The Wandering Disciple

A group of peaceful protesters make their voices be heard during a rally in Tampa.  They got the ears of Tampa mayor Jane Castor and police chief Brian Dugan during talks outside a protest in north Tampa.  The rally sought an understanding and change during a time of racial and social injustice in the country.  The Tampa rally is one of many across the country following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.  (Photo: May 30, 2020)

A pair of Guenon play around at ZooTampa. After weeks of COVID-19 quarantine, the Guenon and the rest of the animals of the zoo are ready to monkey around for guests. ZooTampa reopened to guests yesterday with limited capacity and social distancing requirements. If you want to see all the zoo's animals, make a reservation and head over to the zoo for a fun filled day with the animals. (Photo: May 30, 2020)

Tampa, Florida: Originally had plans to visit ZooTampa when they opened today, but we were greeted by a large check-in line. So rather then head back home, we modified our plans and came up with a few other things to do before heading to the zoo later in the day. This first stop was a planespotting trip to Tampa International. Flight volume was still low due to the COVID pandemic but we did manage to get a few planes photographed. Here is a look at what we saw today: N126HR – Gulfstream V   N276WN – Boeing 737-700 (Southwest Airlines)  N280WN – Boeing 737-700 (Southwest Airlines/Missouri One)  N373FX – Embraer Phenom 300  N393DA – Boeing 737-800 (Delta Air Lines)  N415UP – Boeing 757-200 (UPS)  N431WN – Boeing 737-700 (Southwest Airlines)  N434AS – Boeing 737-900 (Alaska Airlines)  N446WN – Boeing 737-700 (Southwest Airlines)   N553WN – Boeing 737-700 (Southwest Airlines)  N5113A – Boeing 737-800 (Southern A...

A group of wading birds enjoy a feeding frenzy along the banks of the Myakka River.  On any given day, wading birds like these spoonbills, ibis, and herons enjoy the bounty that the riverfront provides.  There are great places along the river at Myakka River State Park to watch these birds at work.  Because of the great wildlife watching opportunities in the park, Myakka River State Park is a designated stop along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail.  (Photo: November 13, 2016)

The fire service has a rich history filled with traditions. For as long as fire engines have been in service, almost 300 years, they have have been traditionally red. Ask any child to draw a fire truck and you can pretty much bet the truck will be red. But in recent years, some department have merged to a lime green/yellow paint scheme for their apparatus. This is actually for safety, there have been plenty of studies conducted that have proven the lime green/yellow color is easier to see at night and at day. In fact, a four year study in Dallas put the lime green/yellow to the test against the traditional red. The report of the study released 1995 showed that the Dallas Fire Department's red engines were three times as likely to be involved in an accident than the lime green/yellow. This study was then extended out to nine more cities and it still showed the lime green/yellow engines to be involved in less traffic crashes. Pictured here is an engine from the Lee County Por...

Fort Myers, Florida: The flight scheduled continue to be slow due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but things are starting to pick up a bit. A few more aircraft movements have been seen around the field. Due to my schedule, there wasn’t much to photography however there were a few hidden gems including a diverted DHL cargo plane from Miami and a few touch and go maneuvers from a US Navy P-8 from Maryland. Here is a look at what I saw this week at Southwest Florida International Airport: 167955 – P-8 Poseidon (US Navy)  HP-1910DAE – Boeing 757-200 (DHL Aero Expreso)  N68RF – Beechcraft Super King Air 350 (NOAA)  N133VS – Learjet 45  N196UW – Airbus A321 (American Airlines)  N445UP – Boeing 757-200 (UPS)  N683DA – Boeing 757-200 (Delta Air Lines)  N78511 – Boeing 737-800 (United Airlines)  N87353 – Embraer 175 (Mesa Airlines/United Express)  Click on the photo above to view these and the rest of the Southwest Florida International A...

Standing on the edge of Hammock Park, the Andrews Memorial Chapel has served the residents of Dunedin for over 130 years. The Chapel is named after William Andrews, a resident that was killed while riding a horse during a violent storm. The original church was built on the corner of Highland and Scotland but was relocated to its present location at the entrance to Hammock Park in 1970. The Dunedin Historical Society orchestrated the move which required the church to be cut in two and reassembled. Following a restoration, the church reopened as a popular wedding venue. (Photo: May 24, 2020)