Late August into early September brought some beautiful skies to our neighborhood. These were taken with my phone from the front yard or the backyard. The rainbows always end up in the backyard since the storms usually come late in the day and the sun is setting from the front. We were getting them almost every day for a week.
Lightning from the upstairs bathroom window.
We’ve had some beautiful skies in June. This was looking across the fairway before the storm hit.
Later I was peeking out the window and caught this lightning with my phone.
Sunset across the street.
These were all blooming on my neighbor’s wall. We share a courtyard.
I was coming back from the mailbox and this bunny was in our yard. I couldn’t believe he was still there when I went in and got my camera and came back out. I’ve been seeing one every couple of days. I wonder if it’s the same one. I call him Peter.
The usual visitors in the backyard. All taken through the window.
I finally got a shot of a great crested flycatcher. I’ve been hearing them calling for months but they always stay high up in the trees. One morning I was sitting outside and had my camera with me and was able to catch him.
Baby bluebird was yelling at Mom to feed him (or her). Taken through the window, they were far out on the golf course.
Squirrels being cute in the backyard.
The skies from my front and back yard in late summer are insane. Some nights right when the sun hits after the rain has moved out, it looks like the sky is on fire. These were all taken in late August and early September.
The above was snapped with my phone through the glass door and the screened porch. The smaller ones before this were too close to be outside. The next day I found out it hit my neighbor’s house. It fried his fuse box and burned one side of his house. It took several days for an electrician to come out and fix everything so you really don’t know when it’s going to hit.
Lightning on the side of the house (I was standing in the garage). It’s weird the way the 2nd one was brighter in the middle.
Most nights if the sun peaks out in the backyard after a storm, I get this in the front yard.
As August starts to roll around, the summer rains come in. Usually in the late afternoons (although some days the rain can start in the morning and continue all day).Most nights the sun would peek out right before it set which makes for amazing colors through the clouds. I am constantly running outside to check the skies and take pictures. I’m sure my neighbors think I’m crazy. All of the above were taken from my yard with my phone.
I was running errands and caught this tiny lightning bolt walking back to my car. It’s better to run errands on a day like this in August. It’s cooler and less people are out. Although you have to be okay with getting wet if a super soaker happens that even an umbrella won’t help.
Catching a storm coming in at Davis Islands.
While out running errands, I stopped at a fishing pier in the northern part of Tampa bay. This lesser known pier is a great spot to catch the storms rolling in. There wasn’t any lightning from the clouds or else I would not have been out here on the pier. I headed back to my car long before the rain hit.
Heading home after work, I stopped at an office parking deck after I got over the bridge into Tampa. Storms were moving in over the area. I could see it raining on one side of the bridge and sunny on the other side. Typical Florida weather.
Driving into my neighborhood, it had just stopped raining and the sun was peeking out.
A rainbow in front of my house.
Later that week, we had other storms coming across our neighborhood. I was able to catch the lightning in the backyard with my phone.
A few of the 4th of July fireworks from my driveway. Many of my neighbors were setting them off.
Lots of rainbows during the summer rains.
I was standing under the bismark palm tree trying to get some storm shots in the backyard and almost ran into the above. A harmless spiny orb, very common here but I really wouldn’t want to have to pull him out of my hair.
The sun was trying to peek out after a storm.
Dark clouds were swirling in the backyard right before dark.
Lightning shots taken with my phone in the backyard.
Standing on the Safety Harbor fishing pier, I could see a storm over my neighborhood across the bay.
I’m always looking up in the yard during the rainy season.If I hear thunder on one side of the house and the sun is out on the other, I always run outside with my phone hoping to see a rainbow.
Late summer babies. Blondie came back in August with another new baby.
The usual critters in our yard during the past few months.
One day I came home from work and grabbed the mail from the mailbox that is on the side of our house next to the front door. This guy came out with the mail. I dropped the mail to the ground and was glad he didn’t land on me. I think I woke him up.
The muhly grass blooms pink in the fall. These started blooming in late October.
Different skies in the front and back yards.
I took a walk on the walking bridge across Tampa Bay recently on a Sunday night. I was traveling light and only took my phone so all of these are phone shots.
Occasionally you see some critters swimming by. I think this is a cow nose sting ray. They are pretty common in the bay.
A storm was moving into downtown Tampa but behind me the sun was still out.
A brief glimpse of the sun before the clouds moved in.
Then it got bad so I snapped the above and headed back to my car right before it started pouring. This was pretty far away and the picture is cropped up. I would not want to be out on that bridge if the lightning was any closer.
I peaked out the window and saw some dark clouds moving in. I grabbed my phone and ran out to the backyard. I kept hearing crashing coming from the front yard so I ran around to the front and got the shot of the lightning. The night storms have been crazy lately in the beginning of August.
The next night I drove home in pouring rain and by the time I got home the sky looked like the above in the backyard.
On the way home from work I stopped at a parking deck right off the bridge to take the above. Looking towards downtown Tampa, it was beautiful blue skies. When I turned around, the big storm was moving across the bay. I had just driven through that.
All of the above were taking with my phone.
I stopped by the Safety Harbor fishing pier on the way home recently and was kind of bummed the weather looked so bad. This was taken with my phone. I was thinking about jumping back in the car and going home but I thought I’d walk around the area for a few minutes.
The only bird I found there, other than a few laughing gulls flying over head.
The exposed sand along the seawall was covered in fiddler crabs. They are very skittish and kept running back in their little sand holes. I finally was able to get a few outside.
They are very tiny, this is extremely cropped.
Even with the threat of rain, there were a few people on the pier. Manatees were swimming close by but the water was too dark to get any pictures.
I realized it was raining north of the pier and lightning was popping up.
I only had my 70mm – 200mm lens with me and these were handheld.
There was a lady on the pier as well who was taking pictures and she had a lightning trigger on the top of her camera that automatically shot pictures when it detected lightning. I had not heard of that accessory but it might be a cool one to look into. That would mean I would have to spend more time standing around waiting for storms. On the weekends,whenever I hear thunder starting I think “I should pack up and go to the airport parking deck to try to get lightning pictures.” It’s hard to get out and do that. I’m usually getting dinner ready or doing chores. Maybe a new toy would motivate me. Anyone have any experience using one?
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