Barefoot Beach

 

A great afternoon at the beach.  

Stop!

 'Nuff said.

Royal Scoop

The little visitors love Royal Scoop ice cream.

Cotton candy and cherry vanilla were the chosen flavors.

Glossy Ibis

 White ibises are very common.  I am now seeing more and more glossy ibises.

Swallow-tailed Kite

Swallow-tailed kites are back.  Like clockwork, they return to Southwest Florida with the return of spring. 

The Line-Up

 

Florida Softshell Turtle

 This guy must have been lost.  He had left the water and was in the middle of the fairway.

Springtime in Southwest Florida

The Gold Trumpet or Tabebuia tree is showing off now.

Crows don't like Eagles

 Several crows followed a juvenile bald eagle up into a pine tree.  One crow in particular stayed close.  It flew back and forth, kind of dive-bombing the eagle.  The eagle looked left and right, up and down, with a stressed expression.  After s few unhappy minutes, the eagle flew off.  With the crow in pursuit.

It's in the Genes

 

A four year old photographer.

LEGOs at Naples Zoo

 In addition to all the wonderful live animals, the Naples Zoo has an exhibition of LEGO sculptures of many of the featured animals at the zoo.

Tricolored Heron

 This must be what is meant by the phrase "a sharp tongue."

Pentas and Bees

 The bees are active in a garden featuring pentas, but so far the butterflies have been few.

Red Reeds

An exhibition of works by Dale Chihuly closed recently at Artis Naples.  Red Reeds was exhibited outside, in the space between the performance spaces and the Baker Museum.  Two generous couples joined together to buy the installation for Artis Naples' permanent collection.

  The work consists of 145 glass pieces 123 inches (10.25 feet) in height, 512 inches (42.5 feet) wide and 21 inches deep.  The glass is so long that the Chihuly team had to build the pieces in one-of-a-kind long annealing ovens in Finland.

Killdeer

A killdeer.  Named for the song it sings.

 

Parakeet

I always take mine with me when I go to a car wash.  Don't you?

Taking Off

 I'm always happy when I catch a photo of a bird flying away.

Confused?

A little blue heron has dark eyes, dark bill and dark legs.  In breeding season its bill develops this lighter blue up to its eyes.  A tricolored heron has a white stripe down its throat and the the front of its neck, a white belly, a white tuft off the back of its head, orange eyes and a yellow bill and legs.

Mealtime

 Osprey with dinner.

The Quarantine is Over

The granddaughters are back in school.  It was a treat to be with them for ten days.  On Wednesday I came back to the warmth of Naples.  But, when I got here, the birds were hiding.  Ducks?  It's all I've got.

Ridgefield Station

 In 1874, a branch of the railroad line from Norwalk to Danbury was extended into Ridgefield, a short distance from the growing downtown.  Wealthy New Yorkers could now reach Ridgefield easily.  Some built mansions with hilltop views of the Long Island Sound, some of the Hudson River.

The spur line was abandoned in 1925 when automobiles made many other towns easily reachable.  The former terminus is now incorporated into a hardware and building supply business.  A very nice trail for walking, running and bicycling has taken the place of the abandoned rail line.

Huh?

It is big but otherwise not a very special house.  

Except for the round stone structure right in front.  What is that all about?

The Flag

Americans have always flown the flag.  After 9/11, it seemed that even more Americans flew it.

Today it confuses me.  When I see an American flag flown conspicuously on a day that is not a national holiday, I wonder about it.  Is the person conventionally patriotic?  Or a Trump supporter? 

Lines

On a bright sunny day, the shadows on snow and ice were intense. 

Jenga

 

I don't like to brag, but I won.

New Bicycle

Guess who got a fancy new bicycle for her fourth birthday? 

Titicus Farm

Titicus Farm is a handsome Victorian not far from Ridgefield's downtown, on the way out of town on North Salem Road.  I showed it two years ago in summer. 

Behind the House

There is a preserve with a small stream behind our Ridgefield house.  And, with big footprints in the snow.   Deer?  Bear?  Hmmm.  I don't know, but it is pretty in winter.

Back in Ridgefield

 Back in Ridgefield to watch the girls while they are in quarantine and parents are working.  A pre-school classmate tested positive last week, but the girls have tested negative.

The Cass Gilbert Fountain is Ridgefield's symbol.  You saw it on October 2, 2020 surrounded by yellow chrysanthemums.  In the winter it is lit and encased in glass for protection,

Circle of Friends

 A big bronze sculpture with representative animals from each of the seven continents has a prominent location near the entrance of Naples Botanical Garden.

It is a 2005 work by Gary Lee Price, on permanent loan by the artist.

Mirror Wall

A favorite image from my archives.

At the World Trade Center Memorial, three young people paused by a glass wall to study their guidebook.

Each month City Daily Photo photographers post images on a theme.  Today's theme is "mirror."  To see other interpretations, click here.