Trip to Florida: Part Three

Here we go..

on to Part Three of my Florida Photos!

We ALL can use some cheerful flower pictures

THIS time of year, no?:

I was totally smitten with this large Ibis by our hotel.

He had GREEN around his eyes.

GREEN, people!!

I LOVED it!:

SEE???

See why I was smitten"??!!:

My feet in the Atlantic ocean.

By the way, the Atlantic was SOOOO much warmer this year than the Gulf waters!:

(Try NOT to look at my freakish bunions. My apologies for the nightmares ahead of time).

A kayaker!

(I would be too afraid of high waves and huge fish. God Bless him.):

A very cool dead tree on a rest stop when we first got across the Florida

state line.

We stopped there last year too because it was such a pretty spot!:

Palms leaves!!!:

A lovely, fuzzy, pelican head:

One of the delights for me every time I go to Florida

are the Pelicans.

There are always some by our hotel:

There are plenty more pictures of my Florida adventure....

so keep stopping in!!

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Don't forget to enter the March 2011 FREE PHOTO CONTEST!
This month's theme is:

RED

That's right...use your imagination and send me your winning photo for the theme of red.

You don't have to be a Blogger to enter...
just follow
THESE RULES
and enter no later than midnight, on March 31st.

Trip to Florida: Part Two

Let's continue today with some more random

Florida pictures...

because I know everyone is in a winter slump up north yet!

A prickly cactus just laying beside a road:

A gorgeous flower we saw when we went on a walk.

Is this a Camilia?  Begonia?  Anyone???:

Seagulls chillin' by the waves:



Saw this Dad and his little girl as he was giving her loving surfing lessons:

Madeira Beach around dusk. Those two chairs are calling me today, how about you?:

A longer shot of the same spot:

Seagulls admiring the sunset:

Another chair awaits you!:

Lovely Hibiscus!:

More  posts are coming of some more Florida

and even of some Savannah....

stay tuned!!

Trip to Florida: Part ONE

I know by NOW

you must be tired of winter, no matter WHERE you live.

And, I have other winter pictures to still show you.

But not now.

Because we went to Florida for a few weeks

and I want to think sunshine right now

and share those photos with you instead.

So put on your flip flops, grab a Marguerita and lets get dancing, shall we?

In this first series, I am just going to show some random

Florida shots for you.

I have specific places I will show you as time goes on,

but for the first few photos in the blogpost series, I just want to show you random

Florida pictures instead.

These little critters are all about.

They don't scare me or creep me out....I think they are cute.

I think they are called Anoles:

Here is a different shot of another one:

This was taken on the Atlantic side of Florida, on the Lantana beach, near West Palm Beach.

I thought this little toddler looked so cute on the beach.

His mom was just to the left watching him...but he was sooo focused on playing in the beach sand:

Madeira Beach. On the gulf side of Florida, south of Tampa:

Here they are...empty and waiting for YOU:

Or...

you can always go cruising on the water:

We took a car trip down from Madeira Beach to Bradenton.

This is the bridge we had to drive over to get there...

loved the architecture of the bridge!:

This time, his sister joined him in the sand activities!:

I know a lot of people think Seagulls are pests.

I like them!

And the Florida seagulls are different than the ones we see on Lake Superior...

so I had to keep taking their picture!:

I hope it is getting a little sunnier

everyday where you live...

if not outside...

than in your heart.

Here they Are!! February 2011 Free Photo Contest Entries: Theme: Old Barns!!!

I have them for YOU.

Yes, YOU.

Here are the entries submitted into our February 2011's

FREE PHOTO CONTEST!

The theme was:

OLD BARNS.

And you won't be disappointed!

If you have submitted a photo to me following the rules and deadlines,

and

you do not see it below....

Please contact me immediately so that I can edit this as a repost and include it.

It is possible that I forgot somebody, and I will wait a few days to contact my judges.

So, if I goofed, let me know immediately, ok?

Now that

that is out of the way....

Here we go:

This one is from Brandon S.  He does not have a blog.

This one is from Sharon. Her blog is called: "Sharon's Paws Create"

This one is from Miss Arti. Her blog is called: "My Yatra Diary".

This is from Linda. Her blog is called: "Linda's Letters".

This is from Muffy. Her blog is called: "Muffy's Marks".

This is from Ruth H.  Her blog is called: "Ruth's Photo Blog".

This one is from Nat. Her blog is called: "Just Nat".

This one is from Connie. Her blog is called: "Far Side of Fifty Photos".

This one is from Mistaya (Gail). Her blog is called: "Life of Rescued Pound Puppies in their Own Words".

This one is from Judy.  She has two blogs. One is called: "The Road to Here" and the other one is called: "Through Squirrel Eyes".

 This one is from Teresa S. Her blog is called: "Gardening with Soule".



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OMG!
Weren't they ALL marvelous shots???

My poor judges!

I want to thank everybody for submitting to this month's contest and for your time in doing so.
You are the reason this contest is so much fun!!

Please tell all your readers to stop by this blogpost to see your entry into the contest.
And, why you are at it, please invite them to join my blog as a Follower??? I just noticed that I am verrrry close to 400 Followers, and that would just MAKE MY DAY if I hit 400 this week!!! SQUEEEE!!

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And now, you ask....

What is the THEME for MARCH 2011's
FREE PHOTO CONTEST????

RED.

Yes, you read that right: RED.

Submit anything you think fits the theme of RED by midnight, March 31st.
(I know, I know, green is traditionally thought of for March, but I did that last year..so RED it is!!)

Have fun being creative and follow THESE RULES.

You don't have to be a blogger to enter.
Good luck!!!

Winter on Lake Superior: Part Two

Here is the second set of

winter pictures

of Lake Superior

that I promised you!!

I know many of you already have green grass poking up

and some of you

even have spring flowers blooming.

Believe me,

in the U.P. (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan,

we won't see true spring

until April

and even sometimes, we still get snow in April or May.

So, we learn to love the beauty of our winters

and embrace spring with great celebration here when it finally DOES arrive!

In the meantime, enjoy our winter beauty pictures!

Icy walkway to the gorgeous lighthouse:

Ice and snow on shore!:

Winter shoreline drama!:

Island ice:

Snow coming down

on the icy walkway out to the lighthouse:

Icy shores looking out at the icy lighthouse!:

Icy islands that look like floating iceburgs!:

Another view of the winter lighthouse:

A lonely winter park bench!:

Winter's grip on the shore trees:

Long shot of the same place:

Winter lake scene:

Snowing on the

icy

walkway to the lighthouse:

It is so hard to believe that in just a few weeks,

all of this will melt away...

life will again come to the trees and the grass,

and it will look totally different.

Nature is so amazing!