Florida December 2010- January 2011

[carljwnc]

I normally don't post anything up about our family Florida trips, well because, we just go to my in-laws house and don't really do anything.:ebiggrin: However, this time was a bit different because...for starters, I got a new cell phone, HTC Desire which has a really good camera in it (no more 'crappy cell phone pic' excuses folks:iconwink. On this phone I installed the 'Vignette' app, $4 well worth it, you can do all kinds of cool stuff with it. I messed around with the settings, then I ended up putting it on 'random' and ended up with some very interesting results. My photographer wife and I also ended up a bunch of times at the Green Cay Nature Preserve where she let me get my hands on her Nikon D300, but those pics will have to come later as they are still in post production. Also armed with my trusty Olympus point and shoot, the trip became all about taking photos. Somebody here (you know who you are) also requested that I post pics, so you can blame them for opening the flood gates.

Anyhoo, in the 'Picture Gallery' so not to many other words, just pics.

^Standard photo v Vignette

 

[carljwnc]

ALLIGATOR!!!

Oh wait...it's a shoe insole.

ALLIGATOR!!!

Oh wait...it's a piece of drain pipe.

^Captive alligators.

^Alligators in the wild.

 

[carljwnc]

 

[carljwnc]

...And home again!!! More later when I get the pics from the 'real' camera.:iconwink:

 

[mr turbo]

What a magic & fantastic photo

And I think I know what he's thinking.
Can I go for a swim please daddy, can I, can I

Looking forward to seeing some more pics once you've sorted through them.

Regards
Mr Turbo

 

[plazaxt]

nice pics , nice to see some swamp land and other random stuff

is that your chimney with the legs..hahhahahah

 

[Kevin]

Thanks Carl - good to see!​

 

[joel.dedman]

Yeah top pics Carl!

Regards,

Joel

 

[dirtyRU]

Very cool! You know, thanksgiving was my first time to go to florida- we were in the ft myers area. First thing i noticed were all the fences & enclosures that people had around their pools. I thought it was so they could enjoy their pools 24/7, turns out they are to keep the gators out! Couldn't leave florida without picking up a gator head from one of those classy establishments off I-75

 

[carljwnc]

Couldn't leave florida without picking up a gator head from one of those classy establishments off I-75

When my Mom was young, she jokingly asked some friends going to FL to bring her back an alligator...well they did, it lived in the kitchen sink for a couple of years.

is that your chimney with the legs..hahhahahah

If you didn't see Santa this year, it's because he's still stuck in this chimney at one of my in-laws neighbors houses.:iconwink:

What a magic & fantastic photo

And I think I know what he's thinking.
Can I go for a swim please daddy, can I, can I

She hasn't shown much interest in the water. I wouldn't let her swim in one of these constructed "ponds", the water is pretty nasty looking, and she could get eaten by an alligator.

Hopefully I get around to the rest of the pics this weekend.

 

[mr turbo]

She hasn't shown much interest in the water.

She sounds a bit like my female shepherd, she doesn't like water either. She'll have a look, but there's no way she's going in.
As for my other shepherd, there's no stopping him. Just the sight of water & there's no stopping him.

I wouldn't let her swim in one of these constructed "ponds", the water is pretty nasty looking, and she could get eaten by an alligator.

I meant where it was safe to swim with no alligators of course.

Regards
Mr Turbo

 

[dirtyRU]

not sure if there is a single "inland" body of water that is safe or appealing to swim in Florida.

 

[dirtyRU]

The strangler fig! Thought this was the coolest tree we saw while down there.

 

[mr turbo]

^^Yes, nature is really amazing.

not sure if there is a single "inland" body of water that is safe or appealing to swim in Florida.

Nowhere at all thats scary

Regards
Mr Turbo

 

[dirtyRU]

The tree Mr. Ford wanted to use to make his tires. Unfortunately, it didn't pan out for him, but it's a crazy tree - also down in the south florida area.

 

[carljwnc]

More pics!!! All these were taken at the Green Cay Nature Preserve with a Nikon D300. This time by me, and not the wife.:iconwink: However, she did do some post production tweaking to some of them.

How he got there, and how he's going to get off, I have no idea.

They were either fighting or performing a mating ritual , either way the one kept flying up and swooping down on the other one over and over again.

The rarely seen, highly elusive, normally behind the camera, Laurie my fabulous wife.

 

[carljwnc]

Alligator!!! Swam right under us on the board walk.

 

[carljwnc]

This is a rare Pink Spoonbill, it's color was so brilliant that it looked fake.

^All the previous pics were at sunset, then I had to get up early and see what I could do at sunrise.

 

[carljwnc]

This Egret was trying to land on a tree top that wouldn't quite support his weight, he danced around for a minute or two before finding some solid footing.

 

[carljwnc]

The Birds!!!

These birds don't have oil on their feathers, so after doin' some fishin' they have to dry out in the sun.

Dang doodily darn that's a lot of pics, don't ever let my wife hand over her camera again.