Dunedin, Florida: 6th Annual BOWser Games Highlander Park TODAY!

Don't forget! Enjoy a day of Family and Pet Fun with your pet at the 6th Annual BOWser Games! That's right, it's TODAY, NOW, Saturday, February 9th, at Highlander Park, here in delightful Dunedin, Florida. From 10 AM to 3 PM you can enter your dog in different contests, have him/her try the agility course, check out the pet related vendors and lots more! Call 727-710-7387 for more information. The Games are sponsored in part by the Pinellas Animal Foundation. And if you get a chance, stop by the Natural Pet Health Food Store booth, and tell Matt that Dunedin Daily Photo says hi!

But that's not all! If it's still early in the day, you can head over to Pioneer Park, in Downtown Dunedin, for the Mardi Parti for Pups event! It starts at 8 AM and will keep you and your dog busy with lots of fun, and a parade even (at 9:30am), until 11 AM. Call 727-738-2920 or 727-812-4545 for more information.

And be sure to check out We Love Dog Pictures.

Dunedin, Florida: 17th Annual Mardi Gras 2008 IV

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Welcome back to Hats of Mardi Gras 2008 - Dunedin, Florida.

I have never seen a hat with a tail like that! It makes me wonder, which came first, Dr. Seuss or Mardi Gras? Yeah, you see it too... I mean, Mardi Gras is like The World Of Dr. Seuss... on booze. But don't get me wrong. It was a lot of fun, and everyone I saw was really enjoying themselves. That is a fine thing. My only regret about that evening was that it didn't occur to me to buy one of the hats, so I could wear it to work. :D

Okay, you know the drill, down below you find four more pictures of the goings on that I thought you just might enjoy. I have them setup to open in a new window when you click them. (So be sure to click on the small photos to see larger images in a new window.)

About the smaller photos below:
Top Left: Where do I even begin? This guy was riding around on this totally whacked out bicycle, not really dressed up for Mardi Gras, but THE HAT! What the heck? Yeah, it's a PICKLE! And if you click to see the large image, you can read that it says "Pickle Man" on his hat, and 'Chip's Paintless Dent Repair" on his bike. Yes, we are all selling something, aren't we. Now check out the little girl to his left... and the DOG (Yorkie?) in the stroller!

Top Right: The woman in the center of this photo really was something of an attention getter. We couldn't help but notice her. She seemed to have a uniquely elegant air about her... with a couple of interesting tattoos too! Then, when I checked out the image full size, I saw a surprise... the man looking out his window in the top left corner of the frame!

Bottom Left: This one booth had the neatest sculpted leather masks! Very cool! Click for a closer look, they really are wonderful!

Bottom Right: I love this shot, because every time I see these people, who had staked out places to watch the parade very early, I can't help but see them as 'behind bars'. And the folks eating their dinners there just add to the whole jail house thing for me. Meanwhile, if you look in the center of the picture, you may notice the stars of yesterday's main photo, before he got his Mardi Gras hat on. You also get to see the woman he is with from the front, if you were wondering about all those straps! :)


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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: 17th Annual Mardi Gras 2008 III

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Welcome back to Hats of Mardi Gras 2008 - Dunedin, Florida.

Now there is a man with a hat! That is a hat to be reckoned with. Funny thing, while I thought I was focusing on HIS hat, my camera seemed to focus on HER straps! What a collection of straps it is too! Later, when I was able to examine the image more closely, I realized that the lady also had a hat to be reckoned with! Can you see the name at the bottom? Click to enlarge if it helps.

As promised, here are some more pictures of the crowd and the fun and the food booths and so on and so on and so on. (Be sure to click on the small photos to see larger images in a new window.)

About the smaller photos below:
My what a fine collection of pretty's, eh? But not to touch, no, not to touch. These are simply for display.(top left). Get your t-shirts, they're really cool. You went to Mardi Gras, your nobody's fool! (top right).

Anyone hungry? There's plenty of food. But cut in line, and you might get BOO'd! If you notice the couple in green and purple shirts, toward the back of this shot, they seemed to have a lot of fun dancing to the live music later. He's a light-pole kind of dancer... standing still with his arm held out high, while she holds onto his hand and twirls and dances under his arm. (bottom left). "Are you lookin' at me? Are you lookin' at me? Are you takin' a picture? Don't let me wife see!" (bottom right).


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Don't forget! Enjoy a day of Family and Pet Fun with your pet at the 6th Annual BOWser Games! That's right, it's TOMORROW, Saturday, February 9th, at Highlander Park, here in delightful Dunedin, Florida. From 10 AM to 3 PM you can enter your dog in different contests, have him/her try the agility course, check out the pet related vendors and lots more! Call 727-710-7387 for more information. The Games are sponsored in part by the Pinellas Animal Foundation. And if you get a chance, stop by the Natural Pet Health Food Store booth, and tell Matt that Dunedin Daily Photo says hi!

But that's not all! If you want to get an earlier start on the fun with your dog tomorrow, head over to Pioneer Park, in Downtown Dunedin, for the Mardi Parti for Pups event! It starts at 8 AM and will keep you and your dog busy with lots of fun, and a parade even, until 11 AM. Call 727-738-2920 or 727-812-4545 for more information.

And be sure to check out We Love Dog Pictures.

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: 17th Annual Mardi Gras 2008

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Thinking ahead about putting up a good post for the Mardi Gras celebration, I struggled with how to make it all flow. Then, as I reviewed my photographs, I saw a pattern emerging. One thing stood out by far, and that is HATS! So we embark on a new series today. Hats of Mardi Gras - Dunedin, Florida.

Along with the wonderfully crazy hats, there were lots of fun sights and sounds. So each day, while we feature a hat in the space above, we will have a table of smaller photos below. (Be sure to click on the small photos to see larger images in a new window.)

About the smaller photos below:
Did I mention, Budweiser DOMINATED this Mardi Gras celebration. In fact, if you look closely at some of the pennant banners in the photos, you will see that the little flags alternate between 'Pardi Gras' and the various Budweiser brands (top left). These guys are seriously into beads. Or they're working too hard at compensating for something. Every hand in this photo is wrapped around a bottle/can of Budweiser, which might be why they are staring at the GIANT Budweiser bottle/can balloon. Hey, if it is shaped like a bottle, but made out of aluminum, is it a bottle or a can? (top right).

Bellini Restaurant had a woman singing out front, and it sounded really nice (bottom left). Of course, there were lots of places to outfit yourself with the requisite Mardi Gras gear. Everything from masks to feathered boas and lots of other fun stuff (bottom right).


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...HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

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: Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday

Happy Waitangi Day to all my good friends from New Zealand who sometimes land here looking for Dunedin, New Zealand. Thanks for visiting, even if it was by accident! :)

Waitangi Day, according to a New Zealand Government site I found, is "a day set aside by the New Zealand Government as a 'public holiday' to be observed throughout the country as a 'national day of thanksgiving in commemoration of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi’ in 1840 between Mäori and the British Crown". Click the following links for more information about Waitangi Day: Wiki, Waitangi.com, Govt.NZ.

Meanwhile, in Dunedin, FL, USA... Can you say MARDI GRAS!?!?!?!?!

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That's right, Tuesday was Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, in Dunedin's Downtown District. The Downtown Merchants Association sponsored a wonderful evening of festivities with fun, and strange sights, for all. And because I am sure they were part of making this happen, thanks to the City of Dunedin too. I had a chance to stroll the sidewalks with my camera, in the early part of the evening, before the light was too little, and the festivities too much. Let me just say, I think maybe Mardi Gras means: Night Of A Thousand Strange People! :D

So, here is the first crop of fun photos of people having a good time. Of course, the couple dancing above might have been having more fun than most. But they were also making it that much more fun for the rest of us. In the next two or three posts, I will show you more of the sights and fun that were to be had this evening. I hope you enjoy the show. (Be sure to click on the small photos to see larger images in a new window)

Below, you can see the live entertainment and sidewalk dining at Bellini Restaurant (top left). There was also an excellent group playing at La Maison Gourmet restaurant (top right). Dunedin Fire Rescue were out in force. Hey, it's a small town, right, so why not a small ambulance? (bottom left). Sitrling Winery's street front bar would be doing a brisk business as the evening wore on. In the right foreground you can see a good example of BEADS GONE WILD (bottom right).


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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 virtual visit to Dunedin, Florida!

Dunedin, Florida: Honeymoon Island Sunset #1

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I think I will just let this one speak for itself.


I do, however want to mention the big event happening this evening on Main Street in Downtown Dunedin! Can you say Mardi Gras!?!?!?! That's right, the Downtown Merchants Association brings Mardi Gras to Dunedin tonight, from 5pm to 11pm. There will be a parade that starts at Knology Park at 7:30pm and ends up on Main Street. There will be live entertainment before and after the parade, as well as wine, food, and souvenirs for sale. Admission is FREE!

Oh, and this coming Saturday, your pet is welcome at the BOWser Games at Highlander Park in Dunedin. Yup, 10am to 3pm, it's all about family and pets and fun and FREE!
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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!

Dunedin, Florida: Honeymoon Island View 2

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This is another view from the Nature Center on Honeymoon Island. This view is looking to the southwest. In the distance on the right, you are seeing the Gulf Of Mexico. The building that seems to be on the water is the Honeymoon Cafe. To the left of the Honeymoon Cafe, in the far distance, you can see just a sliver of land with some buildings on it (easier to see if you click on the picture and enlarge it). That is Clearwater Beach. Left of those buildings, you see a dark green strip of land, separated from Honeymoon Island by a narrow bit of water. The green strip of land is the north end of Caladesi Island, and the water is Hurricane Pass.

Here is a satellite image from Google Maps that might be of interest. This image was captured before the nature center was built. The water at the bottom left of the image is the Gulf Of Mexico. The water at the bottom, where you can see a boat traveling, is Hurricane Pass.


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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!

Dunedin, Florida: Honeymoon Island: View From Nature Center

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If you have any chance at all, at any time, you really must get out to visit Honeymoon Island State Park. There are a variety of features to enjoy there. It's only US$5 for a carload of people, or US$3 if you are alone. It's just not that far away from anywhere in Dunedin, so if you are a local who hasn't been there, then you are missing out on a real gem.

You can start at the Nature Center if you like. This is the view from the deck of the Nature Center, looking south out over St. Joseph Sound. You can see the eastern shore of Honeymoon Island curving away and into the distance. All the greenery is there for you to explore. There are beautiful trails out there, to get you into the woods, as well as the wonderful beaches facing the Gulf Of Mexico and Hurricane Pass. Don't forget the pet beach, and there is also a place to eat called Honeymoon 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!