The World as We See It

Stretching Our Legs

May 25, 2014 in misc, photography, Travel | Leave a comment

We drove to Baltimore a couple of weeks ago to attend a wedding. Although we had known when we were going for a long time, it wasn’t until a few weeks beforehand that we realized that, with a tiny bit of planning, we could pull into Annapolis at a perfect time to take Patti’s mom to lunch on Mother’s Day. Knowing this, I planned to drive from Central Florida to Roanoke Rapids, N.C., in one shot. It put us just a few easy hours from our destination and there are a lot of hotels and restaurants in the area. Hoping to find a way to burn some energy after a long day in the cab of the truck, I did a bit of googling and found what seemed like a nice walk to stretch our legs.

If you find yourself traveling I-95 in southern Va. or northern N.C., the Roanoke Canal Trail is perfect. We found the River Road access without a hitch (maybe 10 minutes from the I-95 interchange) and headed up the trail, happy to be out of the truck. The weather was hot and humid, and the skies to the west were threatening. There were a few sign pedestals along the way telling us about the flora and fauna and whatever, but then we came across the one pictured below.

Roanoke Rapids Canal Trail, 5/10/14

In 1949, an F-80 on a training run had crashed close to where we were standing. The widow of the pilot had placed “the marble marker here,” but we didn’t see anything like that in the immediate area. A bit of exploring revealed a new-ish trail of pavers heading into the bushes, leading to the marker.

Memorial Marker, Roanoke Rapids Canal Trail, 5/10/14

Roanoke Rapids Canal Trail, 5/10/14

Apparently they had recently cleaned it up and added the pavers (full story here). We’re glad they did, as it’s an interesting little tidbit that would never have hit our radar. We kept on down the trail for a short ways, but there was thunder in the distance by this time and we had to cut it short. Next time we come this way we’ll know this nice little walk is waiting at the end of the day and plan on more exploring.

Roanoke Rapids Canal Trail, 5/10/14

Paynes Prairie Critters

May 6, 2014 in photography, Travel | 1 comment

Paynes Prairie State Park, FL, 4/26/14

We recently went to Paynes Prairie, a new (to us) state park located in the middle of Florida immediately south of Gainesville, and man, did we have a good time. The campground was the quietest we’ve ever stayed in. It was half full on a Thursday night and you could have heard a pin drop. Friday and Saturday night were only marginally louder which was certainly refreshing.

The park itself is quite large, with over 60 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. While there we saw turtles, many gators, wild horses and two bald eagles that screamed at the buzzards, chasing them away. We did not see the bison herd that is located there; they were off in the distant parts of the prairie doing their bison thing. As an aside: bison in Florida. Who knew? Turns out they used to be native but were killed off many years ago. The present herd was re-located there a while back and seems to be doing OK. While troubleshooting an electrical problem with the trailer on the first night (which led to me hearing, for the second time in my traveling career, an “expert” say to me: “Huh, I’ve never seen that before,” but I digress) I was outside in the dark when I realized that I was surrounded by thousands and thousands of fireflies. I rushed to get Patti and we both felt like we were kids again, staring into the darkness while the darkness blinked back at us. We normally don’t see them down here. It was surreal and wonderful and a great distraction from the technical gremlins.

We also saw something that falls squarely into the “How Weird Can Florida Get Category.” (BTW, the correct answer to that question is: very.) While biking through the campground I noticed the scene in the below photo. I pause here while you take it in:

Paynes Praire Campground
4/24/14

What we have here is a very large lizard of some kind surrounded by a fence that a toddler could take out, much less a several hundred pound whatever the hell that is. I initially thought that it was a gator, but when I look at it closely, it doesn’t look like one. It’s certainly not something I would want to travel with. Note the ramp so that this thing can get in and out of the RV. Jeez. (If anybody can identify it, please let me know.)

We had a great time here and will be back next year when the weather cools, being careful not to schedule a weekend when the University of Florida Gators, located just a few miles away, are playing football. Then that quiet campground is not so quiet.

Two Bald Eagles, Paynes Prairie State Park, 4/25/14

Two Bald Eagles, Paynes Prairie State Park, FL 4/25/14

Wild Horses, Paynes Prairie State Park, FL 4/26/14

Sunset, Paynes Prairie State Park, FL 4/25/14

More Weird Florida, Paynes Prairie Campground, 4/27/14

Hang In There, Spring Is Coming

February 17, 2014 in critters, photography | 1 comment

The weather here in East Central Florida, unlike much of the rest of the country, has been extremely pleasant for the last few weeks. Cool evenings, warm days, clear skies. We’ve been trying to take advantage of this while we can since we know the heat is on the way. Now, I understand that for many of you, anticipating heat is a luxury that you can’t begin to think about while snow blowers and shovels are in what must seem like constant use. I’m just here to tell you that although it’s still the midst of a dreary February where you may be, spring will still show up just as the sun rises in the east.

So, with that in mind, here are some shots from our last couple of weeks. Consider them when the snow continues to pile up and know that that too shall pass.

Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Viera, FL 2/9/14

Turkey Creek Preserve
Palm Bay, FL 2/16/14

Grills
Melbourne, FL 2/9/14

A Quiz For George

February 2, 2014 in critters, photography | 2 comments

Last Sunday was another gorgeous winter afternoon in Florida so Patti and I decided to head out to the Viera Wetlands for a walk. The Wetlands is a series of manmade ponds used to naturally treat wastewater prior to its release into the St. Johns River system. These ponds are surrounded by berms topped with gravel roads that can be driven, biked or walked. They are also a huge attraction for gators, otters, raccoons and, primarily, birds. Many, many birds. We go out there a few times a year, but it seems that we always, without intending to, end up taking a walk there on the weekend that the birders descend upon Brevard County.

Each year thousands of birders congregate in Titusville, which is just up the road from us and is considered the gateway to the Kennedy Space Center. This area is a major stopping point for many different species of migratory birds, as well as being the year-round home for many others. These birders come down to spot birds that are not common where they live. It seems that there are three major spots for these folks to wander about with their cameras, binoculars and life lists: the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge (co-located with the Space Center), the Brevard County dump (who knew!) and the Viera Wetlands (technically the Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands at Viera). What this all means is that a) we saw lots of birds and b) we saw lots of birders.

Now, my knowledge of birds is, for the most part, confined to the fact that they have wings and tend to crap on you at the beach (ask Patti about this, she’s an expert). I can identify a few species by name but normally it’s just: “Look: a bird!” Faithful readers of this blog may recall that when I needed an identification of a specific bird of prey, I contacted my friend and Audubon member, George, for help. (See here for that story.) So, for the education of all of us, let’s put him to the test.

George: what are the birds below, besides wonderful to watch?

Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Viera, FL 1/26/14

Note the meal in his/her beak
Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Viera, FL 1/26/14

Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Viera, FL 1/26/14

The 31st Trip

January 25, 2014 in photography, Travel | 3 comments

I believe I’ve mentioned before that every year on the 2nd weekend of January I go up into the mountains of Virginia (or Maryland, or Pennsylvania) with three old friends for a weekend of, well, hanging about drinking, eating, playing Pente and an occasional hike. This year the weather was cool but not uncomfortable. It was, however, damp. Very damp. We had a beautiful brisk hike in followed by 2 1/2 days of fog and rain, followed by a gorgeous morning for our hike out. Weather conditions not withstanding we hit all of our milestones with the exception of the recreational hike. Maybe next year. Here are just a few shots from the weekend.

The hike in to Conley Cabin
Near Stanardsville, VA, 1/9/14

The view the first night
Near Stanardsville, VA, 1/9/14

This was the situation for much of the rest of the weekend.
Near Stanardsville, VA, 1/11/14

Playing with helicopters in the fog.
Near Stanardsville, VA, 1/11/14

This was one of the clearer moments
Near Stanardsville, VA, 1/11/14

Our last morning
Near Stanardsville, VA, 1/12/14

Random Thoughts

November 10, 2013 in Uncategorized | 4 comments

Here’s some shots that may or may not fit into any single category. I just like them for one reason or another. Explanation/comments below each one.

Lake Mary Jane, Orlando, FL 10/11/13

Early in October, Columbus Day weekend to be precise, the weather here finally started to cool. By which I mean we had a weekend where the highs only reached the low 80’s and the lowest low actually dipped below 60 (to like 59). We were fortunate enough to be camping at Moss Park for this major Central Florida event and I got up early to catch the sunrise over Lake Mary Jane. I actually had to wear my long pants! Alas, the temps have gone back up again and it’s still not cool enough to wear our new Italian leather jackets, but soon. Soon.

Cocoa Beach, FL, 10/20/13

There are many feral cats up and down the beaches here. This fellow is a regular at our beachside watering hole. He is always close by, but is not very social with humans, with one exception. There’s a guy that shows up most every evening and buys a pitcher of beer. The cat is actively waiting for him and, as soon as the guy sits, trots on over to collect his due. The guy gives the cat several handfuls of kitty treats which disappear in a jiffy. Cat takes a bath, guy drinks his pitcher and enjoys the ocean and everybody’s happy.

Florence, Italy, 9/15/13

We saw these ladies begging in both Florence and Rome. They apparently stay like this, unmoving, for hours at a time. They must make enough to make it worthwhile. I would not be shocked if, at the end of the day, she gets up, stretches, and turns around, gets in that (expensive) car, and drives home.

Corniglia, Italy, 9/13/13

Patti calls these the steps from hell, and we only went down them! There are 365 of them (one for every day of the year) and we were very tired after hiking the Cinque Trail when we went down them to catch a train. It seemed as if they would never end. (Patti weighs in: I called these steps the Nine Circles of Hell. They seemed to never end. Also, after making it along the not-so-easy trail from Vernazza and down and around these millions o’ steps, I fell. On a sidewalk. No hill. No rocks. An ordinary walkway made of concrete, except for that one little crack where I stepped and my ankle said ENOUGH and down I went. I said a naughty word. Loudly. Fortunately, aside from acute embarrassment and a skinned knee, I was fine.)

Cocoa Beach, FL, 10/20/13

Ya gotta love Cocoa Beach. You can’t walk your dog on the beach, but adult beverages are fine. As long as the container it’s in is less than gallon size. You can have as many of those containers as you like, though. It’s actually very civilized.

Rockledge, FL, 7/1/13

While driving to a regular appointment one day I saw that the Sand Hill crane family that lives along the way had grown. The next several times I went that way at that time I made sure to have my camera with me. I knew that these cranes are creatures of habit and that they have a regular route they follow. Sure enough I got lucky and got several nice shots. Love their knobby knees.

Cocoa Beach, FL, 10/20/13

Nice custom paint job. I really need to post this to Redditt. Those folks would love it.

Faces

October 19, 2013 in Uncategorized | 1 comment

While in Italy we saw many great faces. Some were odd, many were beautiful and more than one were just plain strange. I was only able to capture a few while remaining discreet. Here are some of them: artists (many of those we saw were full of character), a cook, a cop (in one of their many different silly hats) and a very happy tourist.

Artist, Piazza Navona
Rome, Italy, 9/18/13

Ludovica, Our Vatican Guide
Vatican City, 9/9/13

Artists, Outside the Pitti Palace
Florence, Italy, 9/16/13

A Character in Piazza Navona
Rome, Italy, 9/18/13

Law Enforcement
Florence, Italy, 9/18/13

Artist, Piazza Navona
Rome, Italy, 9/18/13

Our Pesto Tutor
Sestri Levante, Italy, 9/12/13

A Face Seen at the Vatican
Vatican City, 9/9/13

A Very Happy Tourist/Photographer
Florence, Italy, 9/16/13

Reflecting

September 28, 2013 in Italy, photography, Travel | Tags: Italy, photography, Travel | 2 comments

Well, we’ve been back from our Italy adventure for a bit over a week now and it’s time to reflect on our travels. We have two subjects to talk about this time: Italy itself and traveling on a formal tour as compared to rolling our own. Let’s start with our thoughts on Italy.

And those are: wow! We had a great time. From the hustle and bustle of Rome to the coast of Cinque Terre, we saw things old and new, appreciated great art and great food, and enjoyed the Italian people and culture in ways that exceeded our expectations. We learned that good food can be incredibly simple, good wine can be incredibly inexpensive and good art can be found everywhere. Everywhere.

Some of our memories include:

Learning how pesto is made (it’s extremely simple) in a swanky hotel on the Italian Riviera.
Being stopped on a side-street in Florence for a short lecture on the history of the street and the flooding of the river by an Italian gentleman who didn’t speak a word of English. Actually, we’re not sure just what we were lectured on, but he was certainly passionate about it.
The best people watching we have ever experienced. Both women and men, no matter the age, were stylish and handsome.
On a related note, watching women walk the cobblestone streets in extremely high heels was interesting and a bit scary.
A taxi ride through Rome that was comparable to any Disney ride. An experience in itself.
Discovering that wherever there is a beautiful view the Italians have placed an establishment to enjoy the spot with a glass of wine. Quite civilized.
As usual, we were rewarded by unplanned activities. After being caught in the rain we ducked into the nearest site, the Medici Chapel, where we found ourselves in a room with several Michelangelo statues.
I was attacked by a urinal. But that’s a story for another time.

Bottom line is that we would return in a heartbeat. There’s more to do.

As to the Rick Steves tour that we were on, we couldn’t be happier. Our guide, Cecilia, was a wonderful woman, passionate about her country and eager to show it off. The other travelers were people that we were comfortable to journey with and as filled with the joy of new experiences as we are. Having local guides added a dimension to the places we went that is impossible to achieve otherwise. Comfortable hotels, excellent meals, great company, what else could we ask for? We would not hesitate to go on another tour with Rick Steves.

Here’s just a handful of the many beautiful shots we took. You’ll be seeing more in the weeks ahead.

Pesto!
Sestri Levante, Italy, 9/12/13

Sunset over Florence
Florence, Italy, 9/17/13

Not all art we saw was old.
Rome, Italy, 9/8/13

The Colosseum
Rome, Italy, 9/10/13

Street Busker
Volterra, Italy, 9/11/13

Artisan working alabaster into a bowl
Volterra, Italy, 9/11/13

The Pantheon, The Colosseum and The Vittorio Emmanual Memorial Rome, Italy, 9/18/13

The Pantheon, The Colosseum and The Vittorio Emanuele II Monument
Rome, Italy, 9/18/13

Street Scene
Riomaggiore, Italy, 9/13/13

Florence!

September 17, 2013 in Italy, photography, Travel | Tags: Italy, photography, Travel | 1 comment

Although we have both been under the weather for the past several days, we are still managing to have a fantastic Florentine experience. We have leaned how to make marbleized paper, how to buy leather (an expensive lesson indeed), how to partially communicate when there is no common language and how to eat very, very well. We have seen policemen carrying their dog’s poop, briefly lost (and barely recovered) our backpack and seen Florence from several different high locations (I am writing these words from the very top of our hotel’s private tower). The weather has been iffy, but it is beautiful now, just cool enough for me to wear my new jacket to dinner!

Tomorrow it’s the high-speed train back to Rome, but for now it’s a glass or two of red before dinner.

Ciao.

Timing Is Everything

September 15, 2013 in Italy, photography, Travel | Tags: Italy, photography, Travel | 3 comments

We are in Florence for the last days of our formal tour. In fact, in about an hour we are off to our “Last Supper,” our final dinner with the group. When we made our plans we decided to stay an extra two days here in Florence in order to unwind and perhaps have an adventure or two. We’re glad we did.

Both Patti and I have head colds. Pretty bad ones. My bad day was yesterday when I actually left the group and returned to the hotel early for down time. It’s a bummer because I missed some partially complete Michelangelo statues that I had been looking forward to. Patti told me they were impressive. Her bad day was this afternoon, but fortunately it was free time so she didn’t miss any planned activity.

Florence, like the rest of the trip, is a target-rich environment for photography. Here are a few from our neighborhood. The first is the view from the roof of our hotel. Stay tuned for whatever we get into over the next couple of days. Perhaps we’ll go on a quest!

BTW: I have a great post on Cinque Terra written but it seems to be stuck in WordPress hell. I’ll get it out when I figure out how.