The Wandering Disciple

Head out to Fire Station 5 at Fruitville Road and Beneva Road in Sarasota on Saturday for the Annual Fire Prevention Open House. Hosted by the Sarasota County Fire Department, the event features live fire demonstrations, vehicle displays, games for the kids, food and much more.  This year's theme is Kitchen Fire Prevention.  The event runs from 10-2 and admission is free.  Click on the event poster to see photos from past SCFD Open Houses .

A raised boardwalk takes hikers deeper into Ann Dever Memorial Park. The 420 acre park features almost four miles of hiking trails. (Photo: January 1, 2013)

A gopher tortoise crosses the roadway at Cedar Point Environmental Park. The 115 acre park surrounded by water is home to all kinds of wildlife including tortoises, bald eagle, ospreys and more. (Photo: January 1, 2013)

A Great Blue Heron sits on the boat ramp at Indian Mound Park. Located on Lemon Bay, the park is the site of ancient Indian burial mounds. Today the park has preserved the mounds while providing the public with a boat ramp to access the water of Lemon Bay. Click on the photo to view more photos of Indian Mound Park . (Photo: December 30, 2012)

The scrub habitat dominated the land at Ann Dever Memorial Park. The park features 420 acres of land for various uses including hiking and more. Click on the photo to view more photos of the Ann Dever Memorial Park. (Photo: December 30, 2012)

A Bald Eagle watches over its nest from an adjacent tree at Cedar Point Environmental Park in Englewood. The park is home to a nesting pair of Bald Eagles which can bee seen from the park's hiking trail. Click on the photo to see more photos from Cedar Point . (Photo: December 30, 2012)

One of the many watering hole you can find on the Marsh Trail at Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge in South Florida. The refuge consist of 35,000 acres of tiny islands providing habitat for all types of plants and animals. Click on the photo to view more photos from Ten Thousand Islands NWR . (Photo: December 9, 2012)