Some Serious Soakings

April showers bring May flowers? How about some late March showers? We knew we were in for some serious rain from these clouds on Thursday night.

Two inches fell, mostly in a very short time period; the rest came down softly throughout the night.

Fortunately for the cupola raising, the rain held off until around 6. Bruce worked from home so we could head over there by 1 PM, however, due to the terrible traffic we encountered on our way to Winter Park, it was already in full swing when we arrived. (no pun intended!)

Lifted by a skilled crane operator, the contractor is up there trying to make it fit just right.

New England Avenue was closed off for both safety and storage reasons. The copper dome was to go on next.

Except, the first structure had to be re-raised to get it on perfectly.

It was then that we decided to get some lunch on Park Avenue, a bad move on our part. Not only was the sandwich not so good, but the service was slow as well. By the time we walked back, the copper was in place. Soon thereafter, they raised a bucket to put on the finishing touch.

One last bucket raising with the pastor, the project manager, and the church administrator to bless the raising and it was complete.

With the storm clouds moving in fast and furious! Because we were so close, I asked B if he'd mind if we headed over to Kraft Azalea Gardens a few miles away. When you are a photographer, people are always suggesting places for you to go, for which I am grateful. Two friends made the KAG suggestion, so who was I to argue? The snowy egrets nest there, putting on a show year after year.

Because it is mating season, they sport the green mask you see by the bill. That said, there are plenty, and I mean plenty, of nests already, with parents keeping watch ,while others show off right next to them.

Spanish moss drapes from most every tree, both cypress and oak alike. Generally I don't think too highly of the anhinga, but this shot of one made me rethink that.

They too, are nesting in great numbers, generally higher up than the egrets. Did I mention how noisy it is with so many nesting birds? I should have, although Bruce napped in the car the whole time, so not enough to keep him awake. :)

Riding through Southern Oaks the next morning, the rain did a curious round up of all the fallen oak leaves on the streets, leaving them scrunched up like an accordion.

Then too, the rain did a number on all of the flowering trees, leaving carpets of blooms on both driveways and roof tops.

The blue sky you see was short lived, as more rain fell on both Friday, and Saturday. No drizzles here--driving rain totaling another two inches. The good news i,s after such a long dry spell, this should be great for both our parched lawn and my newly planted flowers.

Michelle brought us a sweet little Easter basket, the only candy to be found in this household!

Isn't it adorable? So cute, I hate to eat it!

About two weeks ago I decided to make a quilt for Fallon. Not for any special occasion really, but I know how much she loves the one I made for Bill a few years ago., loving to snuggle with it while watching television, even if it is not her colors. Knowing she likes all things blue, I began putting my fabric choices together, ending up with 23 different fabrics, many of which I've used in projects for others. After making all of the blocks I discovered it was getting way to big for this novice to quilt on her machine, so I had some leftover blocks that I put together in a baby quilt size. I began quilting and in a happy accident, I ended up with a quilting look I like. Really, I should tell you it was a dumb mistake on my part that I ended up being happy with.

Two lines of quilting adjacent to each other, followed by a space, which I'm sorry is not all that evident from the photo.

Finally, on my way to Wandering Stitches yesterday morning, I decided to check on the horses, finding only some cows. Now, before you think anything about my decision to post a cow photo, let me explain. In years to come, if anyone stumbles upon this blog, I've no doubt they will be hard pressed to believe that in the year of our Lord, 2016, cows were still present amongst us in Orlando. With the improvement in the economy, there is very little open land remaining. So there.

And you thought I only post bird photos! Well, cattle egrets don't really count, do they?

Happy Easter my friends! He is risen, He is risen indeed.

Not in my Easter bonnet, but a springy dress, in spite of the gloomy skies,

Gail

Curiosity Makes the Photographer

Years ago, when I was just starting this journey as a "photographer", I signed up for Digital Photography School, a website from Australia that puts out a daily post full of tips and techniques. At first most of what I read made little sense to me, however, over time I began learning quite a bit about all aspects of photography. That said, all of the processing and editing posts went way over my head, and in fact, are still over my head. Lately I've not spent much time on the site, however, this piece, recently posted, was so pertinent to me, I thought you might enjoy reading it as well. Here is the link. Although he did not specifically say curiosity makes the photographer, he very well might have.

Time and time again I am asked about my equipment. Time and time again my answer has been that I have a nicer camera than some, but generally I don't think much about my equipment. My needs are simple--does it fit my hand well? Do I understand the menus? Does it fit in my purse? That sort of thing. I, too, as mentioned in the article, consider it merely a tool, much like I think the same of the keyboard I am currently typing on. A better camera can only take you so far as a photographer if you have no vision, or curiosity, for that matter. Another thing people ask for are photographs of Lake Eola. Duh! Why not take one yourself, I ask. It is right behind you, or it is when they ask me this at my market booth. I try to explain that I take photos you might not, and there are only so many different ways to show a smallish lake with a big green fountain in the middle!! That generally does nothing for my sales, and so be it is what I think.

When I tell folks that I write a blog, and have done so for years, they presume it is about photography. I am quick to mention that there are photographs on the blog, but to say it is about photography is a stretch. That said, every now and again I write something about the process of my photography, but the article linked above says it so much better than I could.

Onward....

Well, I was going to move forward, but still on the topic of photography and curiosity---good grief, I need to reign it in! While looking for some photos for the Polasek museum, where they still sell notecards and prints of mine, I discovered that my Picasa library has/had over 150,000 images which is far too many to sort through when you are trying to find something specific. I spent a VERY boring Tuesday deleting stuff, however, I barely made a dent in it. On the other hand, I did rediscover a few goodies such as this photo from my early days at the market.

Oh my goodness, how we have grown! At last count there are 115 vendors if everyone shows up!

The fact that I am prolific is well established, and to those of you who know me well, know that I am always asking questions because, as they say, "curious minds want to know." Not that I read the National Enquirer or anything, but I do want to know about everything. Well, maybe not everything, but a lot of things. Bruce reminded me, not that I think I ever knew this before, but apparently, way back when we were children, Gatorland was free except for a voluntary donation. How about that?

Perhaps that is why they are still in business all these years later? They treat their guests right--no ridiculous parking fees, along with admission prices that families can afford. Therein lies just one of the reasons I like it so much. Then, too, there are the gators, which are strange creatures indeed. Do you suppose these gators are just passing in the day, or perhaps, they like one another?

It never fails to amaze me how the egrets ride on the backs of alligators..

Guess who I finally saw together? Once again, challenging photography conditions, but here they are nonetheless.

Fluffy city, right?

Way back in early April, before the Vancouver trip and the house painting took over this blog space, I went to the Spring Training game in Kissimmee, visiting their cute little downtown beforehand. I wrote about the game here. At the time I said I would show you a few photos from that trip and before April slips away, let's go back there, shall we?

Long before Walt Disney came to town, Kissimmee was known for citrus and cattle, and the evidence of that still remains downtown. This shop window is more reflective of the town's heritage than all the motels lined up on 1-92. (a highway for those who don't live here.)

The mascot of the high school has always been the Cowboys. For some people it still remains a small town...

where they sure seem to support their local stores. How long has it been since you've seen opening hours as pictured above? I went into a ladies shop where not only did I buy a super cute top but I chatted with the business owner. Surprise, surprise!! She told me the shop had been there since like 1947. Not only that but above them is the Orange Blossom Hotel, which they also own. Not entirely a hotel, some residents have lived there for more than 25 years! Here's a look at the building and the men's shop too.

Pretty, isn't it? I did not have time to go into the hardware store but it, too, has been there forever.

Years ago I worked with a young woman in her 20's who had been through surgery and cancer treatment and had a large scar in the middle of her chest to show for it. She told me the way she got through it was some advice she was given.....look good, feel better. Well, these folks seem to have heard that too.

It's a cute little downtown, and worth your time to mosey, if you find yourself in the area. So much of what people take away from a trip to Central Florida is manufactured fantasy, so it is nice to be reminded that real life still remains in our communities.

April has been a busy month--hard to imagine one third of 2015 is history. Tomorrow is our sweet Jonathan's birthday. Hard to imagine 32 years have slipped away!

Remaining a curious photographer,

Gail

p.s. Did you see this incredible story about the woman finding a diamond?

Re-Visiting Gatorland

There is a lot to like about Gatorland, beginning with the admission price for Florida residents. Admittedly, they are nothing like the "new kids on the block", Sea World, Disney and the like, so they can charge less, but $10? You can't go wrong. Plus they don't charge a thing for parking, a practice I am fully on board with; parking charges are highway robbery in my book.

Arriving at 9:40, I discovered they did not open until 10, so I stood in a very small line with mostly British tourists. Maybe ten minutes later, after finishing their preparations, two friendly women opened their windows, took our money, and welcomed us to Gatorland with a smile. Imagine that.

The first thing you see is a whole pile of gators, mostly who look like they may not really be alive. Perhaps it was the slightly cooler weather, but a few of them seemed downright lively:

Of course these are the youngsters, the big boys mostly hang out in the water. Because I was lucky enough to get an awesome gator shot on a previous visit, my mission was to see the new panthers, or at least new to me. I made a beeline to their freshly built area, previously home to some sandhill cranes.

Although the glare makes it a bit hard to read, what you really ought to know is that they are rescued cats, a brother and sister. Here's Neiko looking very serious:

In case you are wondering, there is a window that you have to shoot through to get shots of them. There was a mixture of sun and clouds, which at times made it easier to put my lens directly on the window to avoid the glare, but not entirely. This is Florida, after all...bright sunshine is the rule. So, Neiko followed Lucy over to the pond area, and I spent some time watching him groom her:

They are such beautiful big cats, so clean! Here's Lucy keeping it cool under a palm a little later:

Because the exhibit is new, the glass is not scratched, making it ideal for photographing. This was the highlight of my short trip, but I did see some other cool stuff because for the first time ever, I RODE THE TRAIN!

For the bargain price of two dollars you may ride it as many times as you'd like. Why haven't I done this before? The young man driving the train doubles as a gator wrestler, when he's not narrating the park's history. Every single visit I am impressed with how genuine the employees seem to be, and how much it appears that they like being there. He took me around the back side while telling me how the founder used to take a big alligator in a trailer up the Eastern Seaboard in the early 50's, charging a dime to see the gator. Seems like a brilliant marketing plan to me. Apparently it worked because here it is more than 60 years later and they are still growing. I had the train all to myself!

Mostly undeveloped, but there are some white tailed deer, whose pictures did not turn out, and two "cracker cows".

Following my ride, I walked on the boardwalk over the gator breeding marsh:

Along the way there are loads of snowy egrets protecting their nests. My driver mentioned that the birds have been laying more eggs than usual this summer.

I'm pretty confident it was my first time seeing this great horned owl, who pretty much stared at me  during my attempts to take the photograph.

A stop at the petting zoo area which is always entertaining:

I can't decide just what kind of animal this is, because it looks like a cross between a cow and a donkey.  Any ideas?

That is some tongue isn't it?

I always make a stop to see the flamingos who are getting an upgrade in their living quarters, or so I learned from another friendly employee.

Hanging around the flamingo area:

If Bruce were here, which he is not, he'd be able to identify the fish for me. Mostly I haven't seen him all week as he was in Houston for two days, home for the meeting on Wednesday, and back to Houston until later tonight. Fish in the water are mighty hard to photograph so I was pleased to get something on that shot.

I wanted one last look at the cats before leaving; Neiko was resting inside, while Lucy remained under the palms. Adjacent to their area is the housing for several Python Reticulatus,  better known as big huge snakes!

That mouth looks seriously scary to me!

Just the opposite in temperament, nearby there are three giant tortoises, one of which was on the move, albeit slowly, while I was there.

For less than the price of a movie I was able to see life in action, thanks to our good neighbors at Gatorland.

Did you enjoy your virtual visit? I hope so. Because the price is so low, and it is so close, spending two hours there is very convenient, and guess what? They gave me a pass for a return visit for free! Crazy, huh?

Speaking of neighbors, the movers just left with the packed truck. 909 Appleton is officially now a shell waiting for the next folks to make it a home once again. I sure hope I like them. :)