I'm usually up at school in northern Indiana, so i didn't let an opportunity to photography Florida pass me by.

 

Palm Leaf

Coconuts

Magnolia

Leaf in Sand

I haven't posted in a few weeks, mostly because I've been laying on Ft. Myer's Beach in Florida!!....and now that i'm home it's taken me a few days to catch up on everyone's wonderful posts.  i missed you guys!  While we were in Florida, we visited the Edison-Ford Winter Homes.   One of the largest banyan trees in the world grows on the property.  It was a gift from Harvey Firestone in 1925.
Shots from the property:
Edison Living Room, his Lab. Notice the cot on the left.  Edison would work very late into the night and would sleep in the lab rather than wake his wife during the night. More from inside the lab....1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Henry Ford House: not many. the house is under restoration.  Living Room,   Stairway,

This past week I drove up to the Fla. Panhandle and these were the daytripper shots. 1st stop was a cemetery in Micanopy
I stand alone
Great Oak
Great Oak 2
Then off to Appalatchacola. . . you know where Forrest Gump crashed his shrimp boat into the dock.
Capt. Fuzz
and it sank.
 Bail Out
 down 1 Fathom
then it was off to Chicopee where it was the End of the Line
Finally ended up in Niceville, where the driftwood is unique. Drift Skywards

My wife and I had a chance to spend the weekend together at Daytona Beach last weekend. The weather was great and I took several pics. Gulls are always eager to poseDESCRIPTION_HERE The beach was also beautifullDESCRIPTION_HERE DESCRIPTION_HERE We took a ride over the beach, excellent sceneryDESCRIPTION_HERE An old Janzen swimwear sign caught my eyeDESCRIPTION_HERE Lastly, we enjoyed a moonlight walk and talking with the fishermen.DESCRIPTION_HERE All in all a beautifull time with a beautifull Lady.

My Greeting for WILMA
1st Hurricane Charley on Friday Aug the 13th 2004 Last year
NOW
Here comes Hurricane Wilma
I am as prepared as I can get
I am leaving tommorrow to go north of Tampa to safer ground

The path of Charley
Here is a pic showing the path of Charley  

Another Pic from Space showing excatly where I am

My Poor 1966 Corvair
( I have already cut much of the tree off of her
The windshield was broken - the hood - roof and front trunk lid ( the engine is in the rear ) were dented and the $2000.00 paint job was ruined by tree sap and scratches
My insurance company paid me ONLY $127.00 AND i HAD full coverage -- go figure
( FEMA DID NOTHING NOR DID THE Fla State Insurance Commission ) The adjuster said he did not see any REAL restoration efforts on the car !!!!!!!
More un-needed stress  

The Bomb Shelter / Storm Cellar
Thats Me in this Picture -- I am NOT  a giant (BUT  I am 6'6" ) - the door is ONLY 5ft and used to be 6 inch thick metal
 My house was built in 1962 right after the Cuban Missile Crisis and has a 'fall-out' shelter
I know not many of the visitors to this page will remeber Fallour Sahelters OR "DUCK AND COVER" -- ask your parents about that ----
but Many people were afraid of Russia Bombing us AND built these

It features three foot thick ceiling and 2 1/2 foot thick walls and a hand cranked flitered air pump to draw in filtered fresh air

It makes a great storm shelter BUT my significant other is afraid of it flooding and will not stay in it
I put My Blue and Gold Macaw ~~~ "Prince Gilligan of Florda" ~~ in the shelter for Charley where he hunkered down ( We had little warning that Charley was goinf to hit us -- as the webpage mentioned lower relates )---- I will not do the same for Wilma as the storm surge is expected to be nuch higher so He will stay with a neighbor for the few days we are gone Meet Gilligan HERE

   THE Troops ARRIVE
After a full week without power ( it was 98 one day - without air ) - I awoke on SAT Aug 21st 2004 to find these angels of mercy in my backyard

 Here is what the storm surge was like a day after the storm
My boat at low tide in the after picture _ 24 hours after the storm passed <BR.The water is STILL 4 to 5 feet over normal <BR>It rose to about 3 fet higher during the storm
But my camera had 'DEW' in it so no pics of that  

The roof of my Home Fared NO BETTER
This was taken almost a month after the storm hit
The blue tarp is off to let the repairs begin
the clay tile roof was peeled back like opening a sardine can  

My whole story and My feelings on how these storms affect people can be found linked on the "webiste" page on my Profile