The Wandering Disciple

Spanning the Savannah River, the Talmage Memorial Bridge connects Georgia and South Carolina. The cable-stayed bridge replaced the original bridge in an effort to allow larger port traffic to pass beneath the bridge. The bridge was named after a southern Democrat Eugene Talmadge. Efforts to rise above the racist history of Talmadge and that era, the city council passed a resolution in 2017 to rename the bridge the Savannah Bridge. (Photo: March 13, 2014)

Rising from beyond I-95, Jacksonville is the first major city as you enter the Sunshine State from Georgia. If you were to conduct a poll on the city with the highest population in Florida, you would probably get answers like Miami, Orlando or Tampa. But in fact Jacksonville has the highest population in the state with over 920,000 people living within the city. (Photo: March 13, 2014)

Slow and steady wins the race. Well this gopher tortoise wasn't racing a hare but it was racing across the hiking trail at Oscar Scherer State Park. The threatened gopher tortoise can be found throughout Florida scrub habitats like the one here at Oscar Scherer. The gopher tortoise is important to the ecosystem as its burrow system provides homes to over 300 other species of animals. That is crucial in this landscape that is controlled by fire. (Photo: March 8, 2014)

When out for a hike, watch where you step. You never know what might be along the trail; a nesting bird, a delicate flower or a slithering snake. Here a harmless black racer snake slithers across the hiking path. (Photo of the Day: January 12, 2014)

The iconic Boeing 727 has been a work horse of the aviation world since the 60's.  It saw its first commercial flight in 1964 with Eastern Airlines and served the commercial industry until 2019 when it made its final commercial flight with Iran Aseman Airlines. While it may no longer provided scheduled passenger flights, the 727 still flies strong in the cargo industry.  This 727 is on display at the Florida Air Museum at Lakeland Linder Airport.  (Photo: June 30, 2019)

A hawk keeps a watchful eye for prey along a trail at Blind Pass Beach in Englewood. Birds of Prey are common throughout Florida and can be found in wooded areas looking for mice, snakes and any other tiny critter they can feast upon. (Photo: January 5, 2014)

North Port, Florida:  Friday night lights, Minor League Baseball style, swept over the West Villages at the Atlanta Braves opened their spring training home for some Gulf Coast League baseball.  A large crowd, uncharacteristic for a GCL game, filed into the newly built stadium for an evening of baseball action. The home team Braves jumped out to big lead in the second inning.  They collected four runs in the frame by the way of six hits to take a lead.  Joel Reyes drove in a run, Wiston Cerrato collected two, and Madson Berne plated another to give the Braves a 4-0 lead. The Brave picked up two more runs in thee bottom of the seventh by the way of a two run homer by Michael Harris, his first professional home run to make it 6-0. Braves pitching kept the Rays off the board until the eighth inning when the Rays scored a run on an RBI single by Johan Lopez for their first run of the night.  They got two more in the ninth by pushing across two runs on an er...

A squadron of pelicans flyover the beach at South Brohard Beach in Venice.  There are two types of pelicans found in Florida, the Brown Pelican pictured here and the larger White Pelican.  When pelicans are in a group, they are called a squadron, scoop or pod.  (Photo: January 5, 2014)

A little bit of paradise, Southwest Florida style.  Miles and miles of white sand beach and turquoise waters await you.  This beach oasis is Blind Pass Beach located on Manasota Key in Englewood.  (Photo: July 3, 2014)

Largo, Florida: A hidden gem in heart of Pinellas County, the Florida Botanical Gardens is a great escape to walk along bright colorful gardens and see Florida wildlife at its finest. The lush gardens in Largo are great for traveling on a budget as admission is free. This garden rivals the neighboring pay-to-visit gardens and if you time your visit right, you can visit the neighboring Historical Village which is also free. No two visits to the gardens are the same as there is always something new in bloom. Click on the photo above to see more photos from the garden by visiting my Florida Botanical Gardens photo gallery .

A raw power of Mother Nature at its glory during a summer storm in the Sunshine State. Florida, especially the Tampa Bay area, leads the country in lightning density. Lightning alley extends from Tampa to Titusville and is where most of the state's activity occurs. (Photo: August 24, 2014)

A stiff breeze blows through the feathers of a Great Egret that was camped out along the banks of the Myakka River. Most people will recognize this large white bird that is found throughout the sunshine state. During breeding season, the egret gets its breeding plumage which includes a bright neon green coloring near the eyes like the one seen here at Myakka River State Park. (Photo: December 31, 2013)

Market Street is the heart of Celebration. This tiny street is the center of the action and is home to shops and restaurants. From locals to tourists, the sidewalks are always filled with conversation and activity, making it a popular place in this unique bedroom community in the middle of theme park central. (Photo: December 27, 2013)

Tampa, Florida: Having the zoo less than an hour from your house and being proud zoo members means an endless supply of fun and photos. One of the best parts of going to the zoo on a frequent basis is that no two trips are there same and there is always something to see and photograph. Like today's visit was the first time seeing the tapir active. And active it was as it was running around its enclosure, it was pretty fun to watch. Every trip to the zoo is like a new experience with something different to see. Click on the photo above to see the entire gallery from the 6/29/19 visit to ZooTampa.

There is one place in Florida where you can get a taste of Florida without ever leaving your resort. At Gaylord Palms Resort, the Spanish architecture of St Augustine, the tropical oasis of Key West and the deep swamps of the Everglades are all recreated under the atriums at the popular resort. From the turrets of the fort to the southernmost marker of the keys, it is all here for you to see and enjoy to make the most of your Central Florida vacation. (Photo: December 26, 2013)

A blue heron guarding the bank while a gator swims along the shore, its just another day along the wild and scenic Myakka River. Starting in northern Manatee County and flowing south 72 miles to the Charlotte Harbor, the Myakka River is home to a wide variety of wildlife. One of the best places to get close to the river and those who live along the river is at the Myakka River State Park in eastern Sarasota County where 12 miles of the river winds through its protected boundaries. (Photo: November 30, 2013)

Literary classics line the bookshelf to help fuel the creative spirit inside the mind of writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. From her rustic cabin in rural Florida, she spent her time reading and writing the classics. She is most famous for the classic "The Yearling", but she wrote over 20 novels and short stories. Three of her novels were adapted into movies. Today you can visit her rural cabin in Cross Creek and see where she lived and what inspired her stories. (Photo: November 10, 2013)

Descending 120 feet into the ground, Devil's Millhopper is a sinkhole that is now the centerpiece of a geological state park. It gets its name for its resemblance to the hopper of a mill and the fact that the bones of numerous animals were found at the bottom perhaps on the way to meet the devil. Today a boardwalk takes visitors to the bottom of the sinkhole and along the way a glimpse into layers upon layers of geological history. (Photo: November 9, 2013)

Deep in the swamp lurks the Florida Gator. This place roars to life on Saturday afternoons during the Fall when the Florida Gators take to the field to defend the swamp in front of over 91,000 fans. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is the largest college football stadium in the Sunshine State and the 12th largest in the NCAA. (Photo: November 10, 2013)

Long before the Spanish founded St Augustine or De Soto landed on the west coast, Florida was home to indigenous tribes for over 12,000 years. From the Paleoindians through the Archaic and beyond, Florida has a rich history of life before European settles. In fact there were over forty tribes in existence during the time of the Spanish missions. Today only two tribes remain in the Sunshine State, the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes. Some of the culture is on display at Florida Museum of Natural History on the campus of the University of Florida. (Photo: November 9, 2013)

The sight of a spider is enough to send shivers up the spines of most people. But for as terrifying they are to some people, others find the fascinating. Their attention to detail in their webs is pretty spectacular like that of this Golden Silk Orbweaver encountered on a hike at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park outside of Gainesville. (Photo: November 9, 2013)

Today the classic portal overlooks the lush green landscape of Historic Spanish Point. But in the era of Bertha Palmer, this portal once framed a view of bayside oasis of Webb's Cove. Bertha Palmer was not the only person attracted to this tropical oasis, in fact the land of Historic Spanish Point has been home to people for over 5,000 years. (Photo: November 3, 2013)

A butterfly pollinates a wildflower along the trail at the Babcock Wilderness Preserve. While most people think of bees when it comes to pollination, butterflies are also an important part of the pollination process. (Photo: October 25, 2013)

Lakeland Florida, the southern home of the Detroit Tigers for 83 years. Known to many Tiger fans as TigerTown, Lakeland has seen many of Detroit's greatest players pass through town. And when its not the stars of today hitting the fields in the spring, the town is filled with the stars of tomorrow as the Lakeland Flying Tigers and Gulf Coast Tigers build the skills of future greats. At the center of the action is Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. The stadium which was recently upgraded in 2017, has been the heart of the action since 1966. (Photo: June 29, 2019)

Meet Mardi. Mardi is a rare leucistic alligator, one of 22 seized by the Louisiana Department of Fish and Game after being caught illegally by fisherman. Her and her siblings resided at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans before being sent to zoos around the country. Mardi found her home here at the Palm Beach Zoo. A leucistic alligator has a gene mutation which causes it to have almost no pigment in their skin and have bright blue eyes. They are not true albino because they have some pigmentation around the mouth and tail while having blue eyes instead of red. leucistic alligators are extremely rare, out of the over 5 million alligators there are believed to be only 12 leucistic alligators remaining. (Photo: June 22, 2019)

Rolling off the line at the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant in 1978, the M60A3 Main Battle Tank was an upgrade to the popular M60 tank which was served the US during the Cold War. With a 105 MM tank gun, this armored beast was classic show of American fire power and saw action in the deserts of the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm. Although the US Army took the M60A3 out of service in 1997, it remains in service in almost 20 countries. (Photo: June 22, 2019)

Palm Beach with its palm tree lines streets is a tropical town on the Atlantic Coast which was ranked the 27th wealthiest community in the country by Bloomberg. It's 8,000 plus residents is a who's who of the affluent community. Some of the islands residents have included Roger Ailes, Jon Bon Jovi, Jimmy Buffett, Ann Coulter, Henry Flagler, Malcom Glazer, Michael Jackson, Kennedy Family, John Lennon, Rush Limbaugh, Brian Mulroney, Dr Oz, James Patterson, Howard Vanderbilt and many more. It is also home to the winter resident of President Trump. (Photo: June 22, 2019)

Delta coming and Delta going, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is busy with company traffic during rush hour. Delta is the fourth busiest air carrier at FLL, transporting almost 3.4 million passengers a year. (Photo: June 22, 2019)

The colorful residents from under the sea are here for all to see at the SEA LIFE Aquarium in Orlando. Take a journey through the oceans of the world and come face to face with sharks, rays, colorful fish, sea turtles and much more. The central Florida attraction features many new and interactive ways to get closer to the sea life including the state's only 360 degree tunnel, a jellyfish wall and much more. (Photo: July 4, 2019)

The Queen of the Skies approaches Orlando International Airport on a rainy afternoon. The Boeing 747 nicknamed the Queen of the Skies, has been transporting passengers since 1969. It was the first wide-body jet produced and held the passenger capacity record for almost 40 years. The 747 has versions in the passenger industry, cargo industry and even serves as Air Force One transporting the president. (Photo: July 4, 2019)

Orlando, Florida: On a recent trip to the East Coast, we made a brief stop by Orlando International Airport to see the arrival of a few international heavy flights. It was raining and stormy so we were not going to stay long, but there was an A350 and a 747 both inbound so I braved the elements for a few minutes. We found a spot along the approach to Runway 17L at a corporate park and watched the arrival of a few aircraft. In the shot time at the field, I photographed: N202FR – Airbus A320 (Frontier Airlines)  PR-XTE – Airbus A350 (LATAM)  G-VROM – Boeing 747-400 (Virgin Atlantic)  N643JB – Airbus A320 (JetBlue Airways)  N560UW – Airbus A321 (American Airlines)  As you can see, Airbus was the big winner today. You can see these aircraft and all my photos from MCO at my Orlando International Airport photo gallery .

Fireworks, cook-outs and NASCAR. That is a southern tradition for Independence Day when the stars of NASCAR come to Daytona International Speedway for their annual Fourth of July weekend visit. Today the cars and their patriotic schemes hit the tracks to prepare for Coke Zero Sugar 400, an annual tradition during Independence Day. (Photo: July 4, 2019)

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear." The powerful quote by Ambrose Redmoon is the centerpiece of the fallen firefighter memorial at the Tampa Firefighter Museum. This tribute to the heroes is a constant reminder of the extreme sacrifices made by public servants not only in Tampa but worldwide. (Photo: October 19, 2013)

Years ago, the theater was one of the biggest venues on the entertainment stage. From movies to concerts and musicals, it was the place to be in town. Because of the popularity of the theater, historic theaters tended to rival sporting venues with multiple tiers of seating. Here is one of the grand entryways of the Tampa Theatre in downtown Tampa. (Photo: October 19, 2013)

It is a sad day for baseball fans as Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in Texas. The 27 year old lefty was a starting pitcher for the Angels and we had the pleasure of watching him pitch against the Ray's a few weeks ago. Thought and prayers go out to the Skaggs family and the entire Angels organization.