Bayside Miami

Posted on February 8, 2016February 8, 2016 by Dusty Roads | 6 Comments

At the Bayside we were herded off the bus and led through the complex of shops, stalls and retail outlets to the marina. Before we boarded our boat for the Boat Tour we had to have our lunch.

The Tradewinds was expecting us with special menus geared to quick preparation and service. The Tradewinds is outdoor dining on a covered deck. You are protected from a passing rain shower but not from marauding sea gulls , as I was about to find out.

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I was sitting with a mother and daughter who was visiting America for the first time. We had a bit of a language barrier but there were still lots of smiles. I am not a big taco fan so I ordered the fried shrimp which came with tons of french fries. I’d just settled my plate and had a shrimp in my hand when I was dived bombed from behind. Something hit the back of my head and tumbled over my shoulder. It was a big old seagull! (Mine, mine, mine).

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It landed right on my french fries, grabbed a beak-full and took off. Everyone at the table froze in shock and then we started to laugh. We spent the rest of the lunch on high alert protecting our meals.The restaurant wouldn’t replace my french fries but that was ok. I only wanted the shrimp anyway.

As everyone was gathering after lunch to get ready to trek over to the boat I went in search of the parrot man we’d passed on the way in. I love these beautiful birds but could never have one as a pet myself. They would outlive me for sure but I can enjoy them when I run across these folks who share their pets (for a price).

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Time to board our boat for the views of the Islands of Biscayne Bay and the homes of Miami’s rich and famous.

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Once again we passed the “Fast & Furious” bridge. The drawbridge was open this time.

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As we slowly cruised by these beautiful homes our tour guide played the music associated with the stars, maybe a theme song from a movie or if the celeb was a musician one of their hits. He shared a snippet about each property. Everything from the price tag to the history of the ownership. It was relaxing and enjoyable although not being a big celebrity follower, I couldn’t tell you much about who owned what.

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As we headed back to the marina everyone crowed the bow for pictures of the Miami skyline.

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Meanwhile back at the Bayside some free entertainment was getting warmed up. It was time to salsa and I don’t mean on chips. I spent the rest of my afternoon there while my tour companions scattered to shop or drink.

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Eventually it was time to catch the bus back to South Beach. It was a very nice day!

Return to Everglades Holiday Park

Posted on January 27, 2016January 27, 2016 by Dusty Roads | 4 Comments

The rain finally let up on Tuesday….sort of. It was still gray and overcast but I was scheduled for the Everglades tour. A big double Decker bus worked it’s way down Ocean Drive and stopped right in front of the Crescent Resort. My ride had arrived.

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I climbed to the open air top deck but the ride was only to the ticket office. When it was my turn I was directed to a smaller van operated by “Luis”. When we finally headed out he had a full load. It was a good thing we were in the van too . The skies opened up and it began to pour!

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Just before we reached Everglades Holiday Park the rain stopped. It was still very overcast but at least it wasn’t raining. Even if it started to rain again, the airboats at Holiday Park as covered.

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Our pictures were taken as we stood inline and then it was time to board.

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I passed the time waiting getting a kick out of the local grackle. They were into everything!

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After a brief safely talk we were on our way.

The first thing I spotted was an Anhinga, the “snake bird” of the Everglades. They call it that because of its long neck.

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Next up were the cormorants perched on the warning sign.

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With no sun, alligators were in short supply. We only saw one.

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But we had fun with a family of Purple Gallinule.

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These funny birds walk on top of the vegetation.

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We had a whole family join us including a pretty young chick.

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On the way back to the dock we spotted a huge iguana perched in the trees.

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He was a beautiful specimen on the one hand, but kind of depressing on the other as this is an invasive species. Along with pythons they are wreaking havoc on the native animals of the Everglades.

Animal Kingdom At Christmas

Posted on January 3, 2016January 3, 2016 by Dusty Roads

With the Orlando Eye down for the count Joe and I put our heads together to come up with a plan B. Now when you are in Orlando and your BFF works for Disney World, what is the most logical conclusion for a Plan B? Why, go to one of the parks , of course!

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My very favorite park is Animal Kingdom because of the animals. We figured we could get The Kilimanjaro Safari ride in and maybe the Lion King Show before the park closed for the day.

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I love the bridge where we can see the Mountain. I always have to stop and take a picture there. Usually there’s a park photographer too because its such a popular vista.

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The park was pretty slow so we were able to get on the safari ride pretty quickly.

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A lot of the animals were out of sight waiting for the evening feeding but that meant that I got to see some that I’ve missed in the past.

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There was a lovely bright colored bird. The driver told us its name but I don’t remember it now.

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Of course the elephants can’t hide

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and there were giraffes.

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The best were the big cats and of the big cats, the lions.

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We even got a roar out of the male before he laid down for his nap!

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Too soon it was time to move on if we wanted to see the Lion King Show.

The Wild Life

Posted on October 10, 2015October 10, 2015 by Dusty Roads

I was thinking about wildlife. Now if I were still in my 20’s and 30’s it would be reasonable for you to think I was talking about WILD LIFE! You know, crazy, partying and carrying on. But as I left those wild days behind long ago I was actually thinking about animals in the wild.

Of all the things I’ve tried photographing, pets, people, landscape, travel, flowers, and anything else I run across, wild life, animals in the wild are may favorites. Its also probably the most frustrating and truth be told, the style in which I have the most failures.

My best work seems to be birds. Why? Because there are always birds of some kind around. I can stake out a bird feeder and have all the “models” I could ever wish for.

But wildlife doesn’t always cooperate. First you have to find them. Then you have to wait for them to do something. A perfect example is the great blue heron that summers at the Herring Run. I have spent hours with this bird and over the past 5 years I’ve seen him catch 1 fish. Normally he stands as still as a statue for hours. I finally got this picture this year. But he’ll be back next year and I’ll be waiting.

It occurred to me that I haven’t been out to photograph any deer in the last couple of years. I take that back, I photographed deer

and elk

on my vacation in Tennessee but not around here since I got my first camera. According to a photographer friend of mine, now is the perfect time to try to get more deer shots for my portfolio.

The weather is changing there’s crispness to the air and the bucks are looking for love. He got some really fun shots in RI this week but you have to get there early.

Now I’m not an early riser. Must be a throwback to all that “Wild Life” when I was young so even though I had the best of intentions this morning I missed sunrise. Yup, overslept.

I took a run down to the Wildlife Sanctuary anyway so I can be sure to find it in the pre-dawn light. I’m going to try again tomorrow.

Since there wasn’t any action going on there I headed to my old faithful sanctuary in Marshfield, MA, Daniel Webster. I’ve never been there without seeing deer but this afternoon I came up empty. The reason is that it was crowded with families walking the trails. Kids were whooping and yelling. I stayed until after 5 pm and I could still hear them. My previous schedule allowed me to explore mid week so it was always quiet. Often my car was the only one in the parking lot. So note to self, try after work mid-week.

So cross your fingers. I’m heading back out to the RI sanctuary in the morning and this time I have set the alarm.

Chasing Puffins Again

Posted on September 27, 2015September 27, 2015 by Dusty Roads

Some of you may remember that back in 2012 I went on a “Quest” to photograph those clowns of the sea, Puffins.

I went to Maine, joined a boat tour and headed off to Machias Seal Island. It was cold, the sea was rough and just about everyone on board (except me) got sea sick, but I did see Puffins. That trip showed me how hard getting that “Nat Geo” picture was going to be.

Those birds are small and the ocean is large and you can only get so close to an island with waves crashing against a rocky coast.

Then I went to Alaska in 2013. That trip promised Puffins, eagles, bear, moose , caribou, otters, sea lions and on and on. Our timing was a bit off and although we saw some of these animals whales didn’t breach for us, the bears were in the distance, just waking from hibernation, and there were no Puffins or otters.

Since then, wrapped up in a new job (career?) I’ve been really busy and not thinking about much wildlife photography. In spite of having a new camera and an awesome new lens, I haven’t been out roaming the woods much.

So now another opportunity has presented itself and I jumped at it. The Mass Audubon Society is planning a trip called Puffins and Peatlands in July 2016. As soon as I heard I called and made my reservation. This trip we are to actually to set foot on the island and there are blinds set up to allow close up photography. Be still my heart!

I’m really excited, then they sent me the itinerary. Oh Oh. I’ve been less than athletic since my fall off the airplane two years ago which started the downward spiral of health problems. Although I’m feeling much better these days my knees still hurt,my left hip is arthritic and my back still hurts occasionally.

Their first consideration. You must be able to walk on beaches and through spruce forest where exposed roots and rocks can provide difficult footing for 1/2 to 1 mile in length. I used to be able to do that but can I still? Some days walking to my car is a challenge.

But the 2nd consideration is the one that really strikes fear in my heart. “The landing onto Machias Seal Island can be difficult. Participates must be able to get in and out of a smaller boat. We may need to walk over rocks that are wet and slippery.” OH MY WORD! I nearly fell into the fake canal in Las Vegas getting in and out of the gondola. Will I be able to pull this off?

I remember when I quit smoking. I wanted to lean to scuba dive but no one would accept a smoker in the class so I quit. Cold turkey. I wanted to do something and I did what was necessary.

But how do I get my creaky, aching joints in shape? I’ve got 9 months. October – July.

I need some advice quickly!