July 31, 2010

What a great way to close out my 7th month of walking. Tonight I headed up to the Clearwater Bridge. This is the bridge that crosses you over from the Clearwater mainland in Downtown, to the beach side over the intercoastal waterway. These guys are taking a seque tour of Clearwater and it looked like a hell of a lot of fun. I might try that sometime. Of course, it's not walking... but a great way to get around.

This is the view from the top. That's the intercoastal behind me and looking South Southwest. Beautiful colors tonight and the pirate ship is coming home to port.

The Captain Memo pirate ship makes it's final approach before heading back out into the Gulf to make it home.

Thar she goes Mayies! Sailing into a beautiful sunset tonight.

God's majesty. And the journey continues...

July 30, 2010

Today I took walk #211 with Kristin, and we walked the parking deck at BRIGHT HOUSE. Stopping only to take this picture on the rooftop, I found out A. I'm not as pretty as I thought I was. And B) if you're taking a picture with someone who's petite, do NOT stand IN FRONT of them. Ha! Thanks for the walk Kristin.

Better. Me @ the top. Metaphor people? Anyone...? Bueller?

On the way down after 4 ramps and sweltering Florida heat.

Just so you get an idea of the incline, Kristin is about halfway down one of the parking deck ramps. They're no easy climb.

July 29, 2010

Tonight it's walk #310 and I'm back out on the Belleair Causeway. Tonight the walk is all about getting back to basics. Although I've been walking every night, I started to feel like I was letting myself off the hook with short walks for great pictures. Tonight, I went back to one of my favorite spots and did the whole bridge from end to end and back. It wasn't about time, it wasn't about speed, it was a longer walk, to clear my head and take in some beauty. I wasn't disappointed at all.


Senset begins... reflections are cast on the water.

Beautiful and warm.

Reminds me of the cover of Hotel California by the Eagles.
OK, maybe a little farther away, but the palms at sunset are pretty close.

July 28, 2010

July 27, 2010

Bummer of a walk for #308. Walked the Carillon complex today with Kelly and Kristin, and the camera glitched and gave me no recognized files to use. This is in my office shortly after the walk, and upon finding out that I had no useable pictures. Bummer.

July 26, 2010

A warm night tonight, and a late start in getting a walk in. It's about 8:30pm and I'm just leaving the Rehab house from seeing dad, who's looking a lot better today. He's still a little bit in his own world, but he's comfortable, and not in much pain.

This will probably be all built by the time my year of walks end. I never noticed this before tonight.

It's walk 207 tonight, and the tide is way out at my favorite sunset spot. No rain, not many clouds, but the colors are still there, and still vibrant.

The Sand Key bridge is silhouetted against a Clearwater sunset seen between two bending palm trees.

Thought this would be artistic. Not bad... not the "lighthouse" effect I was looking for, but it's something. LOL.. and the journey continues.

July 25, 2010

Ominous skies and even some heavy rain wont stop walk 206 from happening. In fact, I headed to a spot where I knew I could embrace the incoming weather. This is Millenium Park in Seminole, and I'm up on the watch tower. Behind me, the storms are coming in fast and furious from the East.

The boardwalk trail, looking North. As the storms come in, the skies get dark, but there is this eerie yellow-green glow that lights up everything in a weird way.

Look at those clouds. Nature is a marvelous thing. If you havent walked in the rain recently, let me suggest you do that. As long as you're not exposed to lightning, a good rain storm can wash away a lot from your stress life. Get out there and try it.

A funny thing happened here. When I went to take the shot, the end of the path was clear. When I looked on my picture, there was this dog. When I looked up... the dog was gone. Ghost dog? LOL... maybe. But then as I walked, I saw him leading his owners around. My timing was just a little creepy.

Heading on down the road. The journey continues.

July 24, 2010

I always wanted to go to this park. I seem to remember being here once before, but it was a long time ago, and visiting today didn't jog my memory, but what a fantastic walk for #205.

The curved boardwalks through the native pine trees, and they weeping willows were so beautiful.

This stream ran through the entire park. It has gators, and turtles and lots of wild birds. Quite the nature park.

This three footer was catching some sun just underneath me on the boardwalk.

A view from the observance tower. Life is good at the top! And the journey continues.

July 23, 2010

This is walk 204 and today I'm at Ballast Point Park formerly known as Jules Verne park, in Tampa. I'm on the south end of Bayshore Blvd, and after the sidewalk ends, if you continue a bit south, you'll run into this quaint little park named after the famed French writer.

There is a long pier you'll see below, that gives you this fantastic view of the Tampa Skyline from about 3-5 miles away. That's the city behind me.

Here's the pier, and way off in the distance, across Tampa Bay you can see the phosphate hills that they mine just up the road from TECO.

The big skyline.

A quick zoom and you're looking at the entire city. The journey continues...

July 22, 2010

#203 Around the Madonna PTAK rehab house.

Mom heading home and not even offering me a ride.

And the journey continues...

July 21, 2010

Walk #202 tonight at John's Pass in Treasure Island, FL. I was on my way to have dinner with friends, and had to make sure I got my walk in. I wanted to walk up and over the T.I. bridge, but I could not find a way to get up on the bridge from the street down below. So after about a mile of rock climbing, and beach walking, etc. I settled for a walk in the streets of John's Pass Village.

Neon, and art deco. Is there anything classier?

Here's the entrance to the boardwalk. Now to fund Scully's and dinner with Steve, Chris and Joe.

Here's Steve and Chris. Father and son and two damn-good-looking guys!

Funny, they must've known Joe was coming. They were prepared.

July 20, 2010

We're definitely on the 2nd half of this little journey now. The rains come almost every day now, so tonight I ducked under the bridge at the boat ramps to take a short walk. Every time I walked out from the protection of the bridge support, the wind absolutely collapsed the umbrella I was carrying.

Thank god for the umbrella, or my little kodak easyshare would be TOAST. It's pouring tonight, I don't know if you can see that, but it is windy and pouring.

Beautiful clouds come with every storm out over the Gulf.

LOL... my gothic pose. Didn't know all that blue was behind me.

I like this picture because you have the rain and clouds on one side, and a beautiful hole of blue sky in the middle. Tonight's walk begins the 2nd half of my journey... in my mind, everything had been bulding to 200.