is time to start our day at the place where Dreams Come True. Join Mickey and all his friends as he says welcome to the house built by a mouse and enjoy a day spent having fun and making memories. (Photo: October 2, 2011)

The red, white and blues of our great nation arrive on horseback during the Pioneer Day Parade held annually in Englewood during Labor Day weekend. The American Flag is the symbol of our nation’s freedom and independence. With 13 stripes representing the original thirteen colonies and 50 starts representing the states of the union, the flag is all about symbolism. (Photo: September 5, 2011)