Fourth of July Fireworks - Stuart, Florida

Click for additional Fireworks photos:

https://plus.google.com/photos/104461058718739695077/albums/5897339705365356545



A few Stuart sunsets.

 Sunset Marina

Roosevelt Bridge

Shepards Park

Sailfish Fountain

Cruising the St. Lucie River on Mothers Day & Chuck's Birthday

Trip to Orlando

Nancy and I spent a couple of days in Orlando, visiting vacationing Mark & Yvette at Disney's Animal Kingdom, Kidani Village Lodge. Mark & Yvette's suite overlooked a savannah with giraffes, zebras, and antelopes. They had also arranged a trip on the Wanyama Safari, where we had up-close encounters in the 46 acres of savannahs, with many additional exotic animals, including ostriches, water buffalo, okapis, red river hogs, wildebeests, and a variety of birds, followed by a multi-course South African dinner feast. On the trip home we stopped for lunch with our friends Mike & Sue Roney in Orlando.

Click for additional photos:
https://plus.google.com/photos/104461058718739695077/albums/5849038750309216049

Stuart Air Show - Veterans Day Weekend
We again had a wonderful Veterans day weekend for the Annual Stuart Air Show, dedicated to America's veterans and active military, with a variety of civilian and military acts and displays for an enthusiastic crowd of all ages.

Stuart, Florida
Click to enlarge

Northport Vacation 2012

Nancy kept me on the run from one end of the island to the other.  One day we traveled by ferry to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut to rendezvous with 39 Monterey "snowbirds" from the New England and New York area.  We went by train/subway to Manhattan to see the 911 Memorial Park, where we were quite humbled by the solemn beauty of the park and the awesome twin fountains. We went out to the far eastern end of Long Island to visit the historic Montauk Point Lighthouse. We visited the Aqueduct Casino a couple of times, walked several beaches, saw several shows, golfed, and went to two concerts in the Northport Park. We had a wonderful time, but it went by way too fast!

More photos:
https://plus.google.com/photos/104461058718739695077/albums/5785405962726860129

Photos of 911 Memorial:
https://plus.google.com/photos/104461058718739695077/albums/5785412038229188017

Photos of Montauk Lighthouse:
https://plus.google.com/photos/104461058718739695077/albums/5785443143383127729

 

Michigan Vacation 2012

In July I drove up to Michigan to spend some time with my daughter and son-in-law and visit my mom and aunt Sophie. We played some golf and did a lot of shooting at the range with the Jeff and his family. My mom and Sophie are doing great. Despite having to contend with the ill-disciplined Duke we all had a great time. Then it was off to Northport, Long Island to spend some time with Nancy O.
Click for photos:

https://plus.google.com/photos/104461058718739695077/albums/5785208275445183521

Cruising Florida's Intracoastal

Nancy and I took the Island Princess'  luncheon cruise which travels south from Port Salerno along the Indian River to Florida's most exclusive island where America's ultra-rich reside. Jupiter Island has the second highest per capita income of any place in the country. The Captains narration brings history to life as we cruise by homes of celebrities such as Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Burt Reynolds, Alan Jackson, the late Perry Como and many more.  We traveled  past the vast nature preserves on the island, watched for wildlife, and exotic birds, but did not see any  manatee or dolphins on this particular trip. The historic Jupiter Lighthouse makes for the ultimate cruise destination and a casual return trip to Port Salerno on a beautiful day.
Click for photos: https://plus.google.com/photos/104461058718739695077/albums/5733860783685163473

The Decline of a Great American City

For many of us who grew up in Detroit in the 1950s, the city was dynamic, full of life and culture, and with the exception of a few pockets of revitalization the city is now a disaster, resembling a war zone. Up and down Detroit’s residential streets and culture centers, great architectural buildings and homes stand abandoned and in ruin, as evidenced in the photo essay of French photographers Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre.  Their book “The Ruins of Detroit“, a document of decaying buildings frozen in time, was published in December 2010.

Click here for photos:
http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2011/02/07/captured-the-ruins-of-detroit/2672/
and this will break your heart:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWEdjiEJg0U&feature=fvwrel