March

Gotta Love Florida

There is always something going  on 

 

This was taken at a market called "Flywheeler's"..and if you can't find it there, you didn't need it anyway.  well over 500 vendors selling anything and everything from antique tractors to ball bearings.  Many images made for interesting photographs, and or textures for use in other images.

                                              Visiting the Manatees.

The viewing platform to see the matatees is located at the power plant for Tampa, Florida.  They collect there due to the warm discharge water from the plant.  Also many other fish do to.  I saw a 6 ft Tarpon swim by and at least an 8 ft reef shark

Then on day we went to the free water show on Sarasota Bay which the show was free and very good.  All collage and high school kids that put on a really great show..

Another day, went to a hugh antique car show where there were well over 1,000 cars of every year and make.  I love hood ornaments.  Here are a couple that I worked up in Photoshop. 

Love Emerson Point Preserve.

Only about 4 miles from our campground it is a birding trail, as well as a nature preserve.  below is a minds idea that came from several image made there.

Just got back from fishing there this afternoon where the biting was great, but the catching was poor....

Two more weeks and we have to fly home for a bit to do some work.....yuk!

Hope this finds all doing well and glad to hear what the media is telling us that the economy is getting better.   Better than what...down here you would not believe all of the BIG boats from 20,k all the way up to MILLIONS....   Every marina is FULL..and there are many, many marinas.  You would never know things were down, down here, except for the fact that groceries are 20% higher across the board.

We will try and bring some sunshine to Indiana when we come.

Have a great Day,


BD Roberts, M.Photog. CPP

A Feathery Fish Story

It is well known to those around me, and a few others, that I love to fish.


Yes! I love to fish.  Preferably with a fly rod, however being in Florida at the present I am a total stranger to saltwater fly fishing so I leave that segment alone even though our motor home is only yards away from the water, I am not tempted to show my lack of knowledge to that segment of the sport.  It is, of course, a perfect place to use live bait on a drop sinker with a floater line above holding a hook for bait which in this case will be live shrimp.


Where we are staying is just across the Sky-way Bridge connecting St. Petersburg peninsula with the mainland south towards Bradenton.  Between the bridge and Bradenton there is a town called Palmetto.  Check it out on Google Earth when you have a chance.  Palmetto is just a dot in the interconnecting dots that are towns running the Gulf coast from Tarpon Springs all the way down to the Everglades south of Ft Meyers.  If you don't leave the main highways of I75 or US 41 you never know when you leave one town and enter another.


But back to the fish story.

Yesterday, January 4th, it warmed up to 73, or so and in the afternoon around 3 o'clock, I decided to try fishing off of the man made spit of land running due west and out into the back bay that all but surrounds this park and is only a block from our rental postage stamp of ground.


Fishing was planned ahead, as having purchased only a single dozen of live shrimp from the local bait shop earlier in the day in preparation. Twelve prawn sized beauties almost transparent in color, swimming around inside the blue and white live bait bucket with a red latching access cover in the middle of the top.


The sun was warm on my face as I loaded my two rods, one heavy deep sea spinning, and one medium, open faced spinning rod.  My small tackle box, and the live bait bucket all in two handful's as I walked the one hundred yards out to the fishing spot.  The heavier of the two fishing rods was set up for live shrimp and a big red bober which floated over the sinker and had the hook tied half way in between.

Arriving at the end of land.  The tip of the spit of land reaching out into the clear blue waters of the gulf, I attached a flipping, live shrimp.  This ensemble was cast north, far out into the flats looking for speckled trout.  Then, using the middle weight rod, started casting a shiny mirror lure again to the north to the left and right of the floating bober.


I want to make mention here and repeat the fact that I am facing north.  Earlier, Upon arrival to the fishing spot, I had set down the tackle box and the blue, and white live bait bucket to the south side of the opening under some scrub trees.


A beautiful view of the inland waters with small green dotted islands all around, I fished, and fished not caring if I really caught anything or not.  Just enjoying the sun and the warm breeze from the East.

I was brought to reality instantly by a loud crash and thrashing in the tree above me.  Looking up, I saw feathers and stretching around could see the pointed beak and blue markings of a great blue harron .


"Nuts", I thought.  The good camera is back at the motor home.


"Cell Phone", was the next thought and reaching and stepping back to get a better view of the birds perch, he, or she, swooped to the ground not 10 feet from me.


Well, fishing went to the back burner and photography now came into play cause I am a better photographer than I am a fisherman to be honest.   We viewed each other for a good minute as I readied the cell phone to capture this beautiful bird. Click, Click, Click!  several images made, we still stood less than a first down marker apart.


"Sure wish I had the Nikon", I thought almost out loud


 Spotty sun and shade did not make for a great images, but felt proud to be able to capture this bird at such close range.  I was making friends with a bird that if I where  on my knees, would look me straight in the eye.  Tall and proud this bird stood, pacing to and fro, watching me watch him.

After a few minutes of making images of this four foot tall bird, I turned and resumed watching the red bober, and throwing the shiny plug.  First, throwing to the West, and then to the East, and back again dissecting the 180 degree arch in front of me. I would look occasionally back at the bird standing now less than eight feet behind me.  Fishing, bird.  Bird, fishing.  Then fishing, fishing fishing.


Then, for some reason, I turned and look back over my shoulder just in time to see the feathery blue head dive into the bait bucket and gulp down a couple of shrimp.


"Get out of there" I hollered.  "you *#*$(*#, scram and leave my shrimp alone."


By the time I took the three paces back to the tackle area, the great bird back away the same short distance.  Looking somewhat disturbed that I would change his supper arrangements.


Looking inside the eight inch diameter bait can, with its red lid laid open and back,  I could only see three swimming shapes.  Yes, he had eaten all but three of my one dozen shrimp in less time that it takes you to read this story.


Of course I eagerly latched the lid securely this time with the plastic clasp on the edge and laughed at myself as I visualized the past scenes as one would watch a replay on tv.  Again and again I created the vision of the that big bird bent over with his head in my bait bucket.  The more I reviewed, the bigger my smile got.
And,"closing the door after the horses got out" as my mother would say.  I just had to chuckle out loud at the situation.


For the next half hour, I fished & watched the bird.  He stood at a distance of 6 feet and watched me, looking occasionally at the bait bucket, then back at me like a street urchin looking for a hand out.   I kept a continued look out, and he kept inching in when I turned away, and inching back when I turned my head in his direction.   So I assumed this was not "his first rodeo" with a dumb fisherman that left the bait bucket unlatched,


 The thought sprang up, "the next time I go fishing in that location I will take the good camera with me, and if he shows up again I will also have a few extra shrimp to pay for his modeling fees.


But for the moments that followed  we just kept staring at each other.  Him watching me hoping that I would be kept distracted by fishing, and me watching him to not eat my three remaining baits.


"Pretty Smart, you dumb bird", I thought to myself.  "You out-foxed me once but not again."
But no sooner thought than it seemed as if it read my thoughts.
Spreading those five foot wings, he  rose straight up and flew directly over my head.


In a great "whoosh" of wings, and  with his head turned sideways, eye down,  I could have sworn I saw that yellow eye wink at me saying "thanks"!

January 1, 2012

 The RV Junkies Judy and I at the PPI convention last year.

wow another new year!  

The RV Junkies made the trip to Florida again an we are sure enjoying the warmer weather.  The old bones don't creak quite so bad when here.

   Left Elkhart on Christmas Day and made it to south of Nashville by 9:00 P. M.  Parked at a Cracker Barrel that was closed for the holidays. 

Awoke at about 4 a.m. freezin as we had not turned on the furnace in the RV so got things warmed up and left.  Great driving that time of the day since there is little traffic.  Traveled all day and made north side of Tallahassee by 5 p.m.  A night time visit to Big Oaks R V Park was as easy as always when we stop there.  It is in the right place distance wise to be one night stop on our way to central Florida.

Cold front poised to come through tonight.

A cold front came though this today as planned for, with a fair amount of "blow".  Blow is what the locals call the windy conditions when a front passes.  They complain about the cold. Yah Right! Cold being 60 degrees.  Just did some work outside at 7:00 A.M. in a pair of shorts, period and it felt like a spring breeze, but still took down the 6ft by 8ft sun screen that was attached to the awning that turns into a large sail in higher winds.

Wind has increased this afternoon and the temp gone down in the past hour or so.
 It is a bit breezy for shorts.
 Tried to fish in the marina a little while ago and it seemed like the wind knew I was there and upped the anti.  So back to the camper and an afternoon cup of coffee.

We did laundry and hung it out to dry on the PVC clothes line that I made to hang off the back ladder of the RV.  Due to the amount of clothes and weight, I discovered a need to redesign the rig.  Off to the hardware store again.  Now two more 3/4 PVC 10 ft pipes and a new series of elbows and T's await being added to improve stability.  Just realized no saw.  Nope, not anything, so will be headed back to the hardware for a tube cutter in the morning to finish the job.

Enough for today.  Will try keep things up to date.  So long and keep smilin'

B&J