Memorial Day

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I stopped by Sarasota National Cemetery yesterday and, as you can imagine, I was struck by this remarkable and poignant sight. Today is Memorial Day in the U.S.  Previously known as Remembrance Day, it's a day set aside to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our great nation.  While honoring these heroes' courage and sacrifice, let's also thank those military personnel who currently are on active duty or once served our country.  Always remember:  freedom isn't free.  God bless them all.

Gator Habitat

Recently, when I posted "Living in Harmony" showing an alligator peacefully co-existing with several birds, a few blogger friends commented that they couldn't believe the size of the gator and how close I was standing.  Actually, that wasn't anything!

A couple weeks earlier, at the same location, I spotted this monstrous fellow sunbathing along a retention pond across from the visitor center at the Sarasota National Cemetery.  He must've been at least 12-14 feet long -- one of the biggest gators I've seen in the wild in awhile.  Naturally, I couldn't resist taking a photo or two.  As I've mentioned many times, I have a healthy respect for wildlife, particularly gators, which, believe it or not, are quite speedy on land.  I was a fairly safe distance away but when this guy turned and eyeballed me, it made me uncomfortable enough to pack up immediately (after getting the shot, of course) and scamper away.

And…around the corner at the next pond I spotted this little sun worshipper.  Doesn't it look like he's smiling?  He was much, much smaller and did not appear aggressive.  Increasingly, the Sarasota National Cemetery is becoming a healthy ecosystem attracting a variety of birds and other wildlife. I've seen all kinds of herons, cranes, hawks, and gators and a security guard told me recently that a bobcat tends to prowl the area in the morning.  Happy Saturday!

Living in Harmony

             So...two ducks, an alligator and a great blue heron are all sitting around a cemetery…

…and up walk two sandhill cranes.
No joke!
This actually happened at Sarasota National Cemetery yesterday.

The heron was a bit skittish and flew a feet few away….apparently out of respect for the big cranes and to make room for them.   (The ducks and gator didn't move.  And, actually, seemed bored by the sudden activity.)

 

  Then, something interesting happened:  they all stayed within a few yards of each other without any incidents….all living in harmony.

Standing Sentinel

Standing 4 feet high, the sandhill crane is one tall bird.  So, when this one popped its head up, suddenly towering over the rows of tombstones at Sarasota National Cemetery and gazing into the distance, it was a sight to behold. It really looked as though this regal crane was standing sentinel over the many men and women resting here who served our country.  Before I clicked the shutter, I knew this would be my Veterans Day post.  I'll be attending the annual Veterans Day parade today in downtown Sarasota taking in the patriotic scene along Main Street and expressing my appreciation to our military veterans.  If you have the opportunity, I hope you take a moment to thank a veteran for their service and sacrifices.  It's important to remember our freedoms aren't free. 

Honoring Our Veterans

Since Veterans Day is tomorrow, I thought I would visit Sarasota National Cemetery and share some of the incredible artwork honoring our military veterans.  Dozens of photographs dating from the Civil War to present day are on display. Some are affixed on plinths and 16 are actually engraved onto glass on each side of a marble tablet, like this one. Each tells a unique story of service, duty, honor and sacrifice.  This installation shows a serviceman arriving home safely in 1950 to a long awaited reunion with his wife and baby boy.

Each piece is perfectly positioned so the golden rays of the setting sun illuminate the image.  Yep -- that's pure natural light shining through the engraved glass.  Pretty incredible.  Of course, with just a few precious minutes of golden light, there's never enough time to properly capture these thought provoking images.  To all our U.S. military personnel present and past:  Thank you for your service! 

Theme Day: Ephemeral

This month's theme day in the City Photo Daily world is 'ephemeral'.  I've had more than my fair share of ephemeral experiences with birds while trying to photograph them in the wild. I offer this experience. Yesterday afternoon (before I was even aware of today's theme day), I encountered a red shouldered hawk roosting on a tree branch at Sarasota National Cemetery (one of my new favorite places for birding -- more on that later).  Not satisfied with the lighting, I thought, 'If I can somehow maneuver to a better location before he flies away…' 

Then -- **whoosh!** -- he was gone!  It happened so quickly, I thought I had completely missed the moment.  To me, birds -- especially birds of prey -- give new meaning to 'ephemeral'.  I think in the medical world, ephemeral is used to describe something that lasts one day.  I can only imagine birds sitting and posing for me for an entire day!  Thanks to my blogger friend Kay at Sequim Daily Photo who suggested this challenging theme day. To see other interpretations click here.

Wreaths Across America

"Isn't it beautiful!" That's what a visitor to the Sarasota National Cemetery exclaimed to me as she admired the Christmas wreaths adorning every grave. For the fourth year, the Sarasota Military Academy spearheaded this local initiative which is part of a national program called 'Wreaths Across America'.  Each wreath costs $15 and the school raised $75,000 to cover the expense of providing one wreath for each of the 5,000 tombstones. Great program! To learn more about the national program  visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org

Memorial Day

When I stopped by the Sarasota National Cemetery this past Friday evening, one other person was there --- a woman solemnly paying her respects.  I really like the human element in this shot.   This is what Memorial Day is about.   The SDP editorial staff considered using sepia or black and white on this photo, but decided the photo stands on its own in its original form.  Remember to thank a veteran today for their service.

Memorial Day

On this Memorial Day, I extend a sincere thank you to all the U.S. military personnel who served their country and those currently serving in the armed forces. A special thanks to Chuck in Ft. Myers who served in Europe during World War II as a photographer, taking still photos and motion pictures. Unfortunately, we're losing more and more of the 'Greatest Generation'. One estimate from several years ago, indicated that 1,000 American veterans are dying every day, most of them WW II vets.

I took this photo when I first visited the new Sarasota National Cemetery a couple of months ago, well before all the American flags were in place for the holiday. The cemetery has been open for two years, and is located on 295 acres in rural Sarasota County. With so much land, it's expected to meet the needs of military veterans for the next 50 years. And, that, perhaps is what makes this cemetery so much different than the other national cemeteries I've visited. It's quite empty...now. I can't help but wonder what it will look like 5, 10, 20 years down the road. Take a moment and thank a veteran for their service.