The Air Force Academy

On January 11, 2018January 11, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn Vacation5 Comments

We stopped for a visit at the Air Force Academy on our way back to Denver from Colorado Springs. I think this was the coldest morning we had in Colorado. We had freezing drizzle that was blowing sideways. Our main visit was the famous chapel. I had seen pictures of it from my cousin who graduated from the Academy many years ago. Through all of the fog and rain, you could see the spires on the top of the chapel. I would have liked to have blue sky behind it but that was not happening on this trip.

The architecture was amazing. Lots of clean lines. Due to the weather, there wasn’t a lot of people there so we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

Lots to look at through the fog.

Also lot of color. The trees were beautiful. The colored rocks were around the parking lot of the visitor’s center. The inside of the chapel was beautiful as well. More on that later….

SkyWatch Friday

Staying the Same and Changing at the same time

On December 7, 2017December 1, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn flowers and plants2 Comments

From the parking lot at Circle B Bar Reserve. The reserve had only been open a few days since Hurricane Irma had hit when I made the trip over to walk the trails. It was closed for almost 6 weeks after the hurricane due to so much damage on the trails. The most popular trail is still closed since part of the trail was washed out (they don’t want people wading in the swamp with the alligators, go figure!). The one thing I noticed immediately was the lack of leaves on most of the trees around the parking lot. The wind stripped them all away. The above trees were full of green leaves before Irma. It made parts of the park look like the dead of winter even though the weather had still been in the 80’s.

There was still a lot of moss in some of the trees as the sun was coming up over Heron Hideout Trail.

The big dead trees along Marsh Rabbit Run trail were still standing.

Looking across the marsh, I knew it was going to be a perfect morning out.

The trails had downed trees all long the way. It must have taken them a while to move all of those fallen trees off the trail. The moss still covered the ones that were still standing.

People who come here often complain about the amount of people who now come to the park, especially after the video of the alligator crossing the trial. It is a free public park after all. If you can get here early in the morning, it’s still a magical place. I like to walk the trails when it’s very quiet. As the big families are heading in right before lunch, I’m heading home for lunch so it works out.

SkyWatch Friday

Summer at the lake

On September 11, 2017September 12, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

Lots of the usual birds at Lettuce Lake Park in late July. The first shot is a very young parula and the 2nd is a shot of the young parula being fed by the parent. The last shot is of a very young red bellied woodpecker waiting for the parent to give him a bug.

The usual titmouse and I caught a glimpse of a brown thrasher high up in a tree.

Things along the boardwalk.

There’s water somewhere in that lake. These were taken before the rainy season and the plants had taken over the lake.

Our World Tuesday Graphic

Fun in the fog.

On February 2, 2017February 2, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn flowers and plants2 Comments

On foggy mornings you can really see the spider webs. You don’t notice them when the sun is out. Everything is covered in them.

The light was bad but it was fun to walk around in the fog. At least it looked like winter even though it didn’t feel like it.

The cypress trees are starting to turn colors (it finally looks like fall here) but the little one was completely covered in webs. I’m not sure if that will kill the tree.

I was driving over to Lakeland in early January to walk at Circle B Bar Reserve. The sun was just coming up in Tampa and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The closer I got to the park, the foggier it got. I was bummed thinking the light was going to be bad for taking pictures. It was challenging to get any bright shots but it was cool to see the reserve all covered in fog. It felt like I was in a different place. The fog eventually burned off some time after 10 and the sun came out.

SkyWatch Friday

A hummingbird and other critters at Fort Desoto

On October 17, 2016October 18, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

Random things on the trail at Fort Desoto park.

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I saw the shadow of a hummingbird and waited a while before he moved over to the firebush and started feeding.

The usual ships passing by the beach.

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A walk after work

On May 9, 2016May 9, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

The lake at Kapok Park are full of turtles. People feed them and they come close to the boardwalk. Look at those fingernails!

A cute grebe shying away.

The red-winged blackbirds come close the boardwalk as well. Both a male and a female were posing for me.

Moorhens were taking a bath.

A rare sighting at this park. I found a lone purple gallinule under the boardwalk. I have never seen one here or even heard of one near the area.

Great blue heron flyby.

The big old trees at the park. It looks like one got blown over during a big storm. It looks like such a big strong tree. It’s hard to believe wind would knock that over.

On the way home I stopped by downtown Safety Harbor and could just barely make out a juvenile eagle on the cell tower.

Another tower close by had two babies (you can see only one in the picture). One of the parents was feeding them and the other parent was on a utility tower across the street. I’ve been keeping an eye on these nests for a while, swinging by there on the way home from work. It’s great to see these eagles raising families in this busy neighborhood.

I stopped by Kapok Park on the way home from work recently and did a quick walk around the park. I was hoping to see signs of the great horned owls but they either didn’t nest there this year or already nested and left.

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