Around the Island
A busy week on the Island with the Snow Birds in full swing and Island happenings as plentiful as billboards in Georgia.

New housing is finally up this year as the recovery slowly progresses. All is well.









Old Trucks
Here are two old trucks.





See you next week.

Tags: Pine Island, Old Trucks

Chowder Cook Off
This week was the second annual Pine Island Boat Club’s Cook Off. Although we had other plans, the past commodore of the Club demanded that Jan participate, as she was the winner of the Inaugural Chile Cook Off held last year (another proud day in the Alexander family).

Fifteen contestants of varying styles and demeanors had prepared their chowders with glee and gusto. Boat Club members (plus three unrecognized people who walked in from the street), ambled down the chowder table, sampling, scrutinizing, and sizing up the selection. All the while the smells of clams, shrimp, grouper, and other mysteries blended with spices, sauces, creams, and broths floating through the air like a Mozart concerto in an auditorium.

As is always the case with Pine Island contests, very strict rules were in place for the judging. No snooty culinary “experts” were to impose their personal taste standards on this group! Just like in Washington, tasters voted with their pocketbooks…if you liked the chowder, you put dough in the dish, currency in the can, bucks in the bucket. Sneaking in a few extra bucks for a spouse or a friend was not frowned upon, but admired.









Around the Island
Here are a few random shots from around the Island this week.















Old Trucks
Here are two old trucks.





See you next week.

Tags: Nature Photography, Old Trucks, Pine Island

Boat Club Meeting
Here are three “comic-tized” shots from the last Pine Island Boat Club meeting.







Hot Dogs and Potatoes Recipe
Last week’s blog prompted some requests for Jan’s Hot Dogs and Potatoes recipe. Here you go:

• Oscar Meyer hot dogs, sliced lengthwise
• Yellow onion, cut in rings
• Montreal steak seasoning
• Yukon gold potatoes (with skin) sliced
• Tomato soup
• Water (1/2-can for each can of soup you use)

Fry the dogs with onions in olive oil until both are pretty much deeply browned (maybe almost burned). After the dogs are almost burned, add the potatoes and soup. Season with Montreal seasoning, cover, and cook until the potatoes are done. The soup gravy gets thicker the longer it rests.

Around the Island
Here are a few random shots from around the Island this week.













Old Trucks
Here are two old trucks.





See you next week.

Tags: Nature Photography, Pine Island, Old Trucks

Around the Island
Sunny and unusually warm (low 80 degrees) week on the Island. I enjoyed a nice pattern each day--early morning walk/bike ride, work most of the day, followed by bike ride/cart ride. Old British TV shows at night. Not bad, eh?

Here are a few shots taken on the Island this week.













Old Trucks
Here are two old trucks.





See you next week.

Tags: Nature Photography, Pine Island, Old Trucks

Around the Island
Here are a few shots taken on the Island this week: Stella and her mom going on a “walk,” Mitzy solving a mystery, and a couple variations of a Pine Island sunrise.









Retiring?
I have had questions regarding if I was retiring since we will be RVing full-time. The answer is no--I can work anywhere there is web access and an airport within an hour or so. I enjoy my profession and will still be researching/writing/speaking/advising/training on improving the customer experience and building effective services businesses.



New Year’s Eve Video Shoot
To emphasize the point about not retiring, while most of you were enjoying the holiday, I was busy at work on New Year’s Eve. With help from Suzanne and Jan, we shot a video for marketing my business this week--lights, boom mic, stereo recorder--the whole shebang.

Stuff for Sale
I’ve added an old butcher block and a couple of cool electric lanai heaters to my “stuff for sale” listing. If interested, check it out here.

Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks.







See you next week.

Tags: Nature Photography, Pine Island

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

St. Jude Trail
St. Jude Trail* is one of my favorite places to walk on Pine Island. Mitzy likes it a lot but Jerry loves it--twice this week I turned around on our walk to see this svelte rat terrier on his back, bony legs straight up with toes pointed skyward, writhing in pleasure as he blissfully rolled in something I didn’t care to identify. The resulting odor would make a sanitation worker squeamish, but proud Jerry inhaled with gusto. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was a dog!

This week alone I saw a flock of more than 20 roseate spoonbill, great blue herons, night herons, great egrets, brown and white pelicans, and an otter scurrying across the trail and into the water. Here is a shot of some cool art at the Norm Gowan Trailhead and a pre-dawn view from trail’s end.





*St. Jude Trail is a property of the Calusa Land Trust, a non-profit that does a wonderful job buying and managing sensitive lands on Pine Island. If you enjoy the flora and fauna of the area, consider joining. www.calusalandtrust.org

Around the Island
Here are a few shots taken on the Island this week.















Old Trucks
Here are five old Florida trucks.

Headlights

See you next week.

Tags: Nature Photography, Wildlife photography, Old Trucks, Pine Island

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Lido Key Beach
Tuesday afternoon I drove ninety miles north to Lido Beach Resort on Lido Key by Sarasota. I gave a speech on selling services to the North American organization of a Swiss manufacturing company. Great group. Here is an evening shot from my room balcony plus one taken on the beach around dawn on a stormy Wednesday morning. Nice place.





Home Depot Dogs
Jerry and Mitzy’s favorite place off the Island is Home Depot. Peering over the moving orange shopping cart and wearing their cutest faces, they gaze among the shoppers awaiting for “Ohhh, look at the puppies” from their human admirers. Strolling through Hardware, speeding through Plumbing, and stopping by Paint, they soak up attention like parched brown grass during a morning shower.

However, the glory of the story doesn’t end there. Within seconds from exiting the store and heading left to your parked vehicle, your nose starts to twitch and your nostrils widen from the aroma of grilling peppers and the delightful smell of gourmet meats being prepared. Within thirteen feet of the exit door is the New York Style Hot Dog and Italian Sausage stand, manned (I guess I should say “womaned”) by a very savvy owner who gives good-mannered and attentive pups a “free” grilled hot dog cut up in canine bites. As we close in on the stand, Jerry looks at Mitzy, Mitzy looks at Jerry, they both look at me, then as if being given a secret nudge, they both stare up at the lady with faces showing an intricate combination of hunger, cuteness, and a genuine love for both the woman and her fare. Best place on the planet for lunch if you ask the Kids.



Around the Island
Here are a few shots taken on the Island this week.















Old Trucks
Here are four old trucks.

Headlights

See you next week.

Tags: Nature Photography, pet photography, Pine Island, Old Trucks

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Morning Walks
This week we continued our morning walks in near perfect weather. Mature and young eagles soared overhead like fighter jets jockeying for battle position. Pups played and paraded, cows and calves stared in curiosity as we walked by.











Picnic Island
One afternoon we boated the short distance to Picnic Island, a favorite destination from years past.















Sunset on the Sound
One evening we boated alone in the glass-topped waters of Pine Island Sound. We were rewarded for our efforts with this orange sunset radiating off the bright blue sky decorated with wispy clouds.



Old Trucks
Here are two old trucks taken on the Island.

Headlights

See you next week with some Thanksgiving pics.

Tags: Pine Island, Nature Photography, Old Trucks

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Settling Back In
Although we had been motorhoming for seven months, it only took me a couple of days to get back into my Florida routine with morning walks alongside the James Creek Preserve at dawn, and strolls, bike rides, and golf cart rides through the neighborhoods in the late afternoon, with business work in my home office in between. Lots of eagles and other big birds, neighbors, and friends out and about…all enjoying the near-perfect weather. Here are some pics from this week.





























Austie in Town
Our grandson, Austin, accompanied by his Dad, A.J., came down to visit for a few days. Here are a couple of pics of this good-looking, well-adjusted, hoot-to-be-around young man.





Old Trucks
Here are two old trucks taken on the Island.

Headlights

See you next week.

Tags: Pine Island, Nature Photography

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunrises
Fog, clouds, and light combined this past week to give rise to some very pretty dawn and pre-dawn skies. Here are fours shots that I like.









Odds and Ends







Island Birds
Here is an image of a young eagle making one of his first flights. I wouldn’t call him (or her) cute or cuddly, but a good-looking youngster, don’t you think? Also, here are some cedar waxwings frolicking as they rest during migration, a young family of osprey, and a young pelican.









Moku Hanga
Moku Hanga is Japanese woodblock printing, and this Macintosh app gives pictures this unique look. I applied it to the osprey and pelican shot above, plus the tree face below and a couple of previous posts from past blogs. What do you think?







Winn Dixie Cats
This is an Island Issue--sorry to bother you if you are not a resident, but here is the scoop: Three neutered, good-natured cats live by the Winn Dixie up at the Island Center. They don’t cause anyone any problems, and local people take care of them--they are a part of the Island culture.

However, it seems that a mean-spirited, cat-hating, part-timer is trying to run the Island and has complained to Winn Dixie corporate about the cats and demanded their removal. Corporate’s knee-jerk reaction (without any investigation) was to tell the local Winn Dixie manager to get rid of the cats--end of story. This is a perfect example of how one sick moron can ruin things for the rest of us. It is also a sad example of lousy management. If you’d like to help save these cats before it is too late, or you just want to stop mean meddlers, go to www.winndixie.com, click on “contact us,” and tell them what you think, and then pass this link on to others. By the way, I did, and found it quite enjoyable to sound off!

Headlights

April 11: Depart Pine Island
April 12 - 13: Heading North on I-75 then West on I-10
April 14 - 15: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
April 16 - 20: White Sands National Park
April 22 - 22: Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
April 23 - May 5: Chatfield State Park, CO (near Denver) to visit family
May 6 - ??: As of now, our plans are to head to Durango and the Four Corners area for a few weeks.

If you have recommendations regarding the above itinerary, I’d love to hear from you.

See you next week.

Tags: Bird photography, Pine Island, Moku Hanga

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Boat Club
I took my camera to our monthly Boat Club meeting and took a few action shots.







Check out the website for more pics: http://www.pineislandboatclub.com/

Walk-Arounds
Here are a variety of shots taken from my daily strolls.





















Venice Rookery
Jan, the Pups, and I headed out at 5:15 Saturday morning to drive the 70 miles to the Venice Rookery. Here we spent two-and-a-half hours shooting birds and enjoying their nest building. If you like watching birds in action, this is a great place to go this time of year.
http://www.veniceaudubon.org/rookery.html











Myakka River State Park
Next we drove to visit Myakka River State Park in search of spoonbills. We found some, but they were too far away to shoot. Great park, though--we will be back. http://www.myakkariver.org/index.php



Raptor Center
From there we drove to Auntie’s in Apopka, dropped off our bags and the Pups, loaded up Auntie, and headed to the Raptor Center. Along with seeing some of the other birds of prey, we got to see a master falconer fly a pair of Harris Hawks. Great fun!

Headlights

MAA ’12 tentative departure date is set! We are pleased to announce that Motoring Across America 2012 is already in the planning stages and our tentative date of departure is April 13. More to come…

See you next week after a few days at “The Mouse.”

Tags: Pine Island, Bird photography, Myakka River State Park, Venice Rookery, Raptor Center

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Oregonians
A couple of RV friends from Oregon spent the weekend with us, and we had the chance to do a couple of boat and car rides around the Island.











NYC Pilgrimage



I had a quick trip to New York, where I had an engagement with a long-time client that went very well. Luckily, I had a free half-day, so I walked the few block from my mid-town hotel to the B&H Photo/Video Superstore. What a store! Anyone into photography, video, or anything to do with electronics will walk around in awe at the hundreds of displays and thousands of pieces of equipment. Besides that, the people behind the counter know what they are talking about! What a great time. Yes, in case you are wondering, I did make a small purchase. ☺

Walk Around Photography
Here are a few shots taken walking around the Island. You’ll note that Ozzie and Harriet, the osprey pair, are still at it.





























Racing Ducks
Saturday was the annual Duck Race--a fun, fundraising event for the nonprofit Calusa Land Trust. Here are a few photos from this event.

Headlights

MAA ’12 tentative departure date is set! We are pleased to announce that Motoring Across America 2012 is already in the planning and our tentative date of departure is April 13. More to come…

See you next week after a week at home on the Island.

Tags: Bird photography, Pine Island

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Walking and Biking, Boating and Hiking
I spent the entire week on the Island, enjoying its great people and wonderful weather. When not doing business work, I took several opportunities for walking and biking, boating and hiking. Here are a few photos…











Baby Eagles
Yes, the youngsters are hatched at the Palm eagle nest. Here are the two tikes peaking out for a fresh view of the world.



The Ozzie Osprey Opera
As mentioned in last week’s blog, a pair of ospreys has a nest of sorts three houses down from us. There is always a commotion going on with the piercing osprey calls starting around dawn and continuing sporadically throughout the day. Ozzie and Harriet “own” the nest but have a feud going on with another pair of ospreys, Bud and Jean. The result is that several times a day, Bud or Jean (I get them mixed up) strafes the nest like a fighter jet, causing feathers to fly and cries to crescendo. Pity the late sleeper on Date Street…

I had taken a few nice photos from our house deck and walking along the street, however, neighbors Steve and Barb opened a whole new picture-taking dimension for me when they brought me up to their spare bedroom and opened up the window. Now I had an almost eye-level, sun-behind-me, reach-out-and-touch view of the nest. For three mornings in a row, they welcomed me in and gave me coffee to boot! Now that is good neighbors ☺.

Headlights

MAA ’12 tentative departure date is set! We are pleased to announce that Motoring Across America 2012 is already in the planning and our tentative date of departure is April 13. More to come…

See you next week after a week at home on the Island.

Tags: Bird photography, Pine Island

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Jaunt Out West
I spent most of the week on business--the first part in San Francisco for a keynote speech for a global sales force summit. From there I flew to San Antonio for a presentation to business owners of audio/video/broadcast system integrators. Great folks all around.

Island Walks
Here are a few pics from walks around the Island.







Ospreys in Turmoil
Three doors down from our house there are a pair of ospreys trying to build a nest on top of a pole. Huge credit for effort, but their results are pathetic--take a look a their nest. In addition to their building, they seem to be continually fussing with other ospreys. Here are a few action shots.











Jan’s Awesome New Chest
For the third year in a row, Jan is donating a piece of her art to raise funds for the Calusa Land Trust. It will be auctioned off at the Annual Duck Race to be held Saturday, March 3 at Woodies in St. James City (www.calusalandtrust.org). If you are in SW Florida that day you ought to come--it is a hoot.

Here are a few pictures of the steamer chest that she is donating. Yes, I know I am biased, but it is really cool…makes you want to grab your sunglasses, charter a boat, and head for Cuba!











Also, four images of Jan’s other art pieces* have just been uploaded to www.janalexanderart.com.

*For example, one of her paintings is called “The Cover Up.” Years ago when I was dating a famous Italian model, this beauty painted her self-portrait for me, which I hung in our foyer. One time I came home from a business trip and it was gone--painted over by Jan in my absence.

Headlights

MAA ’12 tentative departure date is set! We are pleased to announce that Motoring Across America 2012 is already in the planning stages and our tentative date of departure is April 13. More to come…

See you next week after a week at home on the Island.

Tags: Pine Island, Wildlife photography

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday Morning Boat Ride
We started the week off nicely with a sunrise boat ride. The seas were as calm as a therapists’ dialogue and the waterways were as vacant as a Detroit neighborhood as we relentlessly but casually powered ahead at a steady 8 knots.







As long as there is a lap to sit on, MItzy enjoys the boat. However, Jerry gets as excited as a youngster on Christmas morning. He knows it is his responsibility to hunt for dolphins and bring them to the boat, and he takes his role seriously. About 10 minutes into the cruise, there they were--four large, mature dolphins in the mood for play. Coaxed by Jerry’s persistent barks and striking presence, these mammals of the sea rose in our wake, frolicked back and forth, enjoying their play. They stayed with us for over 20 minutes, and Jerry dutifully tracked their movement, beckoning them to stay close as he stood like a meerkat willing them into position. Jerry was in all his glory.







Trip to Bokeelia
Since we were on a roll, after breakfast we took a family drive to the north end of the Island. We stopped at Frits Park for a nice walk, cruised through Pineland, then strolled along the boardwalk reaching out into the waters of the Sound by Captain Cons Restaurant.













Chicago and Cupertino
The rest of the week I had business in Chicago and Cupertino. Great clients and things went well, but it was great getting back on Friday night.

Headlights

MAA ’12 tentative departure date is set! We are pleased to announce that Motoring Across America 2012 is already in the planning stages and our tentative date of departure is April 13. More to come…

See you next week after a trip to San Francisco and San Antonio.

Tags: Bird photography, Pine Island

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Except for a Sarasota business trip, I stayed home, working on business projects and preparing for next week. However, I did have some time for some early morning and late afternoon walks. Here are a couple pics from the week.

Headlights

MAA ’12 tentative departure date is set! We are pleased to announce that Motoring Across America 2012 is already in the planning stages and our tentative date of departure is April 13. More to come…

See you next week after a trip to Chicago and Cupertino.

Tags: Pine Island, Bird photography

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Dash to Denver
Business took me first to Denver (Ft. Collins, actually) were I spent a few days working with some smart services folks--really good group. Here is a shot of one enlightened student that “gets it.”



Thursday evening, I guided my rental car down and around Denver to Parker, ending up at Grandson Austie’s place. I took him and his Mom and Dad out for an Italian dinner (I had the stuffed sole special) and got caught up over all that had happened since we were last face-to-face. While having a bathtub conversation with Austie, I continued my education, learning such things as it was OK for boys to take their shirts off but not girls, and that if you cough too loud you will probably throw up. These are valuable lessons that I will try to remember.

Birds and Pups
After a week on the road it was nice to spend Friday night and Saturday just hanging at home. We had time for a few golf cart rides, a few pics, and watching old British TV shows such as “The Grand”--a simple life we lead on the Island!

Headlights

MAA ’12 tentative departure date is set! We are pleased to announce that Motoring Across America 2012 is already in the planning stages and our tentative date of departure is April 13. More to come…

See you next week!

Tags: Pine Island, pet photography, Bird photography

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Chilly Business
Business took me first to Chicago to start a consulting engagement with a new client--I can tell it is going to be a great relationship. The weather was a tad “un-Florida-like” though. I awoke Wednesday morning to 7 degrees! From Chicago it was on to Atlanta for a couple days working with another client. I took my little camera, but didn’t take any shots.

Chili Business
Some friends from Michigan who are staying in Southwest Florida came over to visit, and we took them as our guests to a Pine Island Boat Club outing--the first ever Chili Cook-Off. What a fun event! Twenty people brought their favorite chili and all of the 140 attendees served as the judges, walking around tasting the various chili and casting their votes.

Here is a pic of the start of the tasting…



Some of the chili was mild…



Some of the chili was on the spicy side…



Some of chili cookers were quite elegant, such as Chef-Buoy-Our-Dee…



Some of the chili cookers were quite sophisticated…



And some of chili cookers were just plain nuts…



Here are a few more shots of the chili participants...















In true Pine Island fashion (and just like the U.S. Congress), money talks--the judges voted with their pocketbooks. If people liked the chili, they put money in a bowl by their favorite chili chef, and the cook with the most money wins. Here is a shot of the officials tallying the votes…



And here is a picture of Commodore Ron putting the official apron on the first annual Pine Island Boat Club Chili Champ…



Quite a day at the Alexander’s--not everyone gets to sleep with a Chili Champ!

Pelicans and Pups
Here are shots of Mitzy and Jerry out on a walk and some young brown pelicans hanging out under the Sanibel causeway.

Headlights

MAA ’12 tentative departure date is set! We are pleased to announce that Motoring Across America 2012 is already in the planning stages and our tentative date of departure is April 13. More to come…

See you next week!

Tags: Pine Island

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Home for the Week
No travel this week--I was busy with work, but had the pleasure of spending time with Janny and the Pups and good friends and neighbors. Lots of walks, biking, golf cart adventures, and one boat ride (early in the week).

Cloudy and Cold
Although the week started pleasantly chilly and sunny, as the days progressed the weather turned into cloudy and cold. Winter jackets were unloosed from their closet shackles and the dust was blown off our little-used furnace blowers. It was time to hunker down on the island!

Pelicans
Critters are pretty savvy, and the movement of our birds aligned with the movement of the weather--they got slower as the thermostat went lower. However, I was able to capture a little activity. Here is a shot of white pelicans in formation and a pic of a brown pelican getting ready to land.





Curbside Makeover
Jan was asked by a good friend to donate a piece of artwork for an auction to raise money for the Harry-Anna Trust Fund. http://www.floridaelks.org/whoweare.aspx

This fund provides the critical financial backing for all the wonderful projects sponsored by the Florida State Elks Association, including children therapy services and youth camp, among many others. Great cause. Jan gladly concurred with the request and with a little searching found an old shelf she had rescued at the curb along with some other knick-knacks discarded by others. You know the old saying, “One woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure.” Janny takes pleasure in making that happen. Below is the end result. Check out her other art at http://www.janalexanderart.com.



Good Morning Sunrise
While writing away one silent morning in my top-floor den, Jan broke the solitude hollering up, “Alex--look at the sunrise! I’m glad I obeyed her command, putting up the shade, opening the window, and setting up my tripod as the skies quickly shifted over 10 minutes, starting out as a teasing violet, morphing into pleasing pink, and then easing into to a bold orange that shouted, “Wake up”! Here is an out-of-the-camera shot taken from my window that only hints at the impressiveness of the actual sight. What a marvelous way to ratchet up the day.



Boardwalk Pups
From my perspective, it is never a good day or a good blog without pups! And as is our case when home, the Kids are with us 95% of the time. Here is a shot of Mitzy and one of Jerry coming down the dock to see what I’m up to.





Fixer-Upper
Strolling back from a morning photo walk through the neighborhoods, I stopped and studied this vacant house. The abandoned mower gave me a feeling of incompleteness: Will the owner ever come back and finish the job? I added a NIR color treatment to this image to give it this stark, infra-red look. What do you think?



Python Sighting
Early in the week we received an e-mail alerting its readers that a Burmese Python had been found a few streets from our home. Sadly, this is not too surprising because over the years a lot of “losers” have let loose exotic pets in Florida, especially in the Everglades. Here is the picture (not sure whom to credit) of this ominous looking fellow taken right before he/she was released upon the lot where we keep BERT our motorhome! Needless to say, it was the talk of the area--depending on the day or the mood of Pine Islanders, one could see citizens stalking around with shotguns or wielding razor-sharpened machetes.



Any Excuse Will Do
Pine Islander’s actively look for any excuse to hold a party and this was a good one. Within 24 hours of the sighting, we received an invite to a “Python and Coyote” party (yes, there had been a recent coyote sighting here as well). Saturday night, Guylynne and Wayne hosted this event in their reptile-adorned home. Wonderful people and wonderful event.

Headlights

MAA ’12 tentative departure date is set! We are pleased to announce that Motoring Across America 2012 is already in the planning stages and our tentative date of departure is April 13. More to come…

See you next week after my trip to Chicago and Atlanta.

Tags: Wildlife photography, pet photography, Pine Island

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Christmas on the Island
We were fortunate to have a “boatload and a half” of relatives down to spend the Christmas holiday with us on Pine Island--a total of 16 people and 5 dogs. The weather was magnificent, so we were able to spend a lot of time on the lanai, on the boat, or on the golf cart.







Christmas Pups
As you might have surmised, this is a dog family. Here is a picture of Jerry observing the activities, Mitzy checking out the opening of presents, Millie just being Millie, and Jessie, the pup, awaiting the next opportunity for mishief.









Wildlife
Here are a few shots of birds and one of a dolphin that followed us forever on a boat ride on Pine Island Sound.















Time for a Tub
Yes, it was great seeing everyone, but it is always good to get back to normal (whatever that means). Here is a shot Jan took of me during re-adjustment.



Mystery New Year’s Eve
Saturday, Jan and I flew off to…(to be continued)

Headlights

See you next week with pics and a report back from our mystery trip.

Tags: Pine Island, pet photography, Wildlife photography

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Schnauzer Shoot
One morning I took some photos for Jan S., our good friend and Schnauzer breeder. Her Teacup Schnauzers had just opened their eyes and were getting mobile! With Jan and my Jan’s help, I took scores of images of these adorable youngsters that weighed just two ounces at birth. Interested in a cute addition to your family? Call Jan S. at 239-980-2564.













Boating Sunsets
One evening I took out a boatload of family for a cruise on Pine Island Sound. Here are a couple of sunset pics.





More Birds
Lot’s of birds on the Island, here are shots of hawks, ospreys, pelicans, a vulture, a woodpecker, an anhinga, a frigate bird, and a mockingbird.





























Haiku Fran
Here is a candid shot I took of our neighbor and friend, Fran, as she was bicycling home. As you can tell, I added a little modification!

Headlights

See you next week.

Tags: Wildlife photography, Bird photography, Pine Island, pet photography

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Fish House pup
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Christmas Boat Parade
We drove the golf cart down to the Monroe Canal Saturday early evening to watch the Annual Boat Parade sponsored by the Pine Island Boat Club. Twenty or so well-decorated boats and crews made their route bordered by throngs of Islanders along the path in the 70-degree temperature. Here are four photos that Jan took of the parade.









The Lost Pictures
While downloading Jan’s boat parade images, I came across a surprise--some images I had taken a while back. Here is a shot from our Motoring Across America tour of Mitzy resting on the dash in the coach.



Also in the camera where a couple of shots I took while bike riding. One is a blur (intentional ☺) and the other is a one-handed shot of a hawk flying across the bike path.





Misto Bar and Grill
We went with good friends to a new restaurant in Cape Coral called Mistos. Islanders will remember George, the chef from Visuvios; this is his new place. Wonderful food, fine service, and great ambience. Jan had the Red Snapper and I had the Grouper Jambalaya. Definitley worth getting off the Island for--give it a try.





Hangin’ On the Island
Here are a few walkaround shots from morning Pup walks and late afternoon golf cart rides--a couple out kayaking Pine Island Sound, a squirrel, a couple of hawk shots, a young eagle, a posing pelican, a Night Heron, and five Great Egrets imitating a weather vane.

Pups Across America

Here is a shot of a momma dog that was out wandering around by the Fish House.

Headlights

See you next week.

Tags: Pine Island, Wildlife photography

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Handsome Jerry, Fluffy Mitzy
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: Ibis Moon
Walking around the neighborhood, ibis were everywhere. Here is one sitting by the moon contemplating the fate of space travel in a post-shuttle era.



That evening we had a wonderful dinner with friends over at Jan S’s place (Yikes! I should have taken some photos!) Choice steak grilled to perfection, delicate mushroom sauce to entice the flavor, plump baked potatoes, a light, but complex Greek salad, and warm homemade rolls, all complimented with an appropriate selection of red wines.

Monday: Sarasota Drive
Monday I drove to Sarasota to meet with my business partners regarding a joint project. Smart fun folks—my kind of people. I’ll give you more details when we are closer to launch--gonna be fun.

Tuesday
Quiet day working on the Island.

Wednesday through Friday: Rolling Fog and Quick Trip to Dallas
Heavy fogs greeted us for our morning walk. Behind the post office I took these two shots.





After our family walk, I started a second stroll behind the Fish House along Pine Island Sound. The air was as thick as Campbell’s Mushroom Soup, producing that eerie feeling one gets in the surreal lighting when the air and water brew up a fog. Here I photographed a bug-eyed osprey sitting above her nest, a juvenile brown pelican trying to dry its wings atop a channel marker, a cormorant attempting the same feat atop a piling, an egret flying overhead, and finally these morning glories.











At 10:00 a.m. the Pine Island Taxi picked me up to take me to the Ft. Myers airport for two nondescript flights. The Dallas weather was chilly, the traffic horrible, but my workshop students were bright, fun, and seemed to very much enjoy the session. I arrived back home at 1:00 a.m. Saturday morning from a tiring but productive trip.



Saturday: The Eagles Are Back
Jan and I took the Kids behind the post office for a nice walk. I had Jan drop me off by the Fish House where I started walking and scouting for photo ops. I walked behind the eagles’ nest and there was an adult on a branch by the nest--great light, nice bird, sun at my back--this looked like a great opportunity. As I slowly walked up, though, she flew away to the north and I thought that was it. However, I stood still for a few minutes and here she came back flying toward me on her way to the nest. Yes, sometimes patience is a virtue! Here are a few pics of this magnificent bird.







Island Frank
Satisfied that I probably had at least one or two decent pics, I walked back toward home. Cars were stacked up at the community center as a pancake breakfast/craft show was just starting up. As I approached, I smelled the distinct odor of frying batter and heard the familiar keyboard tunes of upbeat island music that I’ve been enjoying for the last decade. Before he came into view, I knew that Island Frank was playing away for the crowd. Frank is a fixture on the Island, selflessly sharing his musical talent for dozens of fundraisers and other non-profit events year after year. Here he is at work.

Pups Across America

Here is a shot of Mitzy (she is in the lower left) at sunrise behind the post office.

Headlights

We will he headed for Apopka to enjoy the T-Day holiday with family and friends--might be some interesting photos!

See you next week.

Tags: Pine Island

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Handsome Jerry, Fluffy Mitzy
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

I spent the week at home on Pine Island, enjoying the nice weather and reconnecting with friends while re-establishing my base of work (my office is the top floor of our home).



Triple Dipping
I’m normally not much good at multitasking, but this situation works pretty well: Around sunrise each morning at the St. James City post office, I let Jerry and Mitzy off the leash and they can run to their hearts content. At the same time I get my morning health walk in, and since I carry my camera, I get the chance for a shot every now and then. I took this shot of the blasting-off Anhinga there one morning.



Neighborhood Stroll
When we get back home and the light is right and my work allows, I go back out walking through our neighborhood. Lots of ospreys and eagles in nest-building mode with lots of other avian activity. That is where I got the shots of the two hawks and the flock of Ibis.

Pups Across America

Here is a shot of Fluffy Mitzy and that handsome boy Jerry.

Headlights

Check out next week for more pics.

Tags: Pine Island

Vegas
Early in the week I facilitated a business trends session for a group of senior services executive in Las Vegas. Great people, great session.

Baby Eagles
Here are a couple of images of young eagles taken in the St. James Creek Preserve on Pine Island. It is quite enjoyable watching these two youngsters start off in life.





Live Eagle Cam
Speaking of eagles, check out this marvelous, real-time close up action of an active eagle nest in Iowa. Here is the URL—take a look.

Also go to www.npr.org and search for “Eagle Cam” and you’ll see several cool postings. And of course YouTube has several video clips as well. This stuff is fun.

Snake!
While looking for birds on the south end of Buchanan Lake I heard rustling and felt movement zip my right leg—I almost stepped on a Black Racer. We both jumped back, and in a nano-second multiple thoughts went through my mind, “Yikes!”, “What was that?”, “Am I in Trouble?”, “Poisonous?”, “It was pretty fast”, “Wear boots next time”, “Watch your step”, “I’m going to live.”, “No worries” “Better take a picture.” Funny how the mind works…





As my pulse rate started to settle back to normal, this black beauty signaled his displeasure with me with some cobra-like moves that would have made Michael Jackson proud and a lacing tongue routine reminiscent of the cowboy lariat performer in a Wild West show. However, after his display, he patiently waited as I took a few images to remember this Kodak Moment.

Miscellaneous
I have also included a few random pics from Island action just for fun.











Pups Across America
Here is a shot of a reflective Jerry.



Also, a few shots from a Schnauzer shoot. Cute pups—check out the Mitzy Wannabe.











See you next week.

Tags: Pine Island, photography

Sunday River Church
About 30 family and friends attended a tree-planting dedication for Uncle Brad at a replica river church being build by friends of the family. Here are a couple pics. If anyone wants to see more, click here.







Ding Darling
Wednesday I went to Ding Darling with some family and friends. Here are a few pics from this excursion.























Baby Eagle
Here is a close-up pic of a few-weeks-old eagle behind the St. James City post office.



Onward to Vegas.

Tags: Pine Island, Bird photography

View Larger Map
St. James City, FL > San Jose, CA

San Jose
Most of my week was spent going/being/returning from the San Jose area where I taught a class on services account management. I took my camera but took no pics. :(

Sunrise Cruise
Scott and Deb, Jan’s brother and sister-in-law, came down to Pine Island for their annual visit. Saturday morning we left at dawn for a sunrise cruise of Pine Island Sound. Perfect weather and calm seas surrounded us. Although we saw a couple of dolphins, none were in the mood to follow the boat. Here are pics of Jan and Deb.











Super Moon
Saturday afternoon I drove to Auntie’s house in Apopka. Since I fly out of Orlando Sunday, it made sense to spend the night at her house. We drove off to a new development where we walk our Pups and watched the “once-in-twenty years” big golden moon rise in the East. Quite impressive.



Balloon Caper
While we were waiting for the moon to launch, Auntie and I observed that a big balloon appeared to have been “relocated” from its original place of promotion to hanging on a sign in the development. Although I was totally against doing anything that might shy from being squeaky clean, Auntie was set on swiping the before-swiped balloon. Reluctantly I agreed to assist her and we cut the balloon and about 30 feet of cord free and tied it to the back of our car (it was too big to fit inside). I’ve sworn not to divulge the fate of the balloon, but someone came home to a surprise. Here is a shot of Auntie and the swiped balloon.



Pups Across America
Here is a pic of Sailor Jerry and First Mate Mitzy from the Saturday morning cruise--and a shot of Gato Danny too.







Next week it is back to Sweden—see you then.

Tags: Bird photography, Pine Island