The Wandering Disciple

Fort Myers, Florida: Fall is in the air in Florida and the local parks are starting to show it. The leaves are thinning on the trees and animal migration has begun. Today I decided to take advantage of the cooler weather and take a walk at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. The park features a 1.2 mile boardwalk which takes you through the 3,500 acre wetland preserve. During today’s hike, I observed a bunch of the usual Floridian wildlife residents including a few legless critters located just off the boardwalk. Here is a look of what I saw during today’s hike: American Alligator  Black Crowned Night Heron  Downy Woodpecker  Eastern Gray Squirrel  Florida Cottonmouth  Florida Watersnake  Great Blue Heron  Great Egret  Peninsula Cooter  Red Shouldered Hawk  White Ibis  Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve is located at 7791 Penzance Boulevard in Fort Myers, Florida. It is open daily from dawn to dusk. There is ...

Englewood, Florida: The Offshore Powerboat Association closed in on Englewood Beach this weekend for the OPA World Championship as part of the 2018 Englewood Beach Water Fest. The annual race closes out the 2018 season for the OPA circuit. The weekend kicked off with a block part in Olde Englewood followed by back to back days of exciting powerboat racing in the Gulf of Mexico between Englewood Beach and Stump Pass Beach State Park. Click on the photo above to view a gallery of photos from the Extreme Class race at the 2018 OPA World Championships .

A jaguar tries to take an afternoon nap at Zoo Miami.  Jaguars rest during the day so they are ready to hunt once the sun goes down.  They use the cover of night and their camouflage patterning to stalk their prey, striking when they least expect it.  (Photo: November 4, 2018)

The sun rises over the Everglades, lighting the skies with bright orange hues and signaling the start of a new day. Known as the Sunshine State, Florida is known for its spectacular sunrises and sunsets like this sunrise seen from Alligator Alley in South Florida. (Photo: November 4, 2018)

Bradenton, Florida: Tucked away in a residential neighborhood in west Bradenton lies a hidden gem. A place where you can get away and enjoy bright colorful flowers and the tranquility they possess. At the Palma Sola Botanical Park, you can spend hours enjoying the smell of fresh flowers in the Florida sunshine. The ten acre park is where “Florida’s Beauty Remains Timeless”. Here you can find bright and colorful tropical plants, rare fruit trees, a succulent garden, a butterfly garden or just relax and watch the birds and wildlife around the lakes. If you want to try your hand at growing a garden of your own, the park features a nursery where you can purchase some of the plants found in the garden. And if yoga is your thing, well they have that too. The Palma Sola Botanical Park is located at 9800 17th Avenue NW in Bradenton, Florida. It is open daily from 8 to sunset however it is a popular place for weddings and private parties, so the schedule may vary. Admission to the...

On this Veteran's Day and everyday, a big thank you goes out to our nation's veterans for all the sacrifices they made to ensure the freedoms we enjoy.  While Veteran's Day is just one day on a calendar, the appreciation goes 365 days a year.  Thank you for answering the call to keep us safe and protect our way of life.  (Photo: November 4, 2018)

Orlando, Florida: On a recent trip to Disney, I was able to get away to Orlando International Airport for some plane watching before heading to the parks. The winds favored Ruway 18 as the active runway.  This is one of my favorite traffic patterns since it allows for viewing from the pier on the lake at Airport Lakes Park.  Here you can watch planes and wildlife at the same time while enjoying the shade by the lake.  It was a slow morning by Orlando standards but here is a list of what I saw today: Boeing 757-200 - N676DL Airbus A321 - N197UW Boeing 737-800 - N8312C Boeing 737-700 - N570WN Boeing 737-700 - N428WN Boeing 737-900 - N39415