252) Wekiwa Springs State Park

This past week I spent in Wekiwa Springs S.P. up in central Florida for training. The entire experience was really nice, it's always nice to have a little change of pace every once and a while.





This park was different from mine in many respects, which was nice to be in for a week. There was a lot of spanish moss and oak trees that gave it a very different feel. Being much larger also gave it a nice feel- not being able to see any buildings was a nice change of pace.






Every day except for the last I got up early and headed down to the lake right near our cabins to take pictures and enjoy the morning alone. Every day I did I was treated with a beautiful fog hanging over the lake, and lots of birds. Despite my efforts I was unable to capture any real nice pictures of birds, but I am not really disappointed, There are some things that are better enjoyed by just watching and not trying to capture anything.

251) A Few From Florida

I officially started working on the 4th, so I just finished my second week. Unfortunately being busy and bad weather has inhibited me from shooting much lately, but the last few days I have picked up my camera again and started taking some shots.





I had one very unique and great experience due to the unusually cold weather. Because many of the Florida animals cannot handle cold weather, a lot died just recently. Some of the endangered and priority animals received special attention in the form of being re-located to warmer regions of the state. So on Wednesday of this week myself and a few other people from my park drove up to a coastal park to release some sea turtles that were trucked down from the north. The first one out was a giant 300+ pound Loggerhead. A unique experience to say the least.



These last two pictures are from my park.

250) Favorite Photos of 2009

Unlike my last "favorites of" blog for 2008, this one will just have my favorite shots of the year, not necessarily one per month. Under each photo is a little bit about why I like it and where it was taken.

2009 was an interesting year for me, to say the least. It has taken me to five different countries and a full range of different living conditions. I've gone from the extremes of five star hotels, cuban cigars and Rolls Royce's to secluded mountain homes to weeks at a time in tents and the wilderness to being lost in the jungle over night to some of the worst hotels I have ever seen to opposites sides of a continent to working 16 hour days to being unemployed to seeing many extremes. I've been in cities that have electricity for only three hours a day and I've also been in some of the most modern cities in the world. This year has had a full range of things to offer- but mostly it was all good things- an amazing ride through what life has to offer- it was to me what experience is all about.

These shots are in a rough chronological order, starting first with film from south east Asia and ending with the most recent shot taken from Joshua Tree, California.


Two business men walking in a temple in downtown Hanoi, after lunch.

Parents bathing their baby, street front in rural Laos.

Taken from a boat in rural Vietnam.

Young woman over-looking a large valley in rural Laos.

Woman walking through a doorway in a temple in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Crossing a shallow river in Laos.

Dog poking his head out of the fence in Laos.


THAILAND


Boy and a dog at the coast before dawn.

Girl running across a bridge in some of the most interesting light I had seen all year.

A man riding his moto with his dog in the front.


LAOS


One of the most stunning landscapes I saw all year.

Boats in the river, northern Laos.

The caves of Laos were fantastic to explore.

The interesting thing about these caves is there were no guidelines or restrictions- just enter and do what you please.

Fishing boat on the Mekong River at dusk.


VIETNAM



Man bringing in his bike at night.

Rural river with the most beautiful karst landscape I have ever seen.


A boy at the docks of the river boats.

Karst near the sea and a floating fishing village.

A woman rowing her boat on a foggy afternoon.

A woman riding her bike in Hanoi near a partially destroyed wall.


WISCONSIN


A lake a dawn with mist hanging just on the surface.



COLORADO


Sunrise in the Great Sand Dunes.

Spring waters over flow the rivers in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Climber rappelling in Buena Vista.

Rafting down the Arkansas River.

Will enjoying the views in the northern part of RMNP.

Sunrise in the front range of the Rockies.

A lucky catch of Noah jumping off a ledge at dusk.

The sunrise reflection on mountains and snow high in the rockies.

Sillhouettes of trees at sunset.



NEW MEXICO


The ancient Pueblo Bonitos many doorways in Chaco Canyon.

Fajada Butte at sunset in Chaco Canyon.


CALIFORNIA


Bouldering in Joshua Tree NP in the late afternoon with sillhouettes of Joshua Trees in the background.