Simple beauty

Simple pleasures you can find across the arid Serengeti. Pretty yellow flowers even in November. You probably can't tell but there is a giraffe blurred in the background.

Hang Loose!

Woah! This guy is just BATTY! Hang Loose sucker!

Shadows at Sunset

Picture says it all. Epcot Center November 2010.

Growing Up!

Banana tree! Some cool foliage too. As you can see, bananas grow "up" in big bunches together! Wonder if they get told to "grow down" when they get scolded? hmmm...

Out of the Grass

Check out this Grasshopper! He was just chillin' on a rock! I kept wondering how close I could get before he would freak out! I got close enough for my own comfort! Really cool though, wish I had a macro lens for an even closer shot.

This Zebra got Framed!

Disney's Animal Kingdom lodge serengeti. Nice stripes!

Ice Castle

Walt Disney World Cinderella's Castle turned into a winter wonderland. Beautiful lights cover the castle and change from winter colors of blue and purple to pink and white. Very pretty! A little taste of winter in the middle of Florida!

Mt. Everest without the hike!

This is the closest I will ever get to the real one - Mount Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Looks like we have reached "base camp" headed to the summit on Expedition Everest! Kinda reminds me of the mountains in Paramount Pictures' logo!

Strolling at Sunset

At Epcot at Walt Disney World at the Food & Wine Festival. It was a beautiful sunset with reflections off of the lake. Does it get any better?

This little piggie went....

zzzzzz....all the way home! When you think you aren't getting enough sleep in your own bed, just be glad you aren't one of these little piggies! :)
I'm hoping they were all just cuddled up together because they like each other, and to keep warm!

Monday?!?! Ughh...

"If I close my eyes tight enough and open them back up, maybe it won't be Monday after all!"

This is one of the fuzziest bunnies that I have ever seen! It was so cute I couldn't resist. Taken at the Jacksonville Fair.

Blue Bridge...against the Blue Sky

The magnificent Blue Bridge, also known as the Main Street Bridge in Downtown, Jacksonville. It was a sunny day for a walk downtown along the St. Johns River, and lunch at The Jacksonville Landing. Not a cloud in the sky!

Beach Bummin'

Picture perfect day at the beach! Enjoying the softer side of life, Coppertone baby style. I love this picture of my friend's daughter, Ava, with the seagull! She was nice enough to share her crackers with them, and we were smart enough to stop! Those birds are ruthless!

Wonder what this Bird Brain thinks?

I post this picture only because you can see a bird in the photo, among the 4 Blue Angels flying thru the sky. I can only imagine what is going thru that bird's head. Especially since the planes are doing an upside down maneuver! haha

Angels Break

Blue Angels separate during a demonstration and "break" off into all different directions. Super cool!

Blue Angels overhead

Today was the Jacksonville Airshow at the Naval Air Station here in town. It was a beautiful backdrop along the water of the St. Johns River. Although I didn't bring my "good camera", I did capture a few decent shots with my little camera that has spots from being dropped in the sand. oops! Blue Angels demonstration was pretty incredible! I'd love to take a ride one day!

Hello Again!

Hello everyone! I have been away from the camera lens for too long! A recent move to Florida put me back even further, but I'm back and looking forward to capturing some cool shots to share on a weekly basis. Life in Florida should provide some new scenery to shoot! Stay Tuned! :)

Happy Birthday America!

"Let Freedom Ring! Let the white dove sing!... It's Independence Day!" -Martina McBride

Balloon Glow...

Large hot air balloons glow at sunset, all together at the sound of the horn. Very beautiful! On my "bucket list" - take a hot air balloon ride over someplace cool (like Colorado or Arizona). :)

They are SO full of hot air...

Hot air balloons waiting for sunset to "glow" against the night sky. There were about 20 balloons in total crowded around a field near Coney Island in Cincinnati.

A new twist on things...

A new version of balloon art! Let's see a clown pull THIS one out of his pocket. A metallic balloon structure in a NYC park. I thought it was cool. :)

"Have you Forgotten?"

"Have you forgotten, how you felt that day...to see your homeland under fire, and her people blown away. Have you forgotten when those towers fell? Have you forgotten?"

Let us never forget 9-11. Cross created of rubble from the Twin Towers by rescue workers, now sits near the construction site as a memorial and ever reminder of what was, giving us strength to move on.

Venus de NYC ?!

This statue art (times two) along 6th Avenue in New York City captured my attention, as they stood still in a fountain outside of one of many skyscraper office buildings.

New York, New Yoooooork!!!

Top of the Rockefeller Center; incredible views on a clear day. Empire State building stands tall above the rest, and the Statue of Liberty is off in a distance. This city is truly massive, crowded, but maintains a certain lure.

Madeira Car Show

Red Rod reflects Orange Slice at the annual Madeira Car Show. Sunny day before the torrential downpour! What a day!

Selling at the Farmer's Market

Today is the Montgomery Farmers Market and I had a booth to showcase and sell some of my photography! Thank you to all of you who stopped by to support me! :) Here is a snapshot of my table.

Heritage Reflections

It's Panegyri time! Proud Greek Americans sharing their heritage this weekend at the annual Panegyri Greek Festival! Looking forward to eating the truly unique Loukamathes (honey puffs!) (flag photo taken in downtown NYC)

Stalag"mights" and Stalac"tights"

Final shot of formations near the end of our tour - stalagmites and stalactites. Remember those forming from the ground up "might" reach the ceiling one day, while the others are hanging on "tight" above. :)

Frozen Niagara Falls

There is a reason this particular part of the cave is called "Frozen Niagara". This picture hardly does justice to the magnitude of the cave formation that does resemble a huge waterfall!

The sky is falling!!

Our second tour of the day was much shorter, but different. Cave boulders were prevalent on the "New Entrance" tour, that has been open since about 1910. :) Lots of neat formations, tight crevices and huge boulders lined the paths.

Mammoth Cave, KY

A day trip to visit Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. Our guide filled our minds with information on the History Cave Tour, and we got to experience what "pitch black" means. Mammoth Cave is the world's longest cave (over 300 miles and growing!).
It was difficult to capture good photos in such poor lighting conditions with no tripod, but I did manage to capture a few shots of our experience.

Mr. Jack Daniel

Mr. Jack Daniel himself standing proudly (at only 5' tall) watching over his secret ingredient - the pure fresh water "down in the holler". The 50 degree air coming out of this "cave" felt great on this 90 degree day! It was a very beautiful "campus" for this distillery! Perfect conditions to make "only the best" whiskey.

Lynchburg, TN

A day trip down to Lynchburg, Tennessee for a tour of the original Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey Distillery. Surprisingly beautiful grounds and a very informative tour! Did you know it is a DRY county? No samples... bummer!

Chihuly's Blue Flower Power

Similar to the flowers that line the ceiling of the ornate lobby at Bellagio in Las Vegas, these cobalt blue floral pieces come together to create one big Flower Ball!

"Chihuly Nights" of fire

Hidden among the beautifully landscaped gardens at Cheekwood, a set of tall thin glowing orange/red glass worms reached towards the sky.

"Sunset Boat" reflections

A sight so beautiful I had to post it twice. A close up shot of Sunset Boat and it's mirror image reflecting off the pond waters.

"Sunset Boat"

The cascading ponds were as still as could be on this night, as Chihuly's Sunset Boat remained afloat on its waters. One of my favorite art pieces we saw all night.

I'm Chihuly BLUE

These standing glass sculptures reminded me of beautiful blue birds standing in the swamp-like fountain waters, trying to remain hidden among the tall grasses. A beautiful blue glow of the glass in the moonlight.

Simplicity...Chihuly style

This yellow sculpture was one of my favorites, mostly because of its smooth lines and simplicity. It looked like it belonged there in the small fountain area outside the back porch of the Cheekwood mansion.

Chihuly... on fire!!

A ball of fire sits on the front lawn of the Cheekwood mansion. Cheekwood was the long time residence of the founders of Maxwell House coffee.

Tonight was my first time using my new tripod and I love it! Couldn't have captured shots without it!

Chihuly at Cheekwood...

Artist Dale Chihuly exhibits some incredible pieces of art at Cheekwood Botanical Garden in Nashville, TN. My mom is in town this week and we took a visit after dark; "Chihuly Nights" are unforgettable! It was a lot of fun, and very pretty!
Blue glass spikes out of the lillypad pond.

Country Roads....

"Country Road....Take me home... to a plaaaaace...I belong!!! "

Follow the Leader

What mom says, goes! Baby geese following mom to flee from the evil paparazzi (i.e. photography intruder - me). Guess I scared them away, but I may have saved them from being hit by a golf ball (not me). :)

Chillin' on the "friendspost"

The joy of friends as the school year comes to an end and another summer begins! A group chillin' on the friendspost (as opposed to the fencepost). :) ok, I made that up, but it sounds good, right?

Old Glory

"She's a grand old flag, she's a high flying flag, and forever in peace may she wave. She's the emblem of, the land I love, the home and the free and the brave!"

Rows of flags adorn this field in memory of those who gave it all - the price of Freedom. May we always remember and never forget.

Memorial Day

In memory for all those who have served and for those who gave their lives for this incredible country we live in! We salute you! Hundreds of flags on display "in memory" of loved ones. Field of flags in Murfreesboro, TN.

Feeling Blue...

In Memory....

In Memory of my Uncle Tony. A wonderful caring man with a great sense of humor and and always a smile on his face! May his memory be eternal.

I fancy your hat ma'am...

Floral hats galore at the Iroquois Steeplechase in Nashville. This was simply one of my favorites. Floral hats = truly springtime!

Orange Slice and Dice!

Interior shot captured of the '41 Ford Truck. A little more than luck drives this truck to win top of its class in Hot Rod shows!

Red Rod Reflections

'37 Ford "Red Rod"... reflecting a '41 Ford Truck in the hubcap. :)