Big, Big Weekend

I took the day off to begin a big, big weekend.  So big it's starting on Friday.  Today marks 9-years I've been cancer-free. (Both hands in air -- yes!) Tomorrow is the Michigan-Michigan State football game in East Lansing, MI.  I predict a Sarasotan will be on hand to witness an impressive Spartan victory over the Wolverines.  Mmmm...wolverine....tastes like chicken! (Both hands in air -- yes!) And, Sunday is my birthday (alrighty, then...both hands in air -- yes!) Yep, buckle up...it's going to be a fun filled weekend.

Golden Rays

It was cloudy when I arrived at the celery fields. And, then...just like that...the sun was shining upon Sarasota.

Spook-tacular

Some folks in the neighborhood are in the Halloween spirit already. Is it me or does it look like Mr. Jack O'Lantern is amused by the hand from the grave?

Hiding in Plain Sight

Do you see it?  I probably wouldn't have...except I watched it land. By the way, that's a red shouldered hawk hiding in plain sight.

Roadside Sighting

You never know what you'll see....

...alongside the road in Sarasota. For quite some time, I've seen this peacock on my drive to and from work. At last, I spotted it at a time when I could stop and stalk it for awhile. Believe it or not, its colors were even more vibrant in person.

Heat Lightning

The other night, Mother Nature was putting on an impressive light show. No lightning bolts...just light flashing and glowing through a stack of cumulous clouds. We used to call this heat lightning when I was growing up in Michigan. Although it was an awesome sight, a swarm of mosquitoes (with a biting capacity which could rival a bull shark) prevented me from lingering. So, I stayed just long enough to nab a couple shots -- and endure at least a couple dozen mosquito bites. I wish we had heat lightning here more often (sans ferocious bugs).

Theme Day: Mystery Object

In the City Daily Photo community, it's theme day! And, this month's theme is 'mystery object'. This is Raymond, the Tampa Bay Rays mascot. Similar to the Phillie Phanatic, no one really knows what Raymond is. He's a large, fuzzy, cute, blue mystery. For those of you who follow Major League Baseball, you'll notice Raymond is sporting the classic Rays jersey from years gone by when the team was known as the Devil Rays. Well, the 'Devil' was dropped...the manta ray disappeared...and now the 'Rays' are implied to be rays of sunshine. And, the Rays certainly have shined upon the Tampa Bay area this year with a storybook finish on the last day of the regular season to become a wild card in the playoffs. Raymond the blue mystery blob certainly has something to cheer about. Go Rays!  Click here to view thumbnails for all participants