October 11, 2010

Tonight, it's just a short walk for 284. Around the parking lot of Dad's nursing home. This ambulance was a transport for a returning patient. Nobody was harmed in the making of this photo. Dad was extremely agitated tonight. A little delusional about where he was and what time of day it was. It's funny, we're reversing parent-children roles a little too often these days. Dad apologized by saying "I'm sorry you yelled at me". Still brilliance in that mind of his. Made me laugh.

I was going for the "spectre in the trees" look. What do you think?

October 10, 2010

Great day for walking and picture taking today. It's 10-10-10 today, and this is walk #283. This is an old building up in Clearwater, on Fort Harrison in the hood, and I just loved the design and the art on this. Melissa and I just HAD to stop to take pictures.

A little farther up the road is Eddie's restaurant and bar. They have their own promotional monster truck, and of course, Melissa just LOVED posing next to that.

So it's finally time for today's walk. It's later in the afternoon and I head out to Indian Rocks Beach and walk along the intercoastal an on the Gulf side.

Sunny and warm... STILL...

And the journey continues...

October 9, 2010

This is walk #282 and it's just a functional walk tonight with Melissa as we go to see Pop Pop at the nursing home.

I wanted to show everyone just how big this tree is. That's Melissa standing at the base, and I think even SHE was amazed by the sheer size of this mighty oak.

She's cute even when she's mugging the camera.

October 8, 2010

October 7, 2010

Walk 280 started here, at PJs Oyster Pub after dinner with Mike and his son Zack. These are the famous Blues Brothers statues. They take them inside every night, and you can see why. They're larger than life and they would definitely get ripped off if left unattended.

Heading out to the Gulf on Indian Rocks Beach just after sunset.

The sea oats are beautiful in silhouette mode against a sunset sky.

More sea oats.

And the journey continues... beautiful Fall nights now...

October 6, 2010

Walk 279 tonight on Indian Rock Beach. It's Fall, and the sun has a lower angle in the sky now. The air is cool, and the wind is coming in strong off the Gulf. It's a perfect night for walking, and it feels good.

It was all this windsurfer could do to stay up on his board fighting the high winds and the choppy surf, but it looked like a LOT of fun, and made for a nice photo opportunity.

Lazy beach night...

When most people are heading IN from the beach, this guy is heading out TO the beach. He's a kite surfer and he's prepping his gear for a good run tonight. The conditions are perfect.

Lines ready... winds strong... kite in position...

Liftoff at sunset...

This is Larry Jarvis, he's a tourist from Wheeling West Virginia. Larry had quite a story to tell me. He also walks just about every night, and this is his first night down here. When he removed his cap, he showed me that most of his skull and some of his brain had been removed due to an injury he sustained when he took a knife to a gun fight. Larry fought the odds and battled back, learning how to walk, talk and do just about everything again. He's taking advantage of his 2nd chance... how many of us will take advantage of our first? Start your own journey... this one continues...

October 5, 2010

Tonight is walk #278, and I'm out at McGough Park in Largo. It's the first day that actually felt like Fall. You can feel these days... really FEEL them, and I live for each one every year. I have no camera tonight other than my iPhone, but I'm making due, and the shots are pretty good. Those are pink water birds out there skimming the low-tide waters for food.

The Issai Beautyberry is growing amazingly plentiful now. This is also known as the love pearl bush. They're clusters of purple berries on long stems. This one grows out over my path tonight, they are wild everywhere.

"This car cannot leave the parking lot" is written on a sign on the back of this jeep. An elderly gentleman told me the story behind this prank. It seems that the park manager Barbara is leaving to take on a bigger job ad Boyd Hill Nature Park in St. Pete. She's very well liked by the employees and volunteers here at McGough Park, and this is a prank born out of love. Cute.

More amazing flowers growing wild out in the woods. They're like fireworks...

Autumn casts its rusty colors upon the dock along the intercoastal, and the shadows get longer, the air gets cooler, and still the journey continues...