The Wandering Disciple

FGC 100 sits along the tracks at the Florida Rail Road Museum. This General Electric Switcher was once a workhorse of the US Navy and was assigned to the Jacksonville Naval Air Station. It was added to the stock at the Florida Rail Road Museum in 1995 after being donated by the Navy. Today it is used to move the rolling stock of the museum on the tracks. (Photo: November 8, 2014)

A white tail deer practices roadway safety as it stops, looks and listens before crossing the road. The roadways in a lot of the Florida State Parks are great places to get up close to deer and because they are used to the traffic, they are more likely to stand and watch to instead of darting across the road in front of you. (Photo: November 8, 2014)

The Duke Brothers always managed to create a little chaos on the dirt roads of Hazzard County, Georgia. These southern boys were known by their bright orange 1969 Dodge Charger, the General Lee. One of these iconic cars is on display at Ideal Classic Cars in a gallery with a few other famous Hollywood cars. (Photo: November 6, 2014)

A Carnival cruise ship passes beneath the Sunshine Skyway Bridge as it departs towards the Gulf of Mexico on a Western Caribbean. The engineering marvel spans the mouth of Tampa Bay and acts as a welcome sign for the bay and the Port of Tampa. (Photo: October 18, 2014)

High wire daredevil Nik Wallenda practices on the tight rope in 2014 as he prepared for a record setting blindfolded walk in Chicago. The Sarasota native practices in his hometown quite regularly when preparing for his breathtaking acts on the tight rope. (Photo: October 9, 2014)

A pair of baby gators play on the edge of the swamp with mama watching nearby. An alligator will build a nest and lay about 30-50 eggs at one time. Once they hatch, the baby gators live together in pods until they grow large enough to protect themselves. (Photo: October 5, 2014)

There are so many ways to enjoy the waters of the Suncoast. My favorite way is by kayak. Kayaking allows you to glide above the water and enjoy the views both along the coast and in the water beneath you all while getting a good exercise in the process. (Photo: September 27, 2014)

A canopy of cypress trees tower of the swamps of South Florida. The wet and nutrient rich soils of the swampy ecosystems is a prime growing mixture for the bald cypress tree, a staple of the swamplands. (Photo: August 30, 2014)

While Florida may lack the great grassland prairies of the Midwest, they do have some scenic vistas like this grassland along the banks of the Myakka River. During the summer when the river floods, much of this green is covered by the waters of the wild and scenic Myakka River, but when the flood waters recede we are left with luscious green grass, colorful wildflowers and tons of wildlife. (Photo: August 25, 2014)

Protect and serve, Gulf edition as the Venice Police Department marine patrol races to a call in the Gulf of Mexico. With miles and miles of coastline, its marine units like this one from Venice Police that keep boaters safe rain or shine. (Photo: July 12, 2014)

A little egret walks along the surf of South Lido Beach. The great beaches of the Suncoast are not only popular to people, they attract many species of shorebirds as well. (Photo: June 12, 2014)

Wishin' I was knee deep in the water somewhere, got the blue sky, breeze and it don't seem fair. Zac Brown must have had Manasota Beach in mind when he got the inspiration for the song “Knee Deep”. If he hasn’t it sure makes me think of the cool clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico. (Photo: June 4, 2014)

Debuting with a new team after being promoted is always a big deal. But its made even better when you have a big day at the plate and help lift your club to victory. That’s exactly what Niko Hulsizer did during his Stone Crabs debut, going 3 for 4 in his first Florida State League game. (Photo: August 18, 2019)

Fifty years ago, a farm field in New York was turned into festival of peace and music for the Bethel Rock Festival, more famously known as Woodstock. While the world celebrated the anniversary of this historic event, the Charlotte Stone Crabs are paying tribute by becoming the Charlotte Harbor Hippies for the weekend for baseball, tie-dye and classic music. The Hippies will go into the record books undefeated as they went 3-0 on the weekend. (Photo: August 18, 2019)

A clouded leopard poses for a photo on a rainy Saturday at ZooTampa at Lowry Park. Found in the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains, the clouded leopard population is decreasing with fewer than 10,000 mature leopards. Currently clouded leopards are kept in 64 zoos worldwide and captive breeding programs began in the 1980’s to try and help boost the population. (Photo of the Day: August 17, 2019)

The Cuban culture in Tampa can be traced back to as far as the 1520’s when conquistador Hernando de Soto sailed to Tampa from Cuba. But it wasn’t until 1886 when Vincente Martinez-Ybor settled into the city and started his cigar industry that Tampa would become little Cuba. Today this area of town bears his name, Ybor City. Around every corner you can find Cuban influence from architecture to food and even a small Cuban park which is actually considered Cuban soil. (Photo: May 23, 2014)

There is no guessing who the king of the pack is. With his powerful frame and majestic mane, the male lion is the king of the pack. At Lion Country Safari you can get close to a pack of African Lions in the comfort of your vehicle. (Photo: May 11, 2014)

Kookaburra sits on the old gum tree. Well not really but this Kookaburra sits high atop a perch in the aviary of ZooTampa (formerly Lowry Park Zoo). The kookaburra is known for its call which sounds like a laugh leading to the old children’s song. (Photo: April 13, 2014)

A shorebird buzzes the shoreline at Manasota Beach.   Shorebirds like this Sanderling here can be seen all along the coastal beaches.   They can be found along the surf looking for their next meal or tending to a nest along the beach.   (Photo: April 6, 2014)

A Boeing 737 smokes the tires on the main landing gear after touchdown at Tampa International Airport.  This is a result of the stationary tire of the landing gear touching down on the runway at a high rate of speed, skidding until the tire catches up with the speed of the aircraft.  This tire wear causes the tire to need to be changed at about 250 cycles of landings.  (Photo: August 10, 2019)

As the old saying goes "April showers brings May flowers". While its not April, rain still brings life to the gardens. Here at Sunken Gardens, the flowers come to life in a dazzling display of color. The gardens feature four acres with over 500 types of tropical plants. (Photo: August 10, 2019)

Surrounded by Tampa Bay, Old Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Bay, downtown Tampa is a city by the bay. Water defines the city from the bayview vistas to the active Port of Tampa, the city's location on the bay helps this city thrive. This Tampa skyline view is from across the bay at Ballast Point Park looking towards downtown. (Photo: August 10, 2019)

St Petersburg, Florida: Took a leisurely Saturday stroll through the colorful gardens of Sunken Gardens. This original St Petersburg tourist attraction has been entertaining guest since the 1930's, making it one of the oldest tourist attractions on the west coast of Florida. Today the four acre botanical garden is home to over 500 types of tropical plants. A nice winding path leads you through the gardens with colorful flowers and birds around every corner. Sunken Gardens is located at 1825 4th Street North. It is open daily with the last admission sold at 4 pm. Admission to Sunken Gardens ranges from $10 for an adult to $4 for children. They have annual passes available which I highly recommend. We have one and not only does it allow you to come back to Sunken Gardens, it provides free access to botanical gardens nationwide. I have updated the photo gallery with new photos from today's visit. Click on the photo above to see the entire gallery of photos from Sunk...

Tampa, Florida:    While in the bay area today, we made a brief stop at Tampa International Airport.  Runway 19 was in use so I took a spot on the north side of the short term parking garage.  We were not there long but still managed to get nine new aircraft photographed in less than a half an hour.  Included in the group was an Embraer from Contour Airlines, my first for this airline.  Here is a look of what was seen during today's visit: C-GBHR – Airbus A319 (Air Canada Rouge)  N200WN – Boeing 737-700 (Southwest Airlines) #  N283WN – Beoing 737-700 (Southwest Airlines) #  N350AG – Saab 340 (Silver Airways)  N410UP – Boeing 757-200 (UPS)  N431UA – Airbus A320 (United Airlines)  N564WN – Boeing 737-700 (Southwest Airlines)  N630JB – Airbus A320 (JetBlue Airways)  N724SW – Boeing 737-700 (Southwest Airlines)  N751CX – Boeing 757-200 (Air Transport International)  N761RR – Boeing 737-700 (South...

Blazing across the skies of Southwest Florida, the US Air Force Thunderbirds dazzle the crowd of the 2014 Florida International Air Show. Travelling across the world and performing in front of millions of people, the premier flight demonstration team of the US Air Force will once again come to Punta Gorda for the 2019 Florida International Air Show November 1-3 at Punta Gorda Airport. See the pilots push their F-16 Fighting Falcons to the edge and back in their exhilarating performance. (Photo: March 30, 2014)

What do you get when you combine 35,000 gallons of water with an Italian circus? Meet Cirque Italia, a one of a kind water circus that travels the country featuring world renown acts performing over water. See the amazing acts of these performers dazzle the crowd by showcasing their skills with the added water element. (Photo: March 22, 2014)

If the Union Navy managed to get past the forts at the entrance to the Savannah River, they were sure to meet the big cannons of Fort Jackson. Fort Jackson was the last line of defense along the river protecting the port of Savannah. Fort Jackson was one of three Confederate forts that defended Savannah. The fort was captured by General Sherman's troops in 1864. It saw service for the US Army as Fort Oglethorpe until being decommissioned in 1905. It was purchased by the City of Savannah and turned into a historic park. (Photo: March 15, 2014)

The roundtable is the workhorse of the rail yard. Housed in the center of the yard, the roundtable was used to relocate rail cars from the main lines into maintenance shops or storage in the roundhouse. This roundtable is centerpiece of the Georgia State Railroad Museum. The museum is located on the site of the former Central of Georgia Railway's Savannah Shops and Terminal Facility. Here you can see can walk through the working side of the railway and see many types of rail cars and locomotives that were used on the area's rails. (Photo: March 15, 2014)

When the lights go down over Savannah, the ghostly afterlife comes out to play. Savannah is one of the most haunted cities in the country and there is no shortage of ways to learn about the ghoulish afterlife. Go ghost hunting with top of the line ghost equipment, hop on a haunted hearse or haunted trolley for a more playful look at the haunted history or go all in with a tour of one of the most haunted homes in the city, the Sorrel-Weed House. No matter how you explore the haunted history, there is plenty of ghost stories to explore. (Photo: March 14, 2014)

To help protect the US coast from attacks by sea, Congress appointed a group of engineers and military strategists to design a system of forts to defend the coast. This series of coastal forts stretches along the east coast from Maine to Louisiana and provided the mainland a line of defense against enemy attack. One of these forts was Fort Screven located on Tybee Island providing protection for the city of Savannah. (Photo: March 14, 2014)

One of the oldest and most famous cemeteries in the old city of Savannah, Bonaventure Cemetery is the final resting place to many Savannah residents including some of the city's notable residents. Majestic live oaks, colorful flowers and elegant memorials fill the 160 acres of the cemetery making it a popular place to visit. So popular in fact that John Muir spent a week sleeping amongst the tombs during his Thousand Mile Walk and dedicated an entire chapter in his memoir of the trip. The most famous of the memorials, the Bird Girl was made popular from the book and film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, had to be moved to the Telfair Museum for safety. Today one of the popular memorials in the cemetery is this sculpture of Gracie, who died at the age of six due to pneumonia. (Photo: March 14, 2014)

The iconic P-51 Mustang was the air ace of World War II. In addition to being a prize dog fighter for the US Army Air Force, the P-51 also had the roll of protecting the larger slower bombers. If it wasn't for the protection of the P-51, the fleets of B-17's would be sitting ducks to the much faster aircraft of the Luftwaffe. This 3/4 scale model of the P-51 is on display at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in an eternal dog fight with its nemesis, a scale model of the Messerschmitt Bf 109G. (Photo: March 15, 2014)

Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you're gonna get. Passengers awaiting a bus on this bench had no clue what they were going the get when Forrest Gump tells his life story while waiting for the bus. From meeting Elvis, playing football for Alabama, fighting in Vietnam for the Army, meeting Presidents and so much more. The Hollywood classic Forrest Gump features Tom Hanks playing Forrest Gump in the timeless classic. Shot in the heart of Savannah, the bench is on display at the Savannah History Museum. (Photo: March 13, 2014)