What a Jump

Holy cow!  Gas prices have jumped a whopping 40 cents since last month.  By far, that's the largest increase in one month since I started documenting prices at the same gas station 17 months ago.   Any guesses as to what will happen as we get closer to the election?  Well, at least it's Friday.  TGIF!

Thrill Seekers

Well, Sarasota made it through Tropical Storm Isaac unscathed -- thank goodness! Feeder bands were still passing through yesterday evening and strong rip currents prompted a 'no swim' warning, but that didn't deter thrill seekers from hitting the water.  I wasn't surprised to see a surfer...but, the guy with the bright yellow kiddie floatie was a bit unexpected.  And, this guy was my favorite:

A kayaker determined to paddle through the high surf on the Gulf of Mexico.  Moments after I snapped this shot, he flipped over in a wave.  When he surfaced, he seemed surprised he had temporarily lost his paddle.  He kept trying, though.  When he wasn't tossed upside down, he was pushed sideways, parallel to the shore.  It looked rather exhausting to me.  It's always entertaining to watch the silly things people do during storms...until they need to be rescued.

Can anyone tell me what theme day is for September?  It seems the CDP site no longer exists.  Thanks!

Prepping for Isaac

Most people seem to be taking the threat of Tropical Storm Isaac seriously. Hurricane supplies were running low at many stores, like this Target, where the water shelves were pretty bare. I was there yesterday afternoon to pick up dish detergent (can't have dirty dishes during a storm!), but realized I needed spare batteries for my large flashlight. I ended up at Home Depot, where was the scene was the same: slim pickins. The storm veered to the west a little last night which is good news for Florida but we still are expecting winds in excess of 75 mph, 8-10 inches of rain, flooding and possible tornados. I expect to be called into work during the storm today...at least into tomorrow. Keep Florida in your thoughts and prayers.

Snowy Sanibel

Because my blog buddy We are: Clamco was kind enough yesterday to mention she misses my bird photos, I couldn't help but scare one up. (This photographer/blogger responds well to positive reinforcement.)  This beautiful feathered creature is a snowy egret.  He was perched in a tree overlooking the fishing pier on Sanibel on a beautiful morning after several days of rain.  Speaking of storms, hopefully, TS Isaac will spare Sanibel and everywhere else and just fizzle in the Gulf of Mexico.   Then, the Republican National Convention and all the accompanying business revenue and protests can carry on up the road in Tampa.  Happy Friday everyone!

Lighthouse Keeper

Welcome to island life!  This is Sanibel's version of a lighthouse keeper: an osprey looking out over the Gulf of Mexico. Happy Thursday everyone!

Sanibel Lighthouse

I recently enjoyed a stay-cation on Sanibel, a couple hours south of Sarasota.  It's so beautiful and always a peaceful, relaxing getaway. This is a shot of the lighthouse located at the southern tip of the island on the Gulf of Mexico.  The area that's cordoned off with yellow caution tape is a turtle nest. Usually, there are about 90-110 eggs in a nest and very few hatchlings survive the treacherous journey from the nest to the water.  (Nature takes its course with birds gobbling them up.) The ones that make it to the Gulf  have to escape other predators while instinctively swimming for miles to a large area full of seaweed known as the sargassum sea.  I always root for the baby sea turtles -- they're great!   In other news, I'm making really good progress with my epic video.  Fingers crossed it'll be finished soon.