Dunedin, Florida: Dunedin Causeway To Honeymoon Island: Hot November

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What can I tell you... November 3rd, lunch time, Dunedin Causeway looking toward Honeymoon Island... beautiful, warm, sunshine. That's why people live here. It's just that simple.

So I post this shot for the pleasure of my northern friends and visitors. Yes, I will miss the concept of snow this winter, and wish we had more of a season, but I cannot deny that NOT freezing is not always all that bad. If you click to see the larger version, check out the squiggly lines from the heat coming off the sidewalk. Wow!
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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: Street Signs Mark The Spot

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If you can find these two signs on the same post, then you have found it: Downtown Dunedin, Delightful Dunedin, Good Old Small Town Dunedin.

From here, you can walk in any of four directions and enjoy the sights and sounds of Dunedin. South and East from here you will find a delightful collection of shops and restaurants. North from here will take you to an additional variety of delicious restaurants. West will bring you to the waters edge. That includes a beautiful park and the Dunedin marina. Get out of your car. Walk about. You'll love it. :)

Don't forget: The Clearwater Jazz Holiday continues today in Coachman Park! In fact, Mercedes-Benz welcomes Big Bad Voodoo Daddy tonight at 9:15! Click here for the complete entertainment schedule.
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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: Street Scene At Dusk

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This one is for "Nutraamy", heading out for AmeriCorp.

Downtown Dunedin at dusk is a magical place. When you have a chance, get down there, get out of your car, and have a nice walk about. Trust me, you'll love it.

HEY! Don't forget: The Clearwater Jazz Holiday starts tomorrow in Coachman Park! In fact, Tony Bennett appears tomorrow evening at 8:30pm, presented by WSJT 94.1! Click here for the complete entertainment schedule.
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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: Bike Riding Quiet Guy

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I always try to get out of my office for a little while each day, to get some fresh air and take a walk. I usually go around the same time. It really helps to get out and get moving. I guess it gets the blood pumping, and all the right chemicals feeding into my brain.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have seen this same old man riding his bicycle. Some days it is a blue tricycle, other days a green bicycle. The strange thing is that he just will not say hello. I mean it. The first few times we passed, I always nodded and said hi or good morning. He would just look at me and look away again. So now I just look at him, and he just looks at me, and that's that. I suppose it would just ruin everything if he said hello to me.

PS. Happy Thursday. When is the last time you told the people you love that you love them?
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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: Walking With Crows

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Crows. While enjoying a short walk the other day, I noticed I had company. It seemed weird. I mean, crows are all around us, yes, but it seemed as though they acknowledged my presence. What does it mean, I wondered.

I got no answer, of course, but I wondered just the same. When suddenly you seem to be surrounded by crows, what are they up to? Are they just curious? Are they watching because they know something about me I don't know? Or is it because they sense a kindred troubled soul?

Happy Monday.
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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 Bridge

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Ah yes, we all have our bridges to cross, don't we? Well, I crossed this one happily, lost in the dense 'forests' of Hammock Park. No, it was not difficult, it barely qualifies as a bridge, but I certainly enjoyed getting to the other side.

What about you? How goes the bridge crossing? I guess, depending on what is going on in your life, there are plenty of bridges to represent the varying degrees of difficulty or triumph of your endeavor. This one might stand for just getting to work on time, and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, that spans the mouth of Tampa Bay, might represent beating breast cancer. How about you, what's your latest bridge look like?
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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 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: Honeymoon Island Nature Trail 10

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Ah yes, and here we are... back to the parking lot. Now for that... HEY! WAIT! What are you all doing running away to your cars now? What's that all about?? Helllooooo???? Where'd they go? I can't believe they all just ran to their cars and left! I don't understand...

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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 Nature Trail 9

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Good luck, my friends, that clearing ahead means we are getting very close to the parking lot, where we started. We'll be back to man-made restrooms and water fountains soon! But I have a surprise for you... once we get back to the picnic area at the parking lot.

As it is getting on toward dusk, I know some of you are feeling just a little chilly. We'll take care of that right soon! Hey now, to hear all that grumbling back there, it's enough to make a Nature Trail Guide think you might be tired of hiking this trail with me!

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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 Nature Trail 8: Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

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I seem to be hearing a lot of whining coming from that group in the back, so we'll take a break. While we are breaking, let's all have a wee swig of me Green Wonder Juice out of me little green flask, to celebrate the day! And keep in mind... hey, are you listening? You there, you pack of wheezing slaggards, are you hearing me? Good!

As I was saying, keep in mind it is St. Patrick's Day, so there is a very good chance that we might run into some Leprechauns out here on the Island, looking for some mischief. Don't you listen to nothing they be wanting to whisper in yer ears! I mean it! They'll turn you green and laugh while you sit crying!

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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 Nature Trail 7

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Look down! The other thing I learned, from another smart person, is to look down! When walking on a nature trail like this, with so much to see, one really must look up, and look down, and look all around! Otherwise, we might have missed these raccoon tracks.

Ahhh, I remember when my dear Grandparents would take me on walks in the woods, teaching me all about nature and bird watching and being quiet so I could see the wild things. It was magical!

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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 Nature Trail 6

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Look up! That's what a smart person I know once told me. Look up! People forget this all the time. We tend to observe in a cone somewhere around eye level. But don't forget to look up. That's where eagles fly! That's where clouds go drifting by. That's where woodpeckers and owls are found in trees. That where you'll see nests of hummingbirds and bees.

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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 Nature Trail 5

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Meet Frank and Ethel, they came out to walk the nature trail 13 years ago, and they loved it so much, they never left! That's right. People come out and bring them food, and rumor has it, Frank has a fishing pole stashed somewhere, so he can fish at night. During the day they hunt for the illusive Ivory Billed Woodpecker. I've heard him out there, but never seen him.

Just one note, when we catch up to them and make the introductions... if you are holding a candy bar or energy bar or other such snack in your hand, be ready to give it up. Face it people, those two are probably HUNGRY!

Pssst... just between you and me... I would LOVE to run away and live out there on the island. What an awesome place!
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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 Nature Trail 4

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Look, look, look!!! (much gesticulating and pointing of hands in an upward motion) Ahhhh, there you go, that's why we're here. Well, except for the guy who had to taste the berries. Look at that beautiful view, what a picture indeed.

What you see before you is a nesting pair of Osprey. The one on the branch to the left is obvious, but if you look closely at the nest (click the image above to see a larger version, or click here to see a REALLY big picture), you can see the head of another just above the edge of the sticks.

At this point I would like to remind you all that the Osprey's main food source is fish. So whoever it is that I have been smelling since we met in the parking lot, you know who you are, the one who smells like a bait shack, I recommend you keep a low profile. Don't wiggle too much, eh?

ps: IS IT FRIDAY YET????
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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 Nature Trail 3

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Now... please, please, please, don't go all Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory on me, OKAY?!?! We've already lost one hiker who could not resist tasting the pretty white berries. But know this: There are no Oompa-Loompas here to save you! Alright now, ready to move on then? Good.

When you see scrub areas like this one, enjoy them sensibly. We are quite safe on the path, for the most part, so please stay on the path. When you go off the trail, you intrude into the area that is preserved for the wildlife here. You may be tempted to strike out into the scrub for a closer look at an armadillo, but you may also end up with a way-too-close look at a rattlesnake. Yes, they do live out here on the island. So let's respect their space, and I assure you, they will respect ours.


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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 Nature Trail 2

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Alright everyone, let's stick together, shall we? You there! Stop that! No!

"Ack.. phhllppphhh... ack... aassssspppppllllttthhhhhh..."

Oh bother! Does anyone know the number for nine-one-one? As I was going to say... NO EATING THE BERRIES! I'm afraid our little hike on the Honeymoon Island Nature Trail is off to a sad start, and shall be delayed slightly. (Sorry, no refunds for eating the berries!)
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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!