The Wandering Disciple

Sarasota, Florida: Today we decided to go kayaking on the south end of Siesta Key. We launched from the kayak launch at Turtle Beach and paddled south towards the Jim Neville Marine Preserve, with a beach stop along the way. This paddling trip was rated as one of the top 10 in our area and we were really looking forward to trying it. Our journey began at the Turtle Beach ramp. Unlike the mass of vendors we experienced last week at South Lido, the crowd here at Turtle Beach wasn't bad. We unloaded the kayaks and began our trip. The ramp leads you through a large channel with condos and homes on each side before you reach the bay. From there we headed southwest and made a stop at the beach. The beach was amazing. When we pulled our kayaks ashore, there were only a handful of people on this stretch of beach. Years ago, this was the Midnight Pass which separated Siesta Key from Casey Key. But over time, the pass closed and the county made no attempt at dredging th...

A brown pelican flies along the surf at Brohard Beach in Venice.  The beach is a great place to watch shorebirds come the surf looking for their next meals.  (Photo: April 14, 2013)

A pair of Great Horned Owls sits in their nest at Stump Pass State Park on the south end of Manasota Key. As the babies sat in the nest, mother was not far away watching from a nearby tree. The owls are a popular resident of the coastal park (Photo: March 5, 2013)

The Tree of Life is the centerpiece of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park. But it is not actually a tree, it is an oil rig structure that has been designed to look like a tree. It is home to the “It’s Tough to be a Bug” 4-D show. (Photo: February 11, 2013)

The wildest ride in the wilderness passes over a bridge in the western town of Tumbleweed. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is one of the three Disney mountains that are fan favorites at the Magic Kingdom Park. (Photo: February 11, 2013)

A helicopter from the Department of Homeland Security lands at the American Heroes Air Show.  The AS-350 photographed here is used primarily for city operations and is one of the many aviation resources available for the Customs and Border Protection.  (Photo: January 19, 2013)

The marsh landscape dominates the horizon at Ten Thousands Islands National Wildlife Refuge in South Florida. (Photo: December 9, 2012)