Tag: epiphany

A January walk in Tarpon Springs

On By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Tampa bay sights3 Comments

In early January I was out for a walk at Fred Howard Park in Tarpon Springs. I like walking here in the winter because I can walk along the water and the traffic to the beach is low since it’s too cold for most people to go to the beach. The tide was super low this morning. I could see the smaller Sunset Beach Park across the water.

This guy on a skateboard knew how to give his dogs a better walk with minimal effort.

Cormorants like to hang out on this small jetty on the causeway.

 

Pretty beach sunflowers on the beach.

Kayaks ready to go out. Maybe later.

Looking back when I’m almost back to my car.

I stopped by Craig Park on the way home and the Epiphany boats were still in the water. The city of Tarpon Springs celebrates the Epiphany in a big way here. You can read about my post when I attended the celebration in 2022 here.

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A cold Tarpon Springs walk

On By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Tampa bay sights6 Comments

You know it’s winter here when you see the water plant in Tarpon Springs full of ducks. There are mostly redheads but also a few scaup and ring necked ducks mixed in.

The few times I stopped by in the morning they were all sleeping but I caught a few bathing and shaking off one morning.

I saw one female bufflehead in the mix.

Heading farther north to Craig Park I saw 2 eagles sitting on a tower. I pulled over and took the above. When I was heading home later they were still sitting there. I’m assuming they don’t have a nest since both are spending the morning on the tower.

When it’s cold the bayou in Craig Park fills up with manatees staying warm.

All was quiet and calm the morning I was there in early January. The boats were still in the water from the Epiphany celebration a few days earlier where the high school boys dive in and try to be the one to retrieve a cross thrown in the bayou. The celebration (in remembrance of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordon river) is over 100 years old. I attended it back in 2022 and you can read about it in my post here.

SkyWatch Friday

The Epiphany in Tarpon Springs

On By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights2 Comments

After living in the Tampa Bay area for almost 20 years, I finally made it to an Epiphany in Tarpon Springs. The Epiphany, which is always celebrated on January 6, has 2 different meanings. One is the celebration of Three Kings Day, when the wise men visited Jesus. The other is the celebration of the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan river. Tarpon Springs celebrates the baptism of Jesus with young men diving into the bayou for a blessed cross. The one who retrieves the cross from the bottom is considered blessed for the year. This year was the 116th annual event. I got there an hour early and found a good spot along the wall to wait for the event.

Small boats were tied up together around the bayou. The guys will get in the boats before diving into the water for the cross.

There were several manatees in the bayou and it was funny to watch their snouts coming up for air as we waited for the event to start.

Coming from the nearby greek church, the guys all jumped in the water and then climbed into the boats. All of them are high school age. I had heard there were 65 guys diving for the cross this year.

Many prayers are said as they bless the cross. Then the Archbishop walks over to the water and casually throws the cross in the water.

Then all you see is splashing as the guys jump in the water.

More splashing.

Seconds later a hand goes up with the cross. He retrieved the cross and will be blessed for the year (it looks like there’s a trophy involved as well).

Some of the attendees were dressed in greek attire.

It was a sunny beautiful morning out and the crowds weren’t too crazy. I had to park pretty far away and had a 20 minute walk to the bayou but I was prepared. I will try and go again next year. And as always when you are near Tarpon Springs, you have to pick up some great greek food and baklava to take home (they even have chocolate covered baklava here!).