Bumpy Ride

It was quite a bumpy ride for gas prices this past month. In early April, prices shot up every day. Regular unleaded at this station reached $3.99/gallon for one week but never broke the $4 mark. Then, prices suddenly started dropping. Now, regular unleaded is $3.77/gallon which is 16-cents cheaper than one month ago. I wonder what Memorial Day weekend will bring.   Reminder:  One more day of voting for the 2nd anniversary SDP photo then the poll will close.  Look to the right and cast your vote now! 

Surrendered

This was quite a sight yesterday along the bayfront in Sarasota. A driver passed out, hopped a median, and crossed two lanes of traffic (miraculously without hitting any vehicles) before crashing into this 26-foot-tall statue entitled "Unconditional Surrender".  Somehow the driver wasn't seriously injured.  The statue was created by world renowned artist J. Seward Johnson in 2005 and was modeled after Alfred Jorgensen's famous V-J Day photo of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square.  The statue is on loan to the city from the owner and the Sarasota Arts Foundation.  And, it's quite a popular attraction.  It's common to see people having their photo taken next to the statue as they re-enact "the kiss". So, how much damage was done to the statue?

This shattered leg is just a portion.  There are so many fractures running up the sailor and nurse, a crane was called in to lower the statue to the ground.  It'll be up to the owner and the Arts Foundation to decide how to proceed to repair it.  To see pre-accident photos of the statue, click here.   Don't forget to vote in the SDP poll!

Car Park

This lifelike mural is on the side of a condo building in Burns Square in downtown.   The first time I saw it, I did a double take.   It's approximately 25-30 feet tall and the detail is amazing.  I wish I knew how the artist, a Brazilian named Eduardo Kobra, created it.  Last fall, immediately after the Chalk Festival, a community art campaign was launched called "Going Vertical" and this is part of it.  Pretty cool.  In other news, Sarasota Daily Photo will celebrate its 2nd anniversary very soon.  So, the staff whipped up a poll to find out what you'd like to see on the big day.  Look to the right (just below the banner) to find the poll...and vote!

Surprise!

Henry and Henrietta have two babies!  Imagine my surprise.  One baby appeared to be all alone in the nest riding out a turbulent wind storm last night. When it calmed down for a moment, he made the most pathetic call to his mama and papa who were nowhere in my line of sight.  Within a couple of minutes, though, he perked up and Henrietta landed in the nest.  And, that's when the other little one showed himself!   How exciting.  Although I was tucked 30 yards away behind a palm tree, when Henrietta stared directly at me in a bone chilling kind of way that a mama hawk can pull off so well, I decided it was time to leave.  (This photo is really cropped so you can see both of the little ones.)  After waiting for so long, I was thrilled that one baby arrived -- let alone two.  What a nice hawk family:  Henry, Henrietta and the H.J.s

Dead On

Invariably, the only time the entire SDP staff agrees to opt for black and white is when the image involves a dead tree. It always seems appropriate. Although this tree at Urfer Family Park appears to be dead, there's a lot of life on it. It must be crawling with bugs, because a woodpecker is pecking away at it incessantly whenever I visit Henry and Henrietta (the red shouldered hawks) in the evening. If you view this photo closer, you'll see Woody in the upper left hand corner sitting at the top of the limb blending in quite nicely.

Tumblin' Down

Demolition of the old Sarasota Police building is underway. What a sight to see the walls tumblin' down! A technique known as wet demolition is being used.  That means a worker sprays water on the demolition area to keep the dust down.  The building was over 50 years old and by the time it closed in 2010 it was rather antiquated. The new police headquarters (which I showed here) can be seen in the background with the greenish-blue windows.

What's Not To Like?

This is the last piece we'll show from the Embracing Our Differences cultural art event, and it happens to be my favorite. It's a trompe l'oeil. Look closely. See anything within the makeup of all those different people?

It's a baby!  This clever piece is entitled "What's Not To Like?" and was created by Jelena Meeks from Lochem, The Netherlands.  Interestingly, the hands and eyes were especially noticeable when I looked through my camera lens.  And, that concludes our tour of Embracing Our Differences. The SDP editorial staff is meeting right now to determine what subject to post next.  More art?  Wildlife?  Scenery?   Decisions.  Decisions.