THERE WAS SURPRISING PURPOSE in our group as we walked off the ferry dock and onto Sapelo Island. By law you can't just wander onto the island, to come to Sapelo you must have an accepted reason ...
Learn about how we visited and what we saw at Sapelo: Island of Nature, Research, Tourism, History ... and the last known Gullah Geechee Community
The essay has 25 photos, a couple of maps, and text; and will probably take around 10 minutes to view. It's possible to view the photo-essay on a phone, but the text and photos will work much better if you use a computer.
My photo-site doesn't try to sell you anything.
Bill Parken
Strong sky glare, so photo converted to black & white and maxed out. Taken over Lake June on April 22, 2017.
Second shot showing two eagles:
At the FWC Royce Unit on Lake Istokpoga in mid-April 2017. Fascinating to think these birds just flew in from South America and are headed north.
New Kayak, trying it along the shore of Lake June Scrub State Park.
This is an overlay of three photos taken as the heron took flight. Pictures were shot about 0.2 seconds apart ... the bird quickly gets distance!
The pictures were combined in Photoshop using transparency gradients in layers. Here are the original photos:
0.0 Seconds
0.2 Seconds
0.4 Seconds
This Sandhill Crane flew by me on the wrong side and the picture was shot into the sun, putting the crane in silhouette.
Picture taken on Lake June in Florida around 7:30 am today, 1/1000 sec, F/11, ISO 320, 140 mm focal length.
Twice in the last week we've seen one of these hawks -- perhaps the same one -- perching on the basketball goal in our driveway. Shortly after this picture was taken, the hawk silently flew off to catch a small bird on our roof!
In reading about these hawks, I learned that the females are bigger than the males and that here in Florida they're the most commonly seen and heard raptor species ... if you don't count vultures.
The sun is starting to burn through a strong morning fog in a cutthroat seep at the FWC Royce Wildlife Management unit in Florida. Cutthroat is a protected native grass, and in this location is relying on water seeping out of a nearby sand ridge.
This photo is a HDR composite of a bracket of five photos, taken two stops apart.
1/500 second at F/9.
#GoKade
July 5, 2015
"Rain" provided a fire department water cannon.
Near Stewart, British Columbia. From out 2014 Roadtrip.
On the road to Lemhi Pass in Montana. From our 2014 Roadtrip.
See location in Panoramio at http://www.panoramio.com/photo/120568283
Dec 29, 2014. From From 400 images at 15 sec intervals, Nikon D7100 at f/7.1.
Here's another one:
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20 sec at F/18, ISO 1000, focal length varied.
... near the southeast shore and looking northwest.
... on the Florida Trail near the Kissimmee River
On the restored section of the Kissimmee River with Bobbie, Donna, and Rodney.
John Ringling's home in Sarasota, Florida ...
Ca d'ZanJohn Ringling's home in Sarasota
Ca' D'ZanJohn Ringling's home in Sarasota
Charles Ringling's nearby mansion, now the College Hall for the New College of Florida
College Hall (formerly Charles Ringling's Mansion)New College of Florida
Resort near Wachula, Florida ...
View from Sixth Floor
Streamsong Lobby
West Wing
West Wing
Pool side
At FWC Royce Unit. HDR shot, 5 exposures.
... at the Gaylord Resort in Kissimmee.
Here's another view, see the strings of hanging lights in the upper right:
To start at the beginning of our August Trip at Black Water River State Forest, go to the first blog entry for the trip at Day 1.
While on the Burr Trail in Utah, we left the camper up on the mesa and went down the switchbacks into geology of the Water Pocket Fold. Here's a video of our trip back up. One minute, buckle your seat belts.
We went on a bazillion ranger tours of cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde NP. Here's one. 42 seconds
75 Years after the Dust Bowl, farming in No Man's Land in the Oklahoma Panhandle still doesn't work out, saw this again and again...
Driving across No Man's Land in the Oklahoma Panhandle -- looked like this for hours. Oh yeah, kinda windy.
Looking down into Capulin Volcano in northeastern New Mexico
Sunset at the Bureau of Land Management's Zapata Falls Campsite in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in southeast Colorado - 10,000 feet altitude, isolated, empty, great view down into the Rio Grande Valley
...Bill acts like a kid and climbs close to Zapata Falls.
From our campground high above it (we cruised thru the NP but didn't stay there)
On the National Park Service Boat touring the Black Canyon of the Gunnison
... to help the park ranger do his presentation -- used play dough to explain geology!
... looking down into the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado.
Found out they're called Collared Lizards, and apparently I can't take too many pictures of these things (picture taken in Colorado National Monument).
On the Devil's Kitchen Trail in the Colorado National Monument, near Grand Junction, Colorado
... Bobbie on the trail
... in the Devil's Kitchen (we don't get it also).
... in a mountain meadow in the Dixie National Forest, Utah
We're seeing these constantly ... called Juicy Cars, contain everything a family needs to camp including sleeping space, cost about $70/day, very popular with Europeans traveling in the US.
Hiking back down out of Surprise Canyon in the Water Pocket Fold at Capitol Reef NP.
View down into the Water Pocket Fold in Capitol Reef NP from where we boonie-camped.
...in the Water Pocket Fold (yes we had to offload the camper -- roads in there quite an experience!)
On the Burr Trail back road into Capitol Reef National Park in Utah, Bill checks out the mud in the fresh & fast flowing Bullfrog Creek
... we watch as a small 4WD vehicle rev's up and skitters thru .... we decide no way with a truck camper and turn around :-(
...waiting for the 9 AM ferry at Hall's Crossing
...watching a lightning storm while crossing the lake
In the campground at Hall's Crossing, Lake Powell National Recreational Area, Utah.
Near Hall's Crossing on Lake Powell, Utah.
On the road in Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah
.... underneath Sipapu Bridge
... climbing out of the canyon after seeing the natural bridge.
Spectacular views on the San Juan Sky Way between Ouray and Silverton ... we'd have pix but the camera was too frightened to work on the zero shoulder/no guardrail road. We caught a few pictures at the old Red Mountain Mining District on the Sky Way ...
On the San Juan Sky Way, passing thru the tre chic mountain resort town of Telluride ..
Combo locomotive and passenger vehicle used on the railroad, called the Galloping Goose.
...Town was poppin'
Cellphone shots ... at Lizard Head Pass on the San Juan Skyway
Passing thru the old railroad town of Rico ...
At Mesa Verde National Park
So we're camping at like at 8,000 feet here
... We did a very cool tour of this cliff dwelling at sunset ... birds coming in to roost, bats crossing the sky ...
At Aztec Ruins National Monument, Aztec, New Mexico.
... Cool place. We learned that the Aztecs were never here, and that "ruins" is politically incorrect ... lotta complexity with labels in Indian territory ...
Watching a storm from our campsite at Navajo Lake State Park, near Aztec, New Mexico
Along Highway 84 near Chama, New Mexico
Just because I work for FL FWC doesn't mean I have a clue about the name for this lizard -- so I'm going with Charlene.
Kinda pretty, no?
... Hoodoos on a short hike near Abiquiu.
At Dar El Islam mosque, near Abiquiu, New Mexico
Abiquiu, New Mexico is where Georgia O'Keefe lived and is a tiny but very picturesque old pueblo, with a dirt plaza.
.... Catholic church on the plaza.
... Sign on a closed down restaurant on the plaza.
At the Corps of Engineers campgrounds at Abiquiu Lake, north of Sante Fe, New Mexico.
Passing thru the pueblo of Villanueva, New Mexico.
Hiking in Villanueva State Park, near Santa Fe, New Mexico .... first place we camped where we didn't need air conditioning!
Cliff Swallow's Nest in Villanueva State Park, near Sante Fe, New Mexico
We planned to camp for two nights at the Palo Duro Canyon near Happy, Texas, but it was way too hot ... left the park first thing in the morning and headed west, but first hit this very cool museum in Canyon, Texas for a few hours.
After a ton of help by the Happy Postmistress, Jacky of the corner gas station, the County Clerk of Courts, the County Property Appraiser, and Google Earth, we figure out the location of the farm where Estelle (Bill's mom) grew up ... and then drive out and find it no problem. House long gone ... just another huge flat field surrounded by other huge flat fields.
The property appraiser let us know the farm was now in the Conservation Resource Program (not actively farmed to prevent another dust bowl).
Photo taken with a fish-eye lens to show the area.
At Jacky's gas station in Happy, Texas. Jacky is the guy in the middle and we were told by the Postmistress that he knew everyone who's ever lived here ... and it's apparently true, as he knew my uncle Sidney. The guy on the right is a sheriff turned farmer.
In Happy. Texas -- Birthplace and childhood home of Bill's Mom Estelle Burgess
Just in case you wanted to know where 'zactly Happy is..
Hiking up a dry wash at Caprock Canyon State Park, in the Texas panhandle.
Park has bison!
On the rails to trails at Caprock Canyon State Park in the Texas Panhandle, near ... well, it isn't actually near anything.
... into the Clarity tunnel on the rails to trails to see the bats ... the foot-deep & reeking bat guano in the dim tunnel was interlaced with huge snake tracks -- being Texas they had to be rattlers, of course -- took Bobbie three times to walk thru to see the bats ... which were kinda humongous, all over the ceiling, and flitting around prepping for the night.
At Lake Arrowhead State Park, near Wichita Falls, Texas
The interpretive guide faking like he's taking Bobbie's pulse was interesting and gave us a personal tour of this old army hospital, as well as advising all the speed traps in the Texas panhandle ... Although born & raised here, seemed a little out of place ....
At Fort Richardson State Park, near Jacksboro, Texas
This is Daniel and Tonia ... know their names because they saw me take this pix, and wanted me to email a copy as this was her birthday and their one year anniversary... which they decided to spend fishing instead of drinking and partying.
At Lake Arrowhead State Park, Wichita Falls, Texas
Healthy Lunch on the road at a city park in Mississippi.
Van Hootskens at the USFS Campgound, Caney Lake, Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana.
Day 2 Travel
Had the place to ourselves ...
Black Water River near where we camped, early in the morning. We swam here the evening before after a very sweaty bike ride.
Day 1 Travel
In Gainesville, Florida. Merry Christmas!
Saw a turkey cooked in a trash can on TV & decide to try it for my office holiday picnic.
The suspense is incredible when the time's up and you lift off the can, as there's no way to know what's happening inside until that point ...
For the full details, see this gallery of pictures.
In the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest
Taken with a Nikon D80 using a fish-eye lens.1/40 at f/3.2
Family members and bikes of all sizes head out to ride.
Taken with a Nikon D80 using a fish-eye lens. 1/200 at f/7.
... proof that the world is shrinking.
Taken with a Nikon D80 using a fisheye lens, f/22 @ 10.5 mm, 1/80, ISO 100.
... and the granddog ...
and a cousin too.
... with the Iris now blooming!
Taken with Nikon D80, f/9 @ 18 mm, 1/60, ISO 200,& Flash
... but the flowers in April are always a surprise. Wasp included.
Taken with a Nikon D80, f/5.3 @ 58 mm, 1/2000, ISO 100
... in Bobbie's garden at the lake house.
Taken with a Nikon D80, f/6.3 @ 48 mm, 1/160, ISO 100.
... and this year, he's brought friends.
I first wrote the below post in March 2009, when we had just started living full time in our house in the country. We didn't hear too much of the limpkins in March of 2010 or 2011, but they're back this year!
We pretend to complain, but it's so much better than hearing sirens all night in the city.
The Call of the Limpkin
March 2009
IT WAS MAYFLIES that assaulted us the first spring we stayed in our weekend house; their carcasses covering our hurriedly-closed windows like a thick shade. Another spring it was June bugs, leaving their molts an inch thick on all outside surfaces. Around March or April of every year we have some kind of mildly annoying natural phenomenon occur at the house, but this year we encountered a new category: an all-night and every-night attack on our ears … the Call of the Limpkin.
Florida pioneers mistook the call of the Limpkin for the haunting wails of tortured souls in the nighttime swamps. To us it sounded like a child or woman screaming, but along with how it sounded was how long it sounded -- all night, continuously, from late evening to early morning. The bird has marathon-level endurance … very impressive and I’ve never heard anything like it.
So did we close the windows? No, because on some level it was actually very cool: we drifted in and out of sleep while realizing the Limpkin was still calling … still calling … still calling … wondering just how long the bird can keep going. We found out.
Picture of a limpkin on our lakefront in the early morning light on March 11, 2012 ... after listening to the call all light. Photo taken with a Nikon D80; f/5.6 @ 105 mm, 1/40 second, ISO 640.
You can hear the call of the limpkin by going to the enature page on the Limpkin and by clicking the “listen” button.
....steering a Gyrotrac dozer using precision GPS -- like trying to thread a ship in a storm thru the eye of a needle. Kinda dusty too.
Taken with a Nikon Coolpix, f/2.7 @ 1/250 second.
Along with my regular job at a state conservation agency, I’m also a crew member on controlled burns.
I took pictures & videos in the course of the day on a recent burn, and downloaded ‘em into a photo album here along with a few comments. See Photo Diary of a Controlled Burn.
… a bald eagle flew across our back yard!
We live near a state park which has at least one eagle nest, and we see bald eagles flying over the lake every so often, generally fishing.
In February 2009, I captured this photo of an eagle touching down on our lake front; flying away just an instant later with a fish in its talons.
I regard this as a very lucky shot … when this eagle suddenly dropped out of the sky to get the fish, my camera was nearby but turned off, and I wasn’t exactly sober. Taken with a Nikon D80, f/5.6 at 1/50 second.
At work at FWC Carter Creek Conservation Site on Feb 18 & using a tractor to knock down old fence posts – did about 200 in two hours. Good ones are reused on other conservation lands. Here’s a quick vid from the driver's seat:
Video taken using a Nikon Coolpix
Scene while trying to staying warm on a cold evening.
Camping at Juniper Springs Recreational area in the Ocala National Forest with extended family and friends. That's my granddaughter with the goofy specs.
Taken with a Nikon D80, f/3.5 @ 18 mm, 1/60, ISO 200, Flash
Friends of relatives visited us at the Lake House, and their 3 year daughter went for a wade in the lake wearing her day clothes.
Picture taken with a Nikon D80, f/9 at 1/160 second.
In October 2011, my wife and I were traveling on a remote road in western British Columbia when we saw this white black bear … called a “Spirit Bear” by the tribal people.
Photo taken with a Nikon D80, f/5.6 at 1/800 second.
You can see more pictures from our October trip at http://parkenbi.zenfolio.com/yukon
Wikipedia has an excellent explanation of Spirit Bears at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_bear
In Gasparilla State Park on the southern tip of Boca Grande, Florida.
Taken with a Nikon D80, F/9 at 1/125 second.