God is Good

For years (yes, years), I've wanted to photograph this cross. It's located in rural Sarasota at the corner of Verna and Fruitville (where Fruitville Road dead ends east of I-75). It's always intrigued me…wondering who put it there…and, what prompted it.  The right circumstances have never been present to shoot it --- until last night. A light rain had just ended...and as I turned the corner and glanced at the sky near the cross I thought, "Tonight's the night!".  At first, there was a hint of pink, which shifted to grey, followed by a dark peach glow.  The cloud formations, opening to reveal bright blue sky, were incredible.  In this serene setting I kept thinking, "God is good."  Happy Saturday!

Whistling Ducks

It's been one thing after another for the past several weeks.  After enduring a very long, emotional week in connection with the horrific terrorist attack in Orlando, I wanted nothing more than to seek solitude last night.  And…I found it!  The week before the mass shooting, Tropical Storm Colin breezed by and dumped 10+ inches of rain in some parts of Sarasota.  Portions of Myakka River State Park are still flooded, and as a result, I pretty much had the place to myself.  The resident animals are seeking dry territory and their behavior seems a little out of sorts.  I spotted these two black-bellied whistling ducks sitting on a wood fence near the flooded river. They kept inching along the fence and looking down, as if they were disgusted by the smelly flood water -- and that was the last place they wanted to stick their little webbed feet. Hope everyone in the blogosphere has been doing well!