Last peaceful weekend

I did a little checking this weekend, a little Google recon, because it’s good to know things. When you live near a popular tourist destination, especially a summer favorite, it’s important to be prepared. Monday, the beginning of the first, full week of March, also marks the beginning of college Spring Break season.

From now until the middle of April, co-eds seeking sun, fun, love and libations, will flood our beaches in a constant stream of drunken debachery. This could be my last solitary photo hike until next fall. Alas…

My one consolation is that, despite the bright sun and clear skies, it’s actually cold. When I hit the sand on Saturday it was 34F with a 12mph wind. Yet, if past Spring Breaks are any indication, the chill won’t keep the revelers from hitting the beach, so I took advantage of the peace and quiet while I could.

You can click on any image to see a larger photo, or the series as a slideshow.

(Photos shot with a Nikon D60, using an 18-55mm, 55-200mm, 20mm f/2.8 wide-angle, 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, Nikon CoolPix S205 and/or iPhone4)

For more photos, please visit my Flickr photostream.

Submitted to Unknown Mami’s Sundays in My City

*Photo venue: Henderson Beach State Park, Destin, FL

Devil’s in the details

During my weekly photo hikes, I’m often ambling along deserted trails that are in the middle of nowhere. Most people, even native Floridians, or at least those living in my region of the Sunshine State, have never heard of some of these nature preserves/state hiking trails/state forests and other some such places.

There are no accurate trail maps available to me, and my mobile GPS is only useful in giving me longitude and latitude coordinates should I have to send out an emergency beacon signal to Search and Rescue teams. I am totally at the mercy of these faded trail markers to find my way into the woods, and more importantly, to find my way back out.

Sometimes they aren’t posted in the most obvious places, so it’s crucial that I pay attention to details so I don’t get lost.

Submitted to WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge. This week the theme was to “share a photo that means ‘lost in the details’ to you.”

*Photo venue: Pine Log State Forest, near Ebro, FL

Rain delay

Saturday was a miserable rainy day. Not just wet, but relentless rain and thunder. More of the same is expected on Sunday and Monday. So much for an early spring – thanks Phil.

I took the opportunity to work on my indoor photography, something I truly loath. I fished out my bounce flash, but didn’t want to forge the river that my driveway became to fetch my tripod.

With the unstable spring weather (and summer, winter and fall), I really should get out more than one day a week to take photos. Is it too late for a New Year resolution?

You can click on any image to see a larger photo, or the series as a slideshow.

(Photos shot with a Nikon D60, using an 18-55mm, 55-200mm, 20mm f/2.8 wide-angle, 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, Nikon CoolPix S205 and/or iPhone4)

For more photos, please visit my Flickr photostream.

Submitted to Unknown Mami’s Sundays in My City

Bay Bluff

After a few weeks of staying close to home, I finally got AWAY for a photo hike. I drove over to Pensacola, and wandered around Bay Bluff Park boardwalk. The walk is more than a mile long, and wends down the bluffs to the train tracks that run along Escambia Bay.

It was a windy, cold day, but still sunny and beautiful, so I also had to make a stop at the beaches on Okaloosa Island near Fort Walton Beach.

You can click on any image to see a larger photo, or the series as a slideshow.

(Photos shot with a Nikon D60, using an 18-55mm, 55-200mm, 20mm f/2.8 wide-angle, 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, and/or iPhone4)

For more photos, please visit my Flickr photostream.

Submitted to Unknown Mami’s Sundays in My City

Close to home

With the new pup, I’m still staying close to home for my photo hikes. No matter what the shelter chicks said, Asta is NOT housebroken so we’re in that “watching-her-like-a-hawk-in-case-she-squats” phase, and since she is still hobbling around on her injured leg, I can’t take her with me on long walks… yet. Hopefully, soon she can join Herhsey and me on the trail. May not get much photoging done, but we’ll have fun.

This weekend, little league tryouts began and I walked around the recreation park snapping away. I also got to the beach for an amazing sunset. The waves, for around here, were pretty cool too.

You can click on any image to see a larger photo, or the series as a slideshow.

(Photos shot with a Nikon D60, using an 18-55mm, 55-200mm, 20mm f/2.8 wide-angle, 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, Nikon CoolPix S205 and/or iPhone4)

For more photos, please visit my Flickr photostream.

Submitted to Unknown Mami’s Sundays in My City

A day at the beach

Friday morning I headed to Navarre Beach and Henderson Beach State Park. It was a clear day, a little windy, and the beach was nearly deserted. I need to enjoy the solitude while I can, Spring Break comes early to Florida and if the past few seasons are any indication, we’ll be inundated with college co-eds in a few short weeks.

I went on my photo hike a day early this week, so I could stay home on Saturday when we brought home our new fur kid, Asta.

You can click on any image to see a larger photo, or the series as a slideshow.

(Photos shot with a Nikon D60, using an 18-55mm, 55-200mm, 20mm f/2.8 wide-angle, 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, Nikon CoolPix S205 and/or iPhone4)

For more photos, please visit my Flickr photostream.

Submitted to Unknown Mami’s Sundays in My City

My own backyard

This seemed to be the longest week ever. By Saturday, I was exhausted, and I didn’t actually do much of anything. Being a slug, apparently, is hard work. I still got up early and went for a photo hike, only I stayed in town. I made a lap at our local nature boardwalk. It’s a mile long, so I had a good walk, and found some fun surprises.

I happened on a trio of turtles sunning themselves on a submerged tree limb. The photo doesn’t do them justice. It’s hard to get a decent perspective, but they were huge. The largest of the three had a neck and head as big as my forearm and fist.

Earlier in the week, I visited the beach a couple of times while on errands. It’s snowbird time here on the Gulf, but that flock of gulls is not what that means.

There was also a moment of zen during a recent sunset. It was while I was enjoying the evening light show, that the Mister texted me to let me know our application to adopt a sweet, miniature Lab was approved. Hopefully we can bring our newest fur kid home next weekend.

You can click on any image to see a larger photo, or the series as a slideshow.

(Photos shot with a Nikon D60, using an 18-55mm, 55-200mm, 20mm f/2.8 wide-angle, 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, Nikon CoolPix S205 and/or iPhone4)

For more photos, please visit my Flickr photostream.

Submitted to Unknown Mami’s Sundays in My City