What’s With That House!

What’s With That House!, originally uploaded by Explorer Dave.

When I saw this place in the Gillespie Park area I immediately thought of the TV show “What’s With That House!” I don’t know if it’s been featured on it or not but it should be. The main house is designed like a landlocked boat, with an additional independent structure that looks like a light house. Very cool!

At the Market

At the Market, originally uploaded by Explorer Dave.

The Saturday Market is always a good photo op. Today I went green with some very nice plants on sale there.

Evening Shadows

Evening Shadows, originally uploaded by Explorer Dave.

The lines in this photo struck me as I was looking for my post today. This is the location of a small urban park with very nice landscaping and fountains downtown. It has a restaurant overlooking it on one side with a second level patio which adds to the ambiance. On another side is this modern office/retail building with balconies overlooking the park. In this shot I like the silhouette of the trees and the building but I particularly like the shadows from the balconies on the building.

Bay View II

Bay View II, originally uploaded by Explorer Dave.

A less artful, more general view of the bay than yesterday. Sarasota Bay is a nice size, almost perfect I’d say because it is not large enough for freighters and other large commercial ships, so we can enjoy the beauty of the bay without it being spoiled by industrial shipping. Industrial/commercial shipping is of course very important and it is just a few miles north, Sarasota is doing just fine without it! Sarasota bay is a wonderful paradise for recreational boating.

Bay View

Bay View, originally uploaded by Explorer Dave.

Here’s an artful view of Sarasota Bay from Island Park. I took this with one of the parks sculptures as the focus. You may notice that a park bench almost looks as if it’s part of the sculpture, actually it’s some distance away. The park has a perimeter walkway that affords many wonderful views of the bay, the marina, and downtown.

Sunset

Sunset, originally uploaded by Explorer Dave.

I took many wonderful photos of the Sunset last night, but when all was said and done this one, one of only a couple I took that showed other people on the beach enjoying it, was my favorite. And it is exactly for that reason, and the composition, that I like it so much.

Father Daughter Time

Father Daughter Time, originally uploaded by Explorer Dave.

This evening I was down at the beach on Lido Key when this beautiful young lady, an actress from Toronto, asked if I could take a photo of her with her father who she was visiting. Of course I was more than happy to, and asked if I could take one for my blog as well, here it is. A happy Father and Daughter enjoying a wonderful sunset and time together on the beach.

My blog isn’t yet popular enough for me to be recognized on the street as Denton from Greenville Daily Photo has been, but this was very cool. It is a joy to be able to share a moment like this.

Tropical Bungalow

Tropical Bungalow, originally uploaded by Explorer Dave.

I’d take this over a grass yard any day. Much better for the environment as well, this lush foliage takes less water than grass which consumes around eighty percent of the water used in Florida.

Quintessential Florida

Quintessential Florida, originally uploaded by Explorer Dave.

I don’t know if Florida has the highest percentage of swimming pools per capita, but it sure wouldn’t surprise me. They are everywhere, so much so that I’m wondering why it’s taken me so long to post a photo of one here!

Escape II

Escape II, originally uploaded by Explorer Dave.

Yesterday I posted a photo of a more inland natural escape at Oscar Scherer State Park. Today I decided to follow that up with something more rare. A natural beach escape. Most of the area beaches have condos, resorts, and houses on them rather than just having a natural feeling like you are miles from town. Certainly there some good park beaches with a natural backdrop, but the resorts and condos are usually just next door. One of the most natural area beaches by far is Caspersen Beach just south of Venice. Here you can look almost as far as the eye can see and not see any high rise resorts or condos. It’s a wonderfully natural escape that is also noted as a good place to get shells and sharks teeth.