A little colony of burrowing owls is located near friends' home on Marco Island. Generally, either my long-lens camera or the owls are missing, but this time both were around. These little guys are a bit unique for their species in that they nest underground (thus their name) and they are not nocturnal, but active during the day. They are also pretty small little guys and love to hide behind the tall grass on their 'property.' Not wanting to get to close and disturb them, my angle is not terribly good but will keep trying! Marco Island, FL
Friday, June 28, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
06.27.13
Playing with sunlight and a bromeliad - just as (maybe more?) important as the content is the act of play itself. We've seen it coming in education - the focus on play...though many are not sure what to do with it! Looking to add some gaming practice to my college class, I'm embarking on my own experience in a MOOC, Game Elements for Learning, starting next week. Hope I don't fall into the quest abyss.... Naples, FL
06.26.13
First afternoon all week not coming home to thunderstorms which allows a nice long walk...but then without the rains, it gets hot pretty fast! Just a quick sip at the fountain! :) Naples, FL
06.25.13
Peeling bark - kinda like unraveling the superficial issues to get to the core....'nuff said! Naples, FL
Monday, June 24, 2013
06.24.13
Someone found a place for their travel/adventure stickers! The back of a speed limit sign never looked so good! :) Tempted to add my own, but think I'll pass...though it would be a positive sign of collaboration. ;) Fortunately, there are many familiar and delightful places represented here...sparks the travel bug! 7th Ave N & Gulfshore Blvd, Naples, FL
Sunday, June 23, 2013
06.23.13
Take a walk on the 'wild' side! Not really...but there is definitely a glimpse of old Florida in the swampy side of Freedom Park. Today's walk didn't reveal anything too striking, but there have been raccoon, gator, snake and hawk sightings in the past. And there is usually an interesting plant, insect, bird, or dew drop to shoot. The draping Spanish moss almost makes the inviting boardwalk a little less friendly, but the sunshine's light helps to diminish those eerie characteristics. Just keep walking! :) Freedom Park, Naples, FL
Saturday, June 22, 2013
06.22.13
All tangled up and intertwined, a bit rough around the edges...but organically true to its environment. An apt description for this image of seaweed, shell and egg casing - and generally seen only by those looking down at one extreme or searching for the typically unusual at the other extreme. 2nd Ave N & Gulf of Mexico, Naples, FL
Always hungry for learning, I've become a bit tangled up myself with an overcommitment to MOOCs this summer. Currently dipping my toe into Making Learning Connected (NWP) with an emphasis on creating and connecting [my first 'make'], finishing up my projects for Mapping with Google [my Google Earth project] and way behind in the Canvas Hybrid Courses MOOC...with ISTE (from afar) this week and Game Elements for Learning MOOC starting up next week. One breath at a time! :)
Friday, June 21, 2013
06.21.13
Rows and rows of beaded blades caught in the morning light keeps the eyes a'dancing. Working the summer schedule of four longer-hour days allows for one more day of early light captures. There are so many reasons for creating images just after dawn: better quality light, less heat, increased 'innocence' (less touched by man), and more opportunities for animal sightings due to their feeding time. Of course, if you are wanting to photograph mankind, there are far more chances as the sun makes its way over the horizon. Happy Summer Solstice! Naples, FL
Thursday, June 20, 2013
06.20.13
Ever watching, this osprey strikes a majestic pose...no doubt scoping out the terrain for the next meal. There's a nest with two chicks on school property. Next week, we are hoping to climb up to the roof of a building with a long lens to capture some images! In the meantime, this sight satisfies! :) Naples, FL
06.19.13
Playing with a new photo app (Photo Mapo) - pretty limited in terms of creativity since it is very template-driven, but it does have a number of ways to share and export. As we grow into faculty use of iPads and next year's BYOD initiative, apps have taken a priority. Thus I'm attempting to develop a guiding rubric to assess the value of some of the generic apps to help determine validity...and to 'stretch' the thinking of teachers. After all, this is really more about teaching and learning in a more transformative way rather than about the device. Lorenzo Walker campus, Naples, FL
06.18.13
One can always count on coleus for interest and variety - this one is no different and does not disappoint in the visual dimension. :) Naples, FL
Monday, June 17, 2013
06.17.13
Always fun (and sobering) to see a gator in our ponds - this looks like a good 5-6 footer. It is near the end of mating season and one will sometimes find these big guys on the move looking 'for love'. They have shown up in pretty familiar places - swimming pools and neighborhood streets. It is best to keep a cautious eye open - though we coexist with them quite nicely for the most part. The blurry dragonfly in the foreground was an unexpected bonus! Naples, FL
Sunday, June 16, 2013
06.16.13
Happy Father's Day to all of the special fathers in my family and network. This shot, circa mid-50's, is of my dad (and me) who has for 10 years now been a shining star in the heavens, but still very much remembered and loved. It was fun to dig out this old photograph to commemorate the occasion, but it reminds me of the work I need to do in scanning the rest of them...Location unknown (I think West Point, NY)
06.15.13
Pulling up its awkward body weight does not appear effortless, but pelicans' flight is part of their nature...and thus, the 'hard work' is well engineered. Plus, it is the only way to float over the surface and find breakfast! 2nd Ave N & Gulf of Mexico, Naples, FL
A wonderful bird is the pelican,
His bill will hold more than his belican,
He can take in his beak
Food enough for a week,
But I'm damned if I see how the helican.
~ Dixon Lanier Merritt
Friday, June 14, 2013
06.14.13
That darn bee showed up out of nowhere!! Still, the interruption (and its shadow!) became an interesting focal point to the composition of the shot. How do you deal with such unexpected distractions - embrace them? delete them? edit them? Well beyond photography, human nature often gives us 'lemons' - coping with those 'lemons' is simply more critical than the 'lemons' themselves.
A tribute and 'happy birthday' greeting to my soulful cousin, Sundari! Good fortune to you! :) Naples Botanical Garden, Naples, FL
Thursday, June 13, 2013
06.13.13
Their beauty is much richer and fuller when the poinciana blossoms are on the trees, but there is something intriguing about the fallen ones. At this stage, they are still ablaze...though, their fiery shape will soon shrivel up and disappear. Ah, the delights of the life cycle! Naples, FL
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
06.12.13
So much for privacy! It looks like these grasshoppers really did resent my interruption to their mating. It is definitely the season as these pairs were all over the place, including in the cypress trees as evidenced here...and though they are not particularly attractive, they are certainly interesting.
The issue of privacy is certainly newsworthy today as the debate over national security measures seek balance. And, that's the key, isn't it? Balance! Freedom Park, Naples, FL
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
06.11.13
Light up the sky, yellow poinciana! :) Love seeing our sunshine back ... along with the complimentary flora. Naples, FL
Monday, June 10, 2013
06.10.13
After a week or more of steady rain, plant life (unwanted or desired) seems to thrive exponentially. Such are the growth spurts of learning for some as well. The deployment of faculty iPads has been incredibly busy, but also rewarding to watch the 'newbies' explore and discover. With questions and discussions, the engagement is obvious. Hopefully, the reflection process of learning will make that growth more meaningful and manageable. Freedom Park, Naples, FL
Sunday, June 9, 2013
06.09.13
Surprised to find this shell inhabited by a hermit crab. The crab appeared to have little (though some) movement and thus am guessing that it was ill or dying. Nudging brought it out of its shell, but there was none of the typical scurrying about and it was in the same position on my walk back. Looking pretty vulnerable...but at least it had some defense from the elements in its shell home. 3rd Ave N & Gulf of Mexico, Naples, FL
06.08.13
Lobster claw heleconia and slivers of sunshine - couldn't ask for a nicer sight! :) Naples, FL
Friday, June 7, 2013
06.07.13
Do not think of your faults, still less of others' faults; look for what is good and strong, and try to imitate it. Your faults will drop off, like dead leaves, when their time comes.
~ John Ruskin
Finding and building on strengths is always a preference, but somehow the dropping of those 'dead leaves' do not always coincide with fewer 'faults'! Nevertheless a different view of a drenched sea grape leaf in its last form offers a chance to ponder and to choose the positive view. 3rd Ave N & Gulf of Mexico, Naples, FL
Thursday, June 6, 2013
06.06.13
Awash with the wide stretch of Tropical Storm Andrea (in addition the seemingly never-ending pipeline of gulf waters precipitating overhead), the streams overflow. Sigh...after a long week of overcast skies and plenty of rain, we are ready for our celebrated sunshine. Naples, FL
06.05.13
Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.
~ Nathaniel Hawthorne
Soggy conditions prevail but sometimes you are lucky enough to find a pair! Naples, FL
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
06.04.13
Meander along water's edge and you can't help but reflect...be it on a personal or professional issue or simply life itself! :)
Monday, June 3, 2013
06.03.13
Driving to work this morning and noticed the thick clouds touched golden by the rising sun...always a welcome sight! This particular morning, my thoughts go to Flickr friend, @vanhookc, who opens a new chapter in her life with retirement! My guess is she will take full advantage of her new time! :)
Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.
~ John Lubbock
Lorenzo Walker campus, Naples, FL
Sunday, June 2, 2013
06.02.13
And, they're off...actually about halfway through the 5K, first leg of the 27th Annual Naples Fitness Challenge Triathlon. Next up is a 15K bike ride and then 1/4 mile swim in the Gulf of Mexico. Makes me tired just writing about it, but there were over 700 participants so obviously others were motivated by the challenge. :) US 41 E & Banyan Dr, Naples, FL
Saturday, June 1, 2013
06.01.13
With an explosion of intense color (almost too much...and even moved the saturation slider moved to the left!), June is welcomed! June 1 marks the beginning of hurricane season and it is quiet out there now (though there is a possible tropical wave forming in the Gulf) but they predict a busy year. The question is whether the formed hurricanes will near populated land and that won't be answered until the end of the season six months from now. Either way, it is time to begin preparations just in case! Naples, FL
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