The Wandering Disciple

The John F Kennedy Tea Rose is a regal rose fitting of the beloved president. Featuring a double bloom and a fruity fragrance, the rose brings the feeling of hope and peace to any garden. The John F Kennedy Rose was introduced in 1965 by German born Eugene Boerner who crossed a White Queen rose and an unknown seedling to create the now popular JFK Rose. (Photo: October 30, 2020)

  A monarch caterpillar chomps on the leaves of a milkweed plant as part of the cycle from egg to butterfly.  The life cycle of a monarch butterfly features four stages.  The first stage is the egg stage in which an adult butterfly lays eggs on a milkweed plant.  Four days after the eggs are laid, they hatch and begin stage two, the larva stage.  During this stage the colorful caterpillar seen here eats the host plant and grows for about two weeks before transitioning into stage three.  Stage three is the pupa or chrysalis stage and that is where the magic happens.  The caterpillar surrounds itself in a silky chrysalis and behind the veil, a complete metamorphism from caterpillar begins.  In about ten days, the beautiful monarch butterfly emerges and completes the cycle.  (Photo: October 30, 2020)

Step inside Journey Into Imagination and join Figment on a playful adventure through the senses and see how a little imagination can spark a dream. Located inside the Imagination Pavilion, Journey to Imagination follows the playful antics of Figment as he shows you the power of imagination. Join Figment on a tour of the Imagination Institute before Figment turns the world upside down. The playful purple dragon even makes an appearance during the annual Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. (Photo: April 7, 2018)

A Malayan Tapir catches a nap at ZooTampa. The only species of tapir native to Asia, the Malayan Tapir is the largest of four main tapir species. While not totally nocturnal, the tapirs are more active at night foraging for leaves on the forest floor. ZooTampa is home to a family of Malayan Tapir. (Photo: March 31, 2018)

Hold on to you hats and glasses cause this here is the wildest ride in the wilderness.  For over forty years, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Walt Disney World has been taking its riders on a wild ride through the mysterious mountains of a Southwestern mining town.  The town was abandoned following a flash flood and till this very day these trails run wild through the mountains without an engineer or a crew.  (Photo: March 4, 2018)

The collection is off to a quick start with the first round of patches arriving in the mail. Thanks to the help of a fellow fire marshal, my collection got off to a good start as his package arrived with a few new additions to the collection along with a letter explaining the importance of each patch. It was a pretty cool way to start to the collection. Here is a look at the patches acquired this week. Aeromed (FL)  Alachua County (FL) Fire Rescue   Bowling Green (FL) Fire Department  Florida State Firefighter’s Association  Hardee County (FL) Fire Rescue  Polk County (FL) Fire Rescue  Click on the patch above to view the entire Public Safety Patch Collection .

Orioles infielder Tim Beckham runs out of the box after a hit and run play during a Spring Training game in 2018. Originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays as the first overall pick of the 2008 draft, Beckham has spent his career split between the Rays, Orioles and Seattle Mariners. He became a free agent at the conclusion of the 2019 season. (Photo: February 28, 2018)