Gulf Aglow

 

I visited Ft. DeSoto, just to the north of Sarasota, this past weekend with a friend visiting from Michigan.  It's always nice to see the area through the eyes of a tourist!  With so many clouds filling the sky, we weren't sure if there would be a decent sunset.  Then … Mother Nature did not disappoint.

Thrill Seekers

Well, Sarasota made it through Tropical Storm Isaac unscathed -- thank goodness! Feeder bands were still passing through yesterday evening and strong rip currents prompted a 'no swim' warning, but that didn't deter thrill seekers from hitting the water.  I wasn't surprised to see a surfer...but, the guy with the bright yellow kiddie floatie was a bit unexpected.  And, this guy was my favorite:

A kayaker determined to paddle through the high surf on the Gulf of Mexico.  Moments after I snapped this shot, he flipped over in a wave.  When he surfaced, he seemed surprised he had temporarily lost his paddle.  He kept trying, though.  When he wasn't tossed upside down, he was pushed sideways, parallel to the shore.  It looked rather exhausting to me.  It's always entertaining to watch the silly things people do during storms...until they need to be rescued.

Can anyone tell me what theme day is for September?  It seems the CDP site no longer exists.  Thanks!

Theme Day: Tranquility

Is it really the first of the month already?!  Well, that means it's theme day in the City Daily Photo community and this month it's tranquility.  This is the calm before the storm.  I snapped this photo a couple of weeks ago at sunset as a squall blew in from the Gulf of Mexico onto Sanibel island, about 100 miles south of Sarasota.  What a beautiful evening!   Hope your Friday is tranquil.  Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

3 Games...One Sunset

After being on the go, hitting three baseball games in three days, during the 2011 spring training tour, it was nice to have a few minutes to enjoy a sunset on Siesta Key.  Even though the temperature was dropping, my friend from Detroit enjoyed dipping his toes in the Gulf of Mexico before heading back to the frigid temps in the mitten state.  (The way the weather is up north this year, who knows when those legs will see sunshine again!)  

Watery Wednesday: Drama Queen

Mother Nature can be such a drama queen!  This was one of the most dramatic sunsets I've seen in a long time.  A couple of weeks ago, I showed you this shot from the same sunset taken about ten minutes earlier on Turtle Beach on Siesta Key.  It was one of those cloudy skies where I thought  there was no chance of a pretty sunset and then seemingly out of nowhere Mother Nature put on quite the impressive show. She whipped out her pallet and suddenly pinks and melons were streaking through the clouds....followed by lavenders and greys tentacling across the sky...and then...the piece de resistance....flaming oranges and reds backlighting the scene and reflecting off the Gulf of Mexico.  Wow.  By the way, this is straight out of the camera.   To see other Watery Wednesday photos from around the world click here.

Aaaaaah!

Some days you just need to unwind by the time the clock strikes five.  This did the trick last night!  Mother Nature put on quite a show for me at Turtle Beach on Siesta Key....the sky was filled with a dazzling array of hues backlighting a patchwork of wispy clouds.  Right when I thought it couldn't get much better, a chunk of driftwood washed ashore.  It was kind of like a dream....which is what I tried to capture in this image.  (Enlarge it and you'll feel like the water is about to wash over those spidering cracks in the sand, right onto your toes.)  The shooting was so good, I'll probably post a couple more from this series over the next week or so.  In the meantime, I'm disappointed to report I hit a snafu with the SDP poll.  'Taking Photos Outside of Sarasota' was in the lead by two to one, when the poll inexplicably reset itself and indicated no one had voted.  ((sigh))  Thanks to everyone who participated yesterday.  For what it's worth, I'll keep the poll up for a few days if you're interested in voting again.

Watery Wednesday: No Oil

This little boy was so cute staring at the water lapping ashore on Siesta Key Beach and trying to decide if he should dip his purple bucket in the Gulf of Mexico.  Sarasota beaches are still oil free, thankfully.  The Parks Department is reporting that more people are enjoying the beaches here this year than last.  The bump could be the result of stay-cationers (Floridians staying in Florida for vacation) or it could be people who planned trips to Louisiana, Alabama and the Panhandle who are now coming here.  Check out more Watery Wednesday images here.