365-2015: One Day at a time…..March 2015

March has been a crazy month and I am so behind but here goes:

Day 60:  March 1, 2015

Today was the Renaissance Fair and Ray and I wandered for about 5 hours.  I love the atmosphere, the clothes, the characters.  Ray tried on this little hat and I had just snapped the photo when the owner came up and told me that I was not allowed to take photo’s – oh well I got this one.

Day 61:  March 2, 2015

The local shopping center has restaurants in it and clearly they throw away food in the bins that appeals to the local bird life.  The Black Vulture is something I never thought I would ever see close up.

Day 62:  March 3, 2015

I go out to feed the duck each day and today Ms Squirrel was hanging out and keeping me company.  I love this little squirrel and her antics.

Day 63:  March 4, 2015

Peanut treats are her favorite time of the day.  Today it was as the sun was setting and I loved how the rays were filtering through her tail.

Day 64:  March 5, 2015

Today starts the first day of a 5 day road-trip to Columbus, Georgia.  I am heading up there on a staff retreat with 5 of my co-workers.  I learned taking photo’s from a moving vehicle is not easy but I liked what I got of this red barn.

Day 65:  March 6, 2015

We are in Columbus, Georgia and it is cold.  The scenery is so different.  Dry, stark, in some places bleak, but there is a unique beauty that is so different to Florida.  I managed to lock myself out of the warmth, in order to take this image.  I was just lucky that my colleagues were sympathetic to my plight.

Day 66:  March 7, 2015

It is Saturday and we have a break in retreat time, before the evening session.  I had two requests I would like to see the Riverfront and I wanted to find a horse made out of tree bark.  I had them driving around for me.  I think we crossed state line at one stage.

Day 67:  March 8, 2015

The church where the retreat was held had the most beautiful stain glass windows and during a break, I was feeling chilly and sought out the sun. Outside I once again noticed the starkness of the plants.

Day 68:  March 9, 2015

It’s time to get back on the road again, and face an 8 hour journey back home.  Rest and retreat was had by all and it was such fun to be together with good friends.  Countryside driving home is farmland and I was happy to get a relatively clear image of the watering system from a moving vehicle.

Day 69:  March 10, 2015

It’s back to work, back to the day to day routine, back to the 1 hour drive each way.  I spotted these Cormorants hanging out on the power lines.

Day 70:  March 11, 2015

Hard to believe but it is day 2 at work and then I will be off on the road again.  This time to Nashville, Tennessee.  However, today while I was out and about I spotted this little stream to the side of the road.

Day 71:  March 12, 2015

On the road again, as Willie Nelson would say.  And yes, we off to the city of country music.  Not a very auspicious start to the trip.  Fortunately we were only driving 5 hours today.   I am looking forward to spending time with my brother again.

Day 72:  March 13, 2015

After spending the night in Valdosta, we got back on the road, another 8 hour journey on the horizon.  We navigated Atlanta and the HOV lane in wet weather with high levels of stress.  As we approached Chattanooga, I decided that I wanted to stop and walk around the waterfront.  Brr…I am back in cold country, however, I was determined to walk this area.  Richard on the other hand, headed back to the car.

Day 73:  March 14, 2015

We are in Nashville, the city of country music.  Heading downtown the the Museum of Country, I came across this bronze statue of Chet Atikins.  The sculptor who did this work was Russell Faxon.  This was also a very interesting day because not only did I find myself walking through a country museum, but also getting excited about a basketball game that I was not even watching.  Apparently Kentucky was playing Urburn in Nashville and Kentucky had just made it through to the quarter finals.  Nashville was full of partying folk from Kentucky, and the spirit was definitely catching. What friendly folk we met.

Day 74:  March 15, 2015

Most of my images are of inside the hotel.  We did a whole lot, including the replica of the Greek Parthenon, but in transferring the images I somehow deleted them all.  Big disappointment when I discovered I had done that.  Not only that but I had written over the history as well.  Lesson well learned. Here I played around with freezing water.

Day 75:  March 16, 2015

While my brother was in conference, Rich and I headed back to the city.  A bus trip saw I arrive at the water front and we began walking. Down the hill to the waterfront and the Korean Bridge.  I loved this pic of an unknown woman sitting on the edge of a building.  From the waterfront we headed back onto the main streets, and did some country music listening in a couple of different places.  I will give you this, I am still not a country music convert, but I did enjoy most of what I heard.

Day 76:  March 17, 2015

Tuesday was a lazy day.  After breakfast we took a walk on the outskirts of the hotel, down to the Grand Ol’ Oprey, and on towards the Mall.  I also spent some time wandering around the inside of the hotel.

Day 77:  March 18, 2015

The conference my brother was attending was done, and we were back on the road again.  I had decided that it would be nice to show him a different part of the South and so we headed off to Savannah, Georgia.  I love this city and could spend hours walking the historical district.  The weather, however,  had a different idea.  The 8 hour journey saw us arrive in Savannah around 5pm and we had enough light to walk the waterfront area.  I love the old world look of this image.

Day 78:  March 19, 2015

Early morning rise and shine and my brother and I headed out to explore the city before the rain came.  I love the side streets, the back streets, the nooks and cranny’s that you find in Savannah.  I love it’s history, it’s architecture.  I love the feel of Savannah, and I would go back again for the fourth time and still not see it all.  Soon the rain came, and we were back in the car and on the road again.  This time to Gainesville to see our daughter.  My brother had not seen Amy for a year and it was a good opportunity to catch up.  The highlight for Richard was to visit the Gator stadium.

Day 79:  March 20, 2015

The last leg of the trip started with a really mist morning drive back home.

Day 80 March 21, 2015

Today I took my brother for a walk in one of my favorite places, the wetlands.  I took him to the smaller more populated wetland.  After walking around we headed home to a lazy day of doing nothing.  He is not used to the Florida weather and finds it very hot.

Day 81:  March 22, 2015

Richard has bought a paddle board and so he was determined to take Barry and I off to the beach.  Richard had fun on the paddle board.  Barry got his feet wet and I drank coffee.  This way to early for me.

Day 82:  March 23, 2015

I have said goodbye to my brother again.  I am not sure when I will see him again. He headed back to South Africa and I headed back to work.  I hope he comes over next year, but there is never a guarantee.  Meanwhile I am back to the norm of the environment and weeds are what I played with today.  I pulled out my macro when I got home and got down in the grass.

Day 83: March 24, 2015

After an out of office meeting, I headed to a wetland very close to where the meeting was.  I had heard there was new chicks in town and I really, really wanted to see them.  The Sandhill Crane colts had to have been the sweetest chicks I have seen.  Added to that I was able to get quite close to them. The parents did not seem concerned, so I sat down and stayed for an hour.

Day 84:  March 25, 2015

Early morning out on the canal.  It is a work day and the ducks are fed and I cannot resist stopping to take this misty feeling out back.

Day 85:  March 26, 2015

It is Thursday, which means it is Friday for me, and I am on the road to the office.  The sky is stunning and this 2 minute stop was well worth it for me.

Day 86  March 27, 2015

It’s Friday and its my day to wake up slowly, smell the coffee, brew the coffee, drink the coffee and say good morning to the critters out back.  I love to take my coffee and my camera out on the deck.  Mornings are great and right now there is no mosquito problems.  Today Master Squirrel was hanging out for breakfast.

Day 87: March 28, 2015

It was with excitement and pleasure that I was able to photograph the ring my son Cameron gave to his fiance Kathryn as part of their engagement shoot.  We are thrilled to have Kathryn join our family and we are looking forward to what the future will bring for them.

Day 88:  March 29, 2015

I have discovered that the Mockingbird is Florida’s state bird.  I have also discovered that it never stops singing.  I am convinced that one day it will loose it’s voice but so far it has not happened.

Day 89:  March 30, 2015

I was out in the garden with my macro lens when I spotted this Damselfly hanging out on the plants.

Day 90:  March 31, 2015

It is the last day of March and I cannot believe how quickly March flew by.  Talking about flying by, I found this Dragonfly sitting on the tip of my orchid shoot.  I am convinced it was eating the ants as they were walking up the stem.  Not sure but it seemed to be constantly munching.

 

Thank you for joining me as I challenge myself to pick up my camera and take two photo’s a day.  Sometimes it is easy, other times it is a lot harder.  Look out for the next installment for the month of April.

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