The Wandering Disciple

  Located on Sarasota Bay, the grounds of the Ringling were once the premiere entertaining spot for the wealthy guests of circus magnate John Ringling.  Today this luxurious resort is home to the Ringling museum which preserves the legacy of John and Mable Ringling here on the Suncoast. Today the Ringling winter estate is operated by Florida State University and its mission is to tell the story of the Ringling's from their winter home.  It is home to the Ringling Museum of Art, the Ringling Circus Museum and the Ringling mansion named Ca' da' Zan which means House of John.  Connecting each of these museums is lush gardens with colorful flowers and majestic statuary.   Taken: June 14, 2009 at The Ringling (Sarasota, FL)

The Phoenix spins its riders upside down at in the Florida sunshine at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Located in the Pantopia portion of the park, the Phoenix is a based on an Egyptian cargo vessel and spins back and forth until making a complete 360 degree rotation. Currently the ride is out of service until further notice and its future is not clear.  Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a theme park in Tampa, Florida that is part of the Sea World parks system. It features 28 rides and 200 species of animals within 335 acre African themed park.  Taken: May 31, 2009 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (Tampa, FL)

A Lufthansa Boeing 747 lands at Southwest Florida International Airport as weather prevented them from landing in Miami. When showers or storms prevent landing at the destination airport, the flight heads into a holding pattern to wait for the weather to clear. However sometimes, they do not have enough fuel left to hold or they depleted their reserve fuel forcing them to divert to a nearby airport that can handle their aircraft.  This Lufthansa flight was headed to Miami International Airport from Frankfurt, Germany. It encountered storms over the airport in Miami where it attempted to land at Miami and weather did not cooperated so it headed to Fort Myers to refuel and return to Miami when weather improved.  Taken: May 16, 2022 at Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, FL)

A Snowy Egret sits atop a fence at the Peace River Wildlife Center while getting healthy under the staff's medical care. With a diverse collection of animals in the state and a growing population, injuries are certain as the human impact takes a toll on native wildlife.  To care for sick or injured native wildlife, there is a network of volunteers and wildlife centers like the Peace River Wildlife Center here in Punta Gorda. They take sick and injured animals and nurse them back to health with a goal of returning them to the wild. You can see their work firsthand at their facility at Ponce De Leon Park in Punta Gorda.  Taken: March 22, 2009 at Peace River Wildlife Center (Punta Gorda, FL)

A crash truck and airport operations hold short of Runway 6 at Southwest Florida International Airport while an aircraft makes an emergency landing. Airport fire fighters are always standing by at a moments notice to handle a wide variety of emergencies from a slip and fall in the terminal to an aircraft emergency.  Airports with regular commercial service have a dedicated airport fire department at the ready to respond anywhere on the airport in minutes. This dedicated fire service is known collectively as ARFF, meaning Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting.  Taken: May 9, 2022 at Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, FL)

Jeff Keppinger throws pop ups during a kid's clinic during Spring Training 2009. The annual clinic was a way for the Reds to reach out to the community and inspire the next generation of kids to follow their dreams of playing baseball.  The Cincinnati Reds held spring training in Sarasota from 1998 through 2009. Ed Smith Stadium was their spring home and during each season they hosted a Kid's Clinic in which current players and coaches spent an afternoon working with local kids. The Reds would later move to Goodyear, Arizona and today the stadium is the spring home of the Baltimore Orioles.  Taken: February 21, 2009 at Ed Smith Stadium (Sarasota, FL)

A Four-Sided Pyramid rises out of the garden at the National Gallery of Art on the National Mall in Washington DC. The pyramid was designed by American artist Sol LeWitt in 1965. It was constructed in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden in 1999.   The Four-Sided Pyramid is one of 21 works of art found within the 6 acre sculpture garden at the National Gallery of Art. Opened in 1999, the gardens features works of art surrounded by a central fountain which is converted to a ice-skating rink in the winter time. Taken: February 16, 2009 at National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden (Washington DC)