Dunedin, Florida: Hammock Park Trail Lunchtime Hike 2

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This is just the thing that makes me long for more time in my life. Not just an extra hour or two, although I would gladly take them. But hours and hours of free time, time that I could spend however I want without penalty or price.

Then I would find a little spot in the woods like this, and sit there with my camera, or without it, and just wait. I would sit there and wait and watch and observe. I would let the forest sounds play to my ear, and I would seek out each different sound as I sat. Then I could truly hear what was being said. I could get to know the world so much better. Not the human world, the fabricated, manufactured world, but the real, natural world... That would be a wonderful thing.
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Hammock Park: Nature Trail Getaway

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If you are on a nature trail in Florida, don't forget to look UP too! You never know when there might be a delicious harvest of juicy citrus fruits dangling just overhead. I saw ample evidence of the local fauna enjoying these citrus fruits, with small piles of peels on the ground beneath the trees.

It's been some nice days of lower humidity lately, and we are still not into the truly hot months yet. So it's been very enjoyable walking the shady trails of Hammock Park lately. I imagine it will still be nice as the summer reaches its peak, as long as you can dress in shorts and a light shirt.
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Hammock Park Trail: The Little Things

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Look down! Yes, don't forget to look down! That's were I found this little fiddle head, at about knee level. What an incredible thing, nature and life... this little fiddle head will grow and uncurl and expand to become a beautiful fern.

Are you familiar with Fractals? That's what this reminds me of. Nature's own fractals. I love to be able to get away from work during the day and enjoy some of the amazement that is nature and the natural world around us.
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Hammock Park Trail Lunchtime Hike

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Here is a little bit more of what Dunedin probably looked like before all the houses were built and streets paved. In fact, this might be what a lot of it still looked like when the Fenway Hotel opened, in 1925! Yesterday, we first started on the Vivian Skinner Grant Trail N. But that is a large, wide open trail, and we are looking for something more intimate, a trail that will get us closer to nature.

So we take a sharp right turn, and start on a much smaller trail. The map is a little confusing. We are on either the Oak Trail W. or the Cline Trail. Either way, it is smaller, more quiet, and takes us deep into the woods (for just a little while). This picture makes me think of Robinson Crusoe. What do you think?
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Hammock Park Lunchtime Sweet Escape

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Sometimes, you just have to get away from it all for a while. Especially if you sit in an office crunching numbers all day. So welcome to my lunchtime escape. I offer you a virtual mini-tour of Hammock Park, in Dunedin, Florida.

So I had a very nice lunch break, enjoying a quiet walk in the woods, listening to all the birds and crickets instead of printers and copiers. Of course, it made it even better to have my camera and capture some of the beauty. This tour will cover just a small part of the park. It would take too long to see it all on a lunch break. But rest assured, we'll be back for more!
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Crosswalk Sign Perspective

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Sometimes, it is a matter of perspective, but not in the traditional sense of the phrase! In this case, it would seem that these crosswalk signs really only make sense when you view them from the intended perspective.

From the perspective of the camera in this image, or the perspective of the person who felt it was okay to litter if it never really hits the ground, these signs don't make sense. But for the person approaching from down either street, walking up to the traffic light, they make perfect sense. I think. :)
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Things Done Right: Merchants Map

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I know I've said it before, and I am sure I will say it again... The City of Dunedin really does it right! This sign, standing near the main walk-in gate at Knology Park baseball field, has a map on either side, just like this, together with a listing of Downtown Dunedin Merchants below it, indexed to the map. Pretty cool.

Now, I have to admit, it is possible that the sign is not the work of the City, but of the local Merchants Association. If that is the case, then kudos to them! However, I stand by my assertion that the City of Dunedin gets it right! (NO, not all the time, and NO, not all things... but enough... enough)
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Typical Dunedin Homes

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!

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This is what some neighborhoods in Dunedin look like. It's pretty typical Florida architecture in some places. Sadly, newer homes often lack the deep shady porches that are so helpful in cooling the home and providing a sense of community. Others give them a truncated sort of porch that really only amounts to lip service.

I have many, many wonderful memories of porches in the houses I grew up in, as well as the houses of my grandparents. The next home I buy will HAVE to have a front porch... or a place to add one on! What about you, are you a porch person?
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Party At The Ballpark: Knology Park Bull Pen Cafe

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Did someone say party at the ballpark?!!? Wahoo! Meet me at the Bull Pen Cafe, at Knology Park, for a chili dog and a beer! Baseball, beer, and chili dogs... I know lots of you out there will say it just doesn't get any better than that.

But hey, let's decide who's paying before we get there, okay? I noticed the sign in the back of the tent. It says a chili dog is $4.75, and bottle beer is $4.00. So, maybe we won't be having any eating contests in the Bull Pen Cafe.
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Knology Park Sign: Jays

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I wanted to post this sign from Knology Park so you would be able to find it when you go! Compared to some, it's really a nice sign. I like that it shows the emblem not only for the Toronto Blue Jays, but also the Dunedin Blue Jays, and even for the Dunedin High School Falcons baseball team!

For those of you who notice such things, I see it as a mark of good photography to notice things like the scrolling marquis sign in the picture, and then time the shot to capture the message in mid scroll. Unfortunately, I cannot claim that title! :)
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Knology Park: Spring Training Toronto Blue Jays

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A quiet day at Knology Park in Dunedin. Once called Dunedin Stadium, Knology Park replaced the very old Grant Field, which dated back to 1930, according to Ballpark Digest. Now it is home to both the Toronto Blue Jays spring training camp AND the Dunedin Blue Jays!
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Fenway Hotel On The Bay Sipping Sunset Event 4

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Did I mention the whole golf thing going on? It was the neatest thing. They had this mini driving range net setup, and the man in the knickers was cracking the stuffing out of those golf balls with oak handled clubs! How cool! Look beyond the action and you will see how close the hotel is to the water. The golf demonstration was setup right out on the front lawn.

Although I did not get the name of the Roaring Twenties Golfer, I did get to meet the man watching him. That is Devin Marks, Director of Reclaiming Our Heritage. It's a rather interesting organization, which developed the Florida Heritage Celebration, as I understand it. Click the names for more information.
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Fenway Hotel On The Bay Sipping Sunset Event 3

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It was such a glamorous evening! Did I mention the FLAPPERS? Yowza, what a showing. These two beautiful ladies certainly lit the place up, I can tell you. I just love their costumes! It seemed like the only thing missing was a lineup of antique cars, discharging carloads of Flappers at the front steps.

The Fenway is a beautiful old landmark hotel, right on Edgewater Dr., with stunning views of the bay beyond. It has been bought by a local man who wants to restore it to its former glory. Certainly it looks much better from the front, already! If you'd like to read about owning a piece of the historic Fenway Hotel landmark, click here.
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Fenway Hotel On The Bay Sipping Sunset Event 2

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This was the scene at the Fenway Hotel on Edgewater Dr. Monday evening. Quite an interesting party they had, with all sorts of Who's Who types. What fun! It was so cool to see the folks that dressed in period costume of the Roaring Twenties, Flappers and all!

I especially enjoyed getting a bit of a look at the interior of the Fenway's lobby. Amazing to imagine the guests coming and going through these same halls and lobby so many years ago. One would think it would be fantastic to have it restored and re-opened!
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Fenway Hotel On The Bay Sipping Sunset Event

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The Fenway, revisited. There was a cocktail party of sorts this evening. At the Fenway Hotel (The Fenway On The Bay), people interested in the preservation of local history and local landmarks gathered to meet and greet each other, and talk about the potential beauty of this grand old hotel. What a splendid evening. And what splendid goings on, and splendid pictures.

You simply must come back tomorrow to see more! There were numerous people in period costume, including a 'right smart chap' giving a golf ball a hard time! It's a beautiful place, and I hope I can show you some images that do it justice. Please, come back tomorrow and let me know.

If you'd like to read more about the Save The Fenway efforts, click here. If you'd like to read about owning a piece of the historic Fenway Hotel landmark, click here.
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Dunedin Fine Art Center Tile Wall

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At the Fine Art Center in Dunedin, there is this really neat wall, outside, all covered in ceramic tiles that seem to be custom made, one of a kind. I am pretty sure they were made in some of the various art classes that are offered at the Center.

It does open one to the possibilities that present themselves when you have lots and lots of any one thing. Even if they are all different in some ways, as long as they are similar in at least one way. All these tiles are ceramic, all the same dimensions. That, in itself, is enough to start with!
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Paloma Lane Street Scene

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Picture if you will... a quiet, peaceful street in a small, cozy town on a sunny, cheerful coastline in Florida. That would be Paloma Lane (of Paloma Lake fame), in wonderful, cozy, friendly, delightful Dunedin, on the West Coast of Florida.

It's a beautiful sunny day, the birds are singing in the trees, the ducks are doing ducky things in the lake and on the grassy banks... all is right in the world. Happy Sunday.
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Shameless Self-Promotion

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Evidently, this person thinks Dunedin Daily Photo is pretty cool. And it's true... I do! I think it's worth telling people about. It's worth asking you to tell other people about. I hope you are enjoying it, and I hope you will help spread the word. I want lots of people to know about Dunedin, and what a cool place it is!

I hope you are having a great weekend, and I hope you enjoy the rest of it. Did you know, the 34th Annual Tarpon Springs Fine Arts Festival is going on this weekend? Yup, even as I write this, art lovers are wandering among the trees and tents at Craig Park on Spring Bayou in Tarpon Springs. Scroll down to see the information I copied from the TarponSprings.com website.
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: 34th Annual Tarpon Springs Fine Arts Festival

Here is what the listing says on TarponSprings.com:

34th Annual Tarpon Springs Fine Arts Festival Apr. 12th -13th - The 34th Annual Tarpon Springs Fine Arts Festival on the Bayou will take place on April 12 and 13 2008 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday at Craig Park on Spring Bayou the west end of Tarpon Avenue . This two-day festival has become one of Florida’s premier juried art festivals and will feature over 240 artists from across the nation. Admission is $2.00 with children under 16 admitted free. The awards ceremony will take place on the bandstand from 11:00 am to noon on Sunday.

One thing that makes this show so great is that there is something for everyone. Since this is a juried Festival it is all fine art. Unlike many shows much of our art creations and jewelry are affordably priced. The venue couldn’t be prettier with the Festival wrapping around Spring Bayou and Craig Park. This is also manatee season in Tarpon Springs. Now is the time to write us in with big letters on April 12th and 13th! Besides the crème de la crème of art the Festival will ply you with a huge variety of food yes there will be kettle corn! drinks and fabulous entertainment. Commemorative T-shirts and posters will be available. No pets or coolers will be allowed in the park.

After the show the merchants in the Historic Downtown and the Sponge Docks will have special events to lure you into their amazing restaurants to continue your experience of Tarpon Springs. This is a whole day and evening event. We have a great selection of hotels and Bed & Breakfasts if you want to really enjoy the City. Make this a Tarpon Springs weekend! The Fine Arts Festival on the Bayou is presented by the Tarpon Springs Chamber of Commerce. Major sponsors include St. Petersburg Times; bright house Networks WSJT 94.1; Eastern Financial Florida Credit Union; Cabot Creamery of Vermont; J&B Truck Body Inc.; Tech Options and Florida Capital Bank. For additional information contact the Tarpon Springs Chamber of Commerce at 727 937-6109.
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: At Least They Said Please

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I'm trying to get my office, at work, classified as an Environmentally Sensitive Area, so I can post this Please Do Not Enter sign outside. My thinking is, if I don't let anyone in, they can't give me more work! Whattya think?

This sign protects some of the wild scrub and grass land out on Honeymoon Island State Park. It's a beautiful area, so I am glad to see it protected like this. It's easy to see how this natural area would support lots of diverse wildlife.

** HAPPY FRIDAY!!!
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Honeymoon Island Dusk

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Did I mention that it was getting dark when I was out at Honeymoon Island? Yep, dusk had settled hard among the pines and wild meadows. This little stretch of road was no exception. So naturally, I had to have a picture...

Now I understand why they set the speed limits in State Parks so low. It seems like agony to drive that slow, but it's to keep people safe. That is to say, they make you drive slowly because you never know when some ________ is going to be lying in the middle of the road to take a picture! :D
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Honeymoon Island Beach: Sea Oats Plantings

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I'll be honest with you, I am not entirely certain that these are Sea Oats, but that is what they remind me of. No matter what they are, they look neat if you ask me. I like that there is an effort being made to 'restore' the beach to a more natural state. It seems like we humans create lots of situations that require restoring, rebuilding or repairing.

This picture was taken when it was just about dark. I love my Nikon D80. With a little tweaking, it becomes a workable image, and a neat look.
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Tubular Tuesday: Wormhole Trip To Clearwater Beach

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Welcome to Tubular Tuesday, when we take a tube ride through a wormhole and end up somewhere else! Today, we end up on Clearwater Beach, Florida, checking out some rental and vacation housing options on the beach...

When it comes to staying on the beach, whether that means living out there, or taking a holiday or vacation, you will find many options for housing. Some will be more reasonable than others, some will be more sophisticated that others. This picture, with its fine balance of sand and sky and housing, shows what some of those options look like.

Wow, it sounds like I am practicing to become a vacation brochure writer! Oy! Well, here is another part of Clearwater Beach. So you get a little more idea what it is all about down here. Come visit, bring lots of money, or whatever you've got, and have a bunch of fun in the sun. Please... don't forget your sunscreen!

(I hope you enjoyed this recent post from my Clearwater Beach Daily Photo website.)
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Waterfront Trail by Edgewater Drive

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This is the trail next to Edgewater Drive that follows the waterfront for a few miles. In fact, it starts in Clearwater, at the southern border of Dunedin and will take you all the way north to the Dunedin Marina, just a block from Downtown Dunedin. Pretty cool. It's a beautiful, peaceful place to walk. Great for strolling while you watch the sunset. This is not part of the Pinellas Trail, although it is just as nice.

In this picture, you are looking North, and the Dunedin Marina is just beyond those condos you can see at the left. This was taken just a little before sunset.
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Dunedin Marina: Wood Trimmed Sail Boat

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As I have admitted before, I don't know an awful lot about sailboats. But I do know when I see one that I like. This one seems like a sweet, simple boat. Clean lines, some beautiful wood trim. I like it.

The boat beyond, what looks like a classic Chris Craft, is pretty nice looking too. These beauties were tied up at the Dunedin Marina when I snapped them. As for me, at the moment my boating world revolves around my kayaks. No wind needed, no fuel for thirsty engines... just me and my paddle, kayaking the peaceful waters of Tampa Bay.
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Edgewater Drive: Waterfront Light Show: Sunset

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A light show of a different sort. Truth. Light. Water. Sky.

The quintessential Florida life. There is the sky: mostly blue, mostly clear. There is the water: bluish green, supporting of life and leisure. The light, from the Sun that shines so often and so brightly. There is Truth... the truth of Florida, of Dunedin, of Edgewater Drive, of a man wade-fishing, the sun setting, the palm trees silhouetted against the flaming horizon. The Truth of simply being, wherever and whenever you may be, whoever and however you may be, whatever and whyever you may be. Truth. Simply True.
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Edgewater Drive: Waterfront Light Show

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The funny thing is, it didn't look like a light show when I was down there snapping pictures! It just looked like cars driving by, and the sun going down, and a beautiful golden glow covering all the wonderful homes there.

I know these pictures are easy to come by, but it doesn't seem to keep me from taking some more of them whenever I get the chance. It's like clouds, trees, and so on... there are certain subjects that, no matter how many images of them I might already have, I always snap some more when I see it again. Oy! What about you?
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: City Of Dunedin, City Hall

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I guess you could say this is the heart of the City of Dunedin. City Hall, the one and only. Cool. It's really a pretty nice looking place. I LOVE the tree out front... way cool.

I have to give them credit... it's not some overdone palace of waste. They seem to run a really nice City, providing a nice place to live and work and play.
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

**NEWS UPDATE**: Willa Carson Health Resource Center: Donation Challenge Underway!

Okay, it's been over a week since I first posted this story about the free clinic in Clearwater that needs your help. Perhaps you have been waiting for someone else to go first... perhaps you have been wishing for more proof of legitimacy... well here you go.

"Last week, the Garrett Staples Osteosarcoma Research Fund presented the center with a check for $10,000 and issued a challenge to the residents of Tampa Bay. For every dollar donated to the center through April 18, the Garret Staples Foundation will match the amount."

That's right out of the St. Petersburg Times, as of today! Click here to read it for yourself. This would be a real good time to step up and do something for each other! Please, let people know about this. Even if they don't have $10,000, they can make a difference. Even just $10 will make a difference. Click here to read the text of the original story.

They are running out of money, and they need help.

Click here to visit the Center's website (it is not complete yet, but there is good information about them). They are a legally registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation according to the website.

Everyone's financial story is different, so I leave it up to you to decide how to help, if you are so inclined. But consider this... to some of you out there, $100 would be no big deal at all. To others, $1,000 would never be missed, and so on. If you are like me, you might not even have $10 to help with right now.

We all help in ways that we can. I can write about it here, and try to get the word out to more people who might be able to help. You might know someone who can spare $20, or $20,000. Ask them. Tell them. Please. Ask you employers, if appropriate. I am going to ask mine.

If you or someone you know can mail a check, make it payable to: Willa Carson Health Resource Center, and mail it to: 1108 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Clearwater, FL, 33755. Thanks for reading all this.

*** I am running this at the top of my blog for a while, so just scroll down for the daily photo each day. ***

Dunedin, Florida: Garden Snakes In The Boxwood Hedge

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This friendly little face was enjoying the sun from the top of my boxwood hedge one day. As I like snakes, I took it as a good sign, and was happy that he would call my place his home. Snakes do a lot of good, and this little guy is about as harmless as you can get.

What about you, out there, any snake lovers out there?
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: April Theme Day: WATER: Honeymoon Island Beach

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I find it amazing, really, what an attraction we have for water. I don't mean just the water we drink, or wash with, but ANY water. Even water we can use for neither. Take the beach, for example. Honeymoon Island Beach, it's a State Park, is very popular. People come from all around to enjoy the beach... the water. If you take away the water, it's just sand. You can get it anywhere. But when you add water, it becomes a beach, a magic place. Even people who have no intention to get in it, drink it, walk on it, bathe in it, etc., will come to the beach... just to sit near it!

There are almost 200 Daily Photo bloggers participating in Theme Day today. I encourage you to wander through the list below, and check out 'WATER' around the world.

theme day id=13

Adelaide, Australia by Gordon, Albuquerque (NM), USA by Helen, American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Ararat, Australia by Digger, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Bandung, Indonesia by Guntur Purwanto, Barton (VT), USA by Andree, Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro by Paja, Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro by Bibi, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Bogor, Indonesia by Gagah, Boston (MA), USA by Sarah, Whit, & Leyre, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Boston (MA), USA by Fenix - Bostonscapes, Brighton, UK by Harvey, Brookville (OH), USA by Abraham, Budapest, Hungary by Isadora, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cape Town, South Africa by Kerry-Anne, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chicago (IL), USA by b.c., Christchurch, New Zealand by Michelle, Clearwater (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Clearwater Beach (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Cypress (TX), USA by Riniroo, Dallas/Fort Worth (TX), USA by A Wandering Soul, Dunedin (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, East Gwillimbury, Canada by Your EG Tour Guide, Evry, France by Olivier, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Greenville (SC), USA by Denton, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Guelph, Canada by Pat, Gun Barrel City (TX), USA by Lake Lady, Hamilton, New Zealand by Sakiwi, Hampton (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Haninge, Sweden by Steffe, Helsinki, Finland by Kaa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Hyde, UK by Old Hyde, Inverness (IL), USA by Neva, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jakarta, Indonesia by Santy, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Jogjakarta, Indonesia by Jogja Portrait, Joplin (MO), USA by Victoria, Juneau (AK), USA by Gwyn, Katonah (NY), USA by Inkster1, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, Kyoto, Japan by Tadamine, Lake Forest Park (WA), USA by Azure, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Las Vegas (NV), USA by Mo, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lisbon, Portugal by Maria João, Lodz, Poland by ritalounge, London, UK by Mo, London, UK by Ham, Mainz, Germany by JB, Maple Ridge, Canada by Susan, Marseille, France by Alex, Mazatlan, Mexico by Kate, Melbourne, Australia by Mblamo, Melbourne, Australia by John, Memphis (TN), USA by SouthernHeart, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico City, Mexico by Poly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Minsk, Belarus by Olga, Monrovia (CA), USA by Keith, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Montego Bay, Jamaica by Ann, Monterrey, Mexico by rafa, Moscow, Russia by Irina, Mumbai, India by MumbaiiteAnu, Mumbai, India by Kunalbhatia, Mumbai, India by Magiceye, Nancy, France by yoshi, Naples (FL), USA by Isabella, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Orleans (LA), USA by steve buser, New York City (NY), USA by Ming the Merciless, Niamey, Niger by Dinabee, Norfolk (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Norman (OK), USA by Chad & LaCresha, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Nottingham, UK by Gail's Man, Odense, Denmark by ania odense, Omsk, Russia by Nataly, Orlando (FL), USA by OrlFla, Oslo, Norway by Lothiane, Paderborn, Germany by Soemchen, Paris, France by Gordio, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia by Murphy_jay, Pilisvörösvár, Hungary by Elise, Pont-à-Mousson, France by Tintin-j, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa by Sam, Port Townsend (WA), USA by raf, Port Vila, Vanuatu by Mblamo, Portland (OR), USA by NWgal, Portland (ME), USA by Corey, Portsmouth (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Prague, Czech Republic by Honza03, Quincy (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Riga, Latvia by Prokur, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saigon, Vietnam by Simon, Saint Louis (MO), USA by 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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Honeymoon Island Beach: Honeymoon Cafe, Kayak

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From the beach, looking up toward Cafe Honeymoon... or is it Honeymoon Cafe? I cannot remember! But I think you get the idea. A place for a drink and some grub, while you sit at the railing and look out over the Gulf of Mexico, and Honeymoon Beach. Not bad if you ask me.

In fact, if you look directly below the flag, you will see a couple sitting there, just then, doing just that. I like it! If you are in the area, and thinking about someplace new and different to try, why not try this?
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Honeymoon Island Beach: Memorial Bench

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Stan and Rita have gone fishing. For good.

This bench, this memorial bench, can be found on Honeymoon Island Beach. Honeymoon Island is a State Park, and so far, every bench I have seen out there has a memorial on it.

I don't know Stan and Rita Maneski. Someone not only knew them, but loved them enough to take the time and energy and money to have this dedication carved into a bench and installed on the beach on Honeymoon Island. It makes me wonder, will anyone love me that much after I am gone? Or, does it matter?
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: It's All About Control

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Like yesterday's image, this one is all about control. The railings in yesterday's post were there to control where we humans walk. The machinery in this post are there to control the water that carries our waste.

It's nice that the City Of Dunedin paints them a subtle green. I just don't think it would be as pleasing if they painted them brown!
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Honeymoon Island Beach: Patterns

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Sometimes the shortest route... is not available!
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Honeymoon Island Beach: Remains Of The Day

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Where does the day go? Where does the time go? One minute, we are sitting in the sand playing with our sand castle mold and bucket and shovel (all plastic, of course), and the next minute we are paying mortgages, bucking for a raise, and worrying about the world economy. While I wish someone would have warned us while we were playing in the sand, I'm glad I didn't see all this coming.

A note about yesterday's post: Live shelling... 'shelling', in general, refers to strolling along the beach picking up seashells (dead, no animal inside). Live shelling would involve strolling along the beach looking for, and picking up, living sea creatures in their shells. There are places along the Florida coast where you can wade into the water and pick up live scallops to take home for dinner, for example. That would be considered live shelling.
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Honeymoon Island Beach: Live Shelling & Rip Tide Signs

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As if in counterpoint to the person on the jet ski, catching air off the tops of waves, we find the Rip Current warning sign. It can be quite dangerous to encounter a rip tide when you don't expect it, or know what it is. The natural instinct is to fight like crazy to get back to shore. Wrong.

As crazy as it seems, you are better off drifting out with the rip current, conserving your energy. Then, when it releases you, swim back to shore in a path that takes you around the current. 'For best results' read these signs when you see them, and ALWAYS observe life guard instructions or posted signs like these. It can save your life!
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Honeymoon Island Beach SURF!

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You could also title this post: Crazy Jet Ski Dude Catches Major Air In Super Surf Off Honeymoon Island Beach! But that seems just a little bit too long, even for me! :D

As I told you yesterday, I was out on Honeymoon Island Beach to try to snap some cool wave shots. Since we actually had some 'surf' the other day, with the coastal surf advisory they had posted. Something to do with some weather system bringing in heavier than usual wave and surf activity. So I am wandering about snapping pictures, when I notice these two little black dots dancing across the wave tops. Huh?

So I pointed me handy-dandy 70-300 (attached to my Nikon D80) at the black dots. Lo and behold, there I see a couple of jet skis, complete with crazy dudes, riding the waves. I think he is actually wearing a helmet, but I cannot be sure. Not a bad idea if you think about it.
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Honeymoon Island Beach WAVES!

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On a recent afternoon, when I checked the weather, we had a coastal surf warning, or some such thing. They were actually warning us about much stronger, bigger waves than usual. Well here with the Gulf Of Mexico, we just don't get all that much serious wave action. So I decided to head out to Honeymoon Island after work, and see what I could snap.

I soon realized that it can be difficult to capture the impressive increase in wave activity. This is due, in part, to the fact that the waves were still not big by most standards. But they were bigger, and stormy. We might usually see waves about one foot around here, and I would have to say these waves were more like three feet. I really tweaked this image to make it 'pop'. Check back to tomorrow to see what one guy did with these waves, and no, he was not surfing!
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Honeymoon Island Beach: Ample Parking & HAPPY EASTER!

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Yes, it IS just a parking lot. Something about it must remind me of a happy childhood memory, because I like this picture. So I share it with you.

Notice, if you will, the largest building you can see in the distance. It's just to the right of the bathhouse down the sidewalk from where I was standing. At this angle, with the help of Google Earth, I am pretty sure we are looking at the Dunedin Mease Hosital. That's 4 miles away, by the way. Cool, eh?

You could hide a LOT of Easter Eggs out there to hunt for! HAPPY EASTER!!
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Honeymoon Island Beach At Dusk

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When I look at this image, it brings memories of how it felt to stand there on the beach at dusk. There was a firm breeze, I could smell the woodlands of the island as well as the saltwater. It was peaceful. I could feel my 'batteries' recharging.

The amazing thing is that this place is just a short drive from Downtown Dunedin. It's only ten or fifteen minutes at the most. I think it must be the park admission that keeps it from being crowded all the time.
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Lush Florida Style Landscaping

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I am afraid this photograph just doesn't capture the lushness I feel when I see this yard in person. It's not the most wonderful yard landscape I have ever seen, but it is basic, and effective, and welcoming. It just feels good to look at it.

I think the low hedge is Plumbago, which a lot of people use in this neighborhood. The vines on the arbor are, I think, some sort of Jasmine. I could be wrong. Jasmine is one of my favorite plants, and there are so many wonderful varieties. In the yard of a former home, I had no less than seven varieties of Jasmine growing, including Night Blooming Jasmine. They really filled the yard with the most wonderful smells. What's your favorite plant?
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Old Rusty Metal Industrial Building: Ready To Recycle

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This place is on my list of buildings I would like to take the time to record thoroughly, with my camera. It's old. It's industrial. It's metal. It's rusty. I love it. I'm one of those people who, IF he had millions, would buy old places like this (and old barns) and turn them into really cool homes that look like old rusty buildings. Makes perfect sense doesn't it?

While I look at something like this and think it should be recycled, I also think how wonderful it is that Nature can, in time, completely wipe away all traces of our existence. Or perhaps I should give that credit to Time, not Nature. Or perhaps it is the Nature of Time? Or they work together? What do you think?
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If you would like to see more of this area, check out Clearwater Beach Daily Photo, and Clearwater Daily Photo. If you enjoy photography, check out my photography blog. Thanks for coming today, I hope you enjoyed your mini-vacation to Dunedin, Florida!