RON DICKEY PHOTOGRAPHY

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Ron grew up on a farm located near Pawnee in southeast central Illinois. His interest in photography began at an early age. His first camera was a Kodak Brownie Target Six-20 that had been purchased by his parents around 1950. His next camera was a Kodak Brownie Model I in 1957. He also was taking photos with an Ansco camera around that time. Serious photography began with the purchase of a Yashica 35mm camera in 1966 prior to a two year post-doctoral residency in Argentina.

He enjoys photographing wildlife, scenic landscapes, and old barns and all of the things that are nostalgic to those having grown up on a farm.

His primary home on a barrier island off the Florida Panhandle offers him a unique opportunity to pursue his photographic interests. His second home in the Pocono Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania is situated in an area where wildlife, nature, and landscape photography excels.

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WILDLIFE OF FLORIDA'S PANHANDLE : The flora and fauna of Northwest Florida is rich and varied. The climate and lush foliage make a perfect year round showcase for animals -- both those native to Florida and exotic ones as well. My home is on Saint George Island, one of the last inhabited, yet unspoiled, barrier islands of Florida. There are miles of uncrowded beaches for sunning and shelling, clear Gulf waters for swimming and excellent fishing, and pristine marshes for wildlife viewing. The barrier islands of the Gulf Coast are important "rest stops" for a wide variety of migrating birds during the fall and spring. The area's outstanding wildlife habitats, including floodplain forest, sawgrass marshes, and pine flatwoods, support significant populations of both rare and common wildlife. The Apalachicola ecosystem supports the highest diversity of amphibians and reptiles in North America, north of Mexico, as well as the greatest number of freshwater fish species (86) in Florida. This gallery contains an ever expanding sampling of the wildlife existing within this beautiful and unspoiled area of Northwest Florida.

WILDLIFE OF FLORIDA'S PANHANDLE

FLORIDA'S FORGOTTEN COAST : Florida's Forgotten Coast is the name commonly used to refer to a quiet section of coastline in Northwest Florida stretching from Mexico Beach to St. Marks. The Forgotten Coast got its name in the early nineties when a Florida tourism group "forgot" to include information on this area on their map. Going East on U.S. 98 you come to Simmons Bayou, Cape San Blas, Indian Pass, Apalachicola, St. George Island, Eastpoint, Carrabelle, Ochlockonee Bay, and Panacea. Two of the Top 10 rated beaches in the U.S. are located here including St. George Island, Cape San Blas, St. Vincent's Island and St. Joseph State Park.

FLORIDA'S FORGOTTEN COAST

ST. GEORGE ISLAND : St. George Island is a 22-mile barrier island with some of the most beautiful and serene beaches on the Gulf Coast. It is one of the last inhabited, yet unspoiled, barrier islands of Florida, with miles of uncrowded beaches for sunning and shelling, clear Gulf waters for swimming and excellent fishing, pristine marshes for wildlife viewing. St. George Island State Park occupies the far eastern end of the island where you will find nine miles of pristine shoreline, majestic dunes, bay forest, sandy coves and salt marshes. The park has a series of hiking trails, boardwalks and observation platforms. Bird watching is a popular activity here. You might encounter one of the many migratory birds that use the island as a stopover on their way south or north.

ST. GEORGE ISLAND

SKYTOP LODGE IN PENNSYLVANIA'S POCONO MOUNTAINS : The placement of the Skytop Lodge at the base of West Mountain in the Pocono Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania is perhaps the best indication that this grand resort has always been inextricably linked to its natural surroundings-and the 30 miles of hiking trails weaving through the 5,500-acre site merely reinforces that fact. Even the 18-hole golf course, where deer quietly graze, takes full advantage of the natural topography. The Dutch Colonial-style manor house overlooks Skytop Lake, boasting opulent views of the surrounding region from every direction and offering a wide array of outdoor activities for every season, from winter skiing to summer kayaking, since it opened in 1928. The full-service resort has two pools (one indoor, one out) lake swimming, seven tennis courts, an award winning golf course, a sporting clays shooting range, and a lawn bowling green. Experts are on hand to provide instruction in golf, fly-fishing and shooting, special kid's activities are organized each summer and the lodge's own naturalist leads hikes through pristine wilderness areas.

SKYTOP LODGE IN PENNSYLVANIA'S POCONO MOUNTAINS

Galleries

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE GULF COAST SALUTE 2008 (AIR SHOW) : The March 29, 2008 air show featured Tyndall F-15 flyby, USAF F-15C Eagle Tactical Demonstration, Warbird Flight (P-51, SB2C, B-25, LT-6, Zero), Aeroshell Aerobatic Team, USAF F-22 Raptor Demonstration, USAF Heritage Flight (F-22, F-15, QF-4, P-51), USAF Thunderbirds, US Army Golden Knights Parachute Team, Patty Wagstaff Extra 300 Aerobatic Demonstration and numerous other performances.

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE GULF COAST SALUTE 2008 (AIR SHOW)

LANDSCAPES AND NATURE : With this gallery I want to convey in my work the spiritual beauty I see and feel in nature. The reason I photograph is to experience the majesty of nature and to capture its essential elements, such as a rainbow, a waterfall, a pastoral scene or a snow covered mountain peak.

LANDSCAPES AND NATURE

IMAGES OF RURAL AMERICA : Although I left the farm at eighteen to attend college and upon graduating to the big city to work, I will always in my heart be a farm boy. Nothing compares to living and working on a farm. My family worked hard and some years because of a drought, insect invasions and other calamities, we had little money to spend but we always had enough to eat. The image that people have had of rural areas is one largely fashioned by the residents of cities, who have seen the countryside as the often welcome antithesis of urban life. Rural life is no longer the predominant one in America, but its influence is still seen in city parks, suburban yards, and the recreational activities of urban people. Rural values provide stability against the rapid change of modern life. Rural America helps perpetuate the values that define America, like individualism and self-sufficiency; rural Americans are the Nation's backbone as the suppliers of food, and they represent the last open space in an environment with a rapidly developing suburban landscape.

IMAGES OF RURAL AMERICA

GREENLAND : Greenland is the largest island in the world. Its northerly location, at the point where the Atlantic meets the Arctic Ocean, means that Greenland is surrounded principally by cold ocean currents, so the coasts are constantly being cooled. This, combined with the radiation of cold from the inland ice, gives Greenland its arctic climate.

The ice cap or inland ice covers 1,833,900 square km, equivalent to 85 percent of Greenland's total area, and extends 2,500 km (1,553 miles) from north to south and up to 1,000 km from east to west. The weight of the massive Greenlandic ice cap has depressed the central land area to form a basin lying more than 300 m [1,000 feet] below sea level.

All towns and settlements of Greenland are situated along the ice-free coast, with the population being concentrated along the Western coast. The northeastern part of Greenland, which includes sections of North Greenland and East Greenland, is not part of any municipality, but is the site of the world's largest national park, Northeast Greenland National Park.

At its center, the ice can be up to 3 km thick, representing 10 percent of the world's total fresh water reserves. If all the ice were to melt, the world's oceans would rise seven meters.

The Ilulissat Icefjord (Ilulissat Kangerlua) runs west 40 kilometres from the Greenland Ice Sheet to Disko Bay close to Ilulissat town. At its eastern end is the Jakobshavn Isbræ glacier, the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere. The glacier flows at a rate of 20-35 metres per day, resulting in around 20 billion tons of icebergs calved off and passing out of the fjord every year. Icebergs breaking from the glacier are often so large (up to a kilometer in height) that they are too tall to float down the fjord and lie stuck on the bottom of its shallower areas, sometimes for years, until they are broken up by the force of the glacier and icebergs further up the fjord. On breaking up the icebergs emerge into the open sea and initially travel north with ocean currents before turning south and running into the Atlantic Ocean. Larger icebergs typically do not melt until they reach 40-45 degrees north (south of the United Kingdom and level with New York City).

The Ilulissat Icefjord was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.

In Ilulissat, which is also known as Jakobshavn, there are 4,500 people living today and at least 4,000 sled dogs, which underlines the importance of the dogsled as a means of transport even in a large modern town. The harbour is full of fishing boats and trawlers that bear witness to the great importance of fishing for Ilulissat.

Sisimiut lies just north of the Arctic Circle and is the northernmost town in Greenland where the port remains free of ice in the winter and at the same time the southernmost town in Greenland where it is possible to drive on a dogsled in winter and spring.

Sisimiut means the inhabitants at the foxholes. The town was founded in 1756 as a mission and trading station under the name Holsteinsborg. With its 6,000 inhabitants living in the town of Sisimiut and the settlements of Kangerlussuaq, Sarfannguaq and Itilleq, Sisimiut is Greenlands second biggest municipality today. A high-tech factory, where prawns and crabs are processed, is evidence of the fact that fishing continues to be the main industry in Sisimiut.

ARGENTINA : I had the opportunity to live in Argentina from 1966 to 1968 while participating in a Latin American Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program directed by Purdue University and funded by the Ford Foundation. My fellowship position was with the Ministry of Agriculture where I conducted research projects designed to improve the Argentine agricultural sector. I had the opportunity to travel extensively around the country and to visit numerous estancias. These photographs were taken on my visits to Argentina, which I believe to be one of the most beautiful and interesting countries in the world.

Comprising almost the entire southern half of South America, Argentina is the world's eighth largest country, covering an area of 2.8 million square km. Argentina possesses some of the world's tallest mountains, expansive deserts, and impressive waterfalls, with the diversity of the land ranging from wild, remote areas in southern Patagonia to the bustling metropolis of Buenos Aires in the north.

Argentina can roughly be divided into four parts: the fertile plains of the Pampas in the center of the country, the source of Argentina's agricultural wealth; the flat to rolling, oil-rich plateau of Patagonia in the southern half down to Tierra del Fuego; the subtropical flats of the Gran Chaco in the north, and the rugged Andes mountain range along the western border with Chile.

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS : Giant Galapagos tortoises grunt in distant highlands. Prehistoric marine iguanas spit their salty spray. Flightless cormorants and tiny penguins dart through the surrounding waters. Storm petrels walk across its surface and graceful red-billed tropicbirds screech across the sky. A new day in the Galapagos begins its wildlife symphony. With a Galapagos naturalist at our side, we set out each day in the early morning and afternoon, to remarkable ecosystems where the wildlife is most abundant and active. Inching our way past lounging iguanas and sea lions, scouting for breaching whales offshore and pink flamingos at hidden lagoons, we marvel at the strangeness of the Galapagos creatures on these desolate volcanic isles much as Charles Darwin did nearly two centuries ago.

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

WESTERN HIGHLANDS OF GUATEMALA : For the last several years my wife and I have joined members of the Saint George Island United Methodist Church of St. George Island, Florida, on a mission trip to the Lake Atitlan region of Western Guatemala. Our primary emphasis is to provide medical care to several of the indigenous Mayan villages surrounding Lake Atitlan. In June of 2007 we administered medical care to more than 400 individuals. In June of 2008, we will be joined by Canadensis United Methodist Chirch of Candadensis, Pennsylvania, located in the Pocono Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

More than one-third of the inhabitants of Central America live in this rugged land of mountains and volcanoes, beautiful lakes, and lush vegetation. Guatemala City is the capital and largest city. Situated in the highlands, it dominates all aspects of national life.

Unlike many Latin American countries, Guatemala has a large indigenous population. Close to half the people are descendants of the Maya, the Indians whose advanced civilization once dominated the region.

Maya culture is deeply rooted in the rural highlands of Guatemala, where many indigenous people speak a Mayan language, follow traditional religious and village customs, and continue to produce traditional textiles and other handicrafts. The two cultures have made Guatemala a complex society that is deeply divided between rich and poor. This division has produced much of the tension and violence that have marked Guatemalas history.

The indigenous people of Guatemala have maintained a distinct identity, centered on lands and villages in the western highlands. Many speak a Mayan language rather than Spanish and follow spiritual practices from before the Spanish conquest, sometimes blended with Roman Catholic beliefs.

Spanish is the official language of Guatemala and the primary language of 60 percent of the population. For the rest of the population, the primary language is one of the more than 20 Mayan languages, including Cakchiquel, Quiché, and Kekchí. Many Mayan speakers also know Spanish.

In indigenous communities, most of the women and many men still wear brightly colored native dress. The typical rural family is industrious; men usually work the fields, while women care for the children and the household. Many women supplement the family income by selling produce and textiles and other handicrafts at markets. Their woven textiles carry designs and motifs that are unique to each community.

Poverty affects both urban and rural Guatemalans, but rural residents, including most of the Maya population, generally live under harsher conditions. More than 70 percent of rural residents are classified as living in extreme poverty, compared to 36 percent of urban inhabitants. Access to sanitation and health care is also limited in rural areas. Malnutrition affects a large number of young children.

After the collapse of Classic Maya civilization about ad 900, the Yucatán Peninsula became the center of the Maya world during the Post-Classic period (ad 900 to 1521). Those Maya who remained in the Guatemalan highlands never achieved the scientific or architectural magnificence of the Classic or Post-Classic city-states, but their civilization survived longer. When the Spaniards arrived in the 16th century, several populous nations of Maya descent, notably the Quiché, the Cakchiquel, and the Zutujil, occupied the Guatemalan highlands.

Guatemala's western highlands, stretching from Guatemala City to the Mexican border, are perhaps the most captivating and beautiful part of the entire country. The area is defined by two main features: the chain of awesome volcanoes that lines its southern side, and the high mountain ranges that dominate its northern boundaries, the greatest being the Cuchumatanes , whose granite peaks rise to over 3800m. Between the two is a bewitching pattern of twisting, pine-forested ridges, lakes, gushing streams and deep valleys.

Village life, for the most part, consists of backbreaking work in the fields. Most survive on subsistence farming, selling what little is left over. Entire families pack fruits, vegetables, and whatever else they have onto their backs and head to market. Market day, held at least once a week in most communities, is as much a social gathering as anything else.

The Mayans are known for being friendly, funny, welcoming of strangers, and shy. Living among them is an enchanting experience. There are about a dozen other villages scattered around Lake Atitlan. Some are Kaqchikel, some Tz'utujil.

Lake Atitlan is located three hours by car to the west of Guatemala City. It is reputed by its visitors and by its residents to be the most beautiful lake in the world. The author Aldous Huxley wrote "Lake Como, it seems to me, touches on the limit of permissibly picturesque, but Atitlan is Como with additional embellishments of several immense volcanoes. It really is too much of a good thing." Lake Atitlan draws thousands of tourists and vacationers every year and is home to the thirteen villages that ring its shores. The northern villages of the lake speak Kaqchikel. Along the southern shores of the lake, Tzutujil is spoken. The largest of the villages is Panajachel, which is known for its market. Many of the farmers and weavers of the lake villages travel weekly to Panajachel to sell their wares.

The lake is large, 18 x 12 kilometers (11 x 7.5 miles) at its widest point. Lake Atitlan is unusual in that it has no visible draining or runoff points. It is probable that the lake drains through a network of underground rivers and streams. Mornings at the lake are characterized by a calm, clear surface. However, in the afternoons, the xocomil, the "wind that carries away sin" rises up and makes travel on the lake treacherous.

WESTERN HIGHLANDS OF GUATEMALA

SKYTOP LODGE IN PENNSYLVANIA'S POCONO MOUNTAINS : The placement of the Skytop Lodge at the base of West Mountain in the Pocono Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania is perhaps the best indication that this grand resort has always been inextricably linked to its natural surroundings-and the 30 miles of hiking trails weaving through the 5,500-acre site merely reinforces that fact. Even the 18-hole golf course, where deer quietly graze, takes full advantage of the natural topography. The Dutch Colonial-style manor house overlooks Skytop Lake, boasting opulent views of the surrounding region from every direction and offering a wide array of outdoor activities for every season, from winter skiing to summer kayaking, since it opened in 1928. The full-service resort has two pools (one indoor, one out) lake swimming, seven tennis courts, an award winning golf course, a sporting clays shooting range, and a lawn bowling green. Experts are on hand to provide instruction in golf, fly-fishing and shooting, special kid's activities are organized each summer and the lodge's own naturalist leads hikes through pristine wilderness areas.

SKYTOP LODGE IN PENNSYLVANIA'S POCONO MOUNTAINS

WILDLIFE OF FLORIDA'S PANHANDLE : The flora and fauna of Northwest Florida is rich and varied. The climate and lush foliage make a perfect year round showcase for animals -- both those native to Florida and exotic ones as well. My home is on Saint George Island, one of the last inhabited, yet unspoiled, barrier islands of Florida. There are miles of uncrowded beaches for sunning and shelling, clear Gulf waters for swimming and excellent fishing, and pristine marshes for wildlife viewing. The barrier islands of the Gulf Coast are important "rest stops" for a wide variety of migrating birds during the fall and spring. The area's outstanding wildlife habitats, including floodplain forest, sawgrass marshes, and pine flatwoods, support significant populations of both rare and common wildlife. The Apalachicola ecosystem supports the highest diversity of amphibians and reptiles in North America, north of Mexico, as well as the greatest number of freshwater fish species (86) in Florida. This gallery contains an ever expanding sampling of the wildlife existing within this beautiful and unspoiled area of Northwest Florida.

WILDLIFE OF FLORIDA'S PANHANDLE

FLORIDA'S FORGOTTEN COAST : Florida's Forgotten Coast is the name commonly used to refer to a quiet section of coastline in Northwest Florida stretching from Mexico Beach to St. Marks. The Forgotten Coast got its name in the early nineties when a Florida tourism group "forgot" to include information on this area on their map. Going East on U.S. 98 you come to Simmons Bayou, Cape San Blas, Indian Pass, Apalachicola, St. George Island, Eastpoint, Carrabelle, Ochlockonee Bay, and Panacea. Two of the Top 10 rated beaches in the U.S. are located here including St. George Island, Cape San Blas, St. Vincent's Island and St. Joseph State Park.

FLORIDA'S FORGOTTEN COAST

My Smug Mug :

Updated: May 17, 2009 7:52am PST

ST. GEORGE ISLAND : St. George Island is a 22-mile barrier island with some of the most beautiful and serene beaches on the Gulf Coast. It is one of the last inhabited, yet unspoiled, barrier islands of Florida, with miles of uncrowded beaches for sunning and shelling, clear Gulf waters for swimming and excellent fishing, pristine marshes for wildlife viewing. St. George Island State Park occupies the far eastern end of the island where you will find nine miles of pristine shoreline, majestic dunes, bay forest, sandy coves and salt marshes. The park has a series of hiking trails, boardwalks and observation platforms. Bird watching is a popular activity here. You might encounter one of the many migratory birds that use the island as a stopover on their way south or north.

ST. GEORGE ISLAND

POCONO MOUNTAINS OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA : With 2,400 square miles encompassing northeast Pennsylvania's Carbon, Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties, the Pocono Mountains region is home to rolling mountain terrain, breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls, thriving woodlands and 170 miles of winding rivers.

POCONO MOUNTAINS OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA

Updated: Sep 19, 2009 1:54pm PST

Most Popular Photos

This great blue heron was photographed within St. George Island State Park located at the east end of the island. The great blue heron is the largest heron in North America. It stands three to four feet tall and has a wingspan of almost six feet. It has blue-gray feathers on most of its body and a plume of feathers on its chest and back. It has a long, pointed yellow bill and long legs. Adults have white on the top of their heads and long black plumes above their eyes.

Blarney Castle in Ireland was built in 1446. It was the third structure to be built on this site. The first one was a wooden structure built in the 10th century, and a stone structure replaced it in 1210 A.D. This building was torn down because of foundation problems, and the final, medieval Blarney Castle was built by Dermot McCarthy in 1446. At one time, the castle was occupied by Cormac McCarthy, King of Munster, who allegedly sent 4,000 Munster men to hold Robert the Bruce at the battle of Bannockburn. According to legend, Robert the Bruce gave half of the Stone of Scone to McCarthy in gratitude, which was incorporated into the structure of the castle, becoming the Blarney Stone.

This interesting ("ugly" but "beautiful ") Softshell Turtle was spotted while hiking in St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Northwest Florida. A more appropriate name for Softshell Turtle (apalone spinifera) might be pancake or flapjack turtles. The softshell turtles' flattened, streamlined bodies and flexible shells make them unlike any other turtle species. Their huge oval shells are impeccably camouflaged to match the bottom of a pond, canal, stream, or other wetland. Although these turtles are large and impressive, they remain hidden much of the time. Softshell turtles have a habit of burying themselves in the sand or mud, on the bottom of the wetland, with just their head or snout exposed. The turtles' long necks and odd-looking snorkels on their noses allow them to stretch up to the water surface, to breathe without having to leave their hiding place. By remaining mostly hidden in pond sediments or streambed sand, softshells are able to capture crayfish, fish, and other small animals by firing their long necks out and grabbing the prey. Softshell turtles also have the ability to absorb oxygen from the water through vessels in the lining of the throat and other parts of the body. This adaptation allows them to remain under water for hours at a time. Softshell turtles reach massive sizes, with adult females sometimes measuring two feet across the carapace (top of the shell); males are usually much smaller than females. Female turtles lay 10-30 eggs in neatly excavated holes in sandy areas near the water's edge. Occasionally, the turtles may even lay their eggs in a nearby alligator nest! Raccoons, foxes, skunks, and other predators commonly raid softshell nests and eat the eggs, so many eggs never get a chance to incubate and hatch. If a nest survives predation, the eggs hatch after 2-3 months, and small brightly patterned hatchlings emerge. These tiny softshell turtles must remain hidden as much as possible, because hatchling turtles are an ideal meal for a variety of predators, including bullfrogs, wading birds, fish, and even small alligators.

These great horned owls had nested on St. George Island, Florida. The owlet sitting on the limb above its parent was born approximately two months earlier and was still being fed by its parents. The great horned owl is probably best known for the large tufts of feathers on its head that look like horns. It has big cat-like eyes and brown white, gray, and black markings that look like the bark of a tree. These markings help camouflage it in the woods. It has a wing span of over four feet and it is about two feet in height. January and early February is mating time for the great horned owl. The male and female call to each other during courtship.

They use the abandoned nests of other birds, usually hawks or crows, and on St. George Island, osprey nests. The female lays two to three eggs. She will raise one family each year. Both the male and female incubate the eggs and provide food for the owlets.

The eggs hatch in about four weeks. Great horned owls are very protective parents and will attack intruders. The young owls leave the nest when they are between one and two months old and can fly when they are nine to ten weeks old.

On Friday, October 21, 2005, the Cape St. George Light collapsed into the Gulf of Mexico. Built in 1852, the Light valiantly withstood over a century and a half of nature's surprises, but finally could take no more. The continued beach erosion on Little St. George Island had left the lighthouse standing in the surf, and the pounding waves ultimately undermined her base. The lighthouse was rebuilt in 2008 at the entrance to St. George Island.

Artists regularly capture the beauty of St. George Island. It is a barrier island in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, 28 miles long and two miles wide at its widest point. St. George Island is adjacent to Cape St. George Island. The island is separated from the mainland by a four-mile long bridge across Apalachicola Bay, connecting to Eastpoint, Florida. Nearby towns include Eastpoint, Carrabelle and Apalachicola. Today, St. George Island is known for its serene and tranquil setting, where a number of beach homes and small hotels have sprouted up. They range from small cottages, to townhouses to large multi-million dollar beach homes. There are hundreds of dwellings there, mainly for tourists and there are few all-year residents that reside on the island. During the winter season, the island is almost empty. St. George Island State Park occupies the eastern nine miles of the island. The park has a series of hiking trails, boardwalks and observation platforms. Bird watching is a popular activity there. During the early and mid-1900s the Island's pine forest was turpentined for the production of naval stores. In 1954, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed the ship channel known as Bob Sikes Cut across St. George Island creating Cape St. George Island or "Little St. George Island" and enhanced its remoteness. The cut is used by the fishing fleet from Apalachicola and provides an access to the Gulf waters from the bayside.

As of February, 2008, there were four pairs of Bald Eagles on St. George Island. One pair was nesting in St. George Plantation, a private gated community at the west end of St. George Island.

One may think that this photo was "staged". However, the actual story is as follows. My wife bought two red carnations to drop into Apalachicola Bay at sunset to honor her recently deceased father and mother. She carried the carnations and her vodka martini to the end of our friends' dock on St. George Island and placed them on a bench. It was at this point I photographed the martini and carnations as the sun was dipping below the horizon. She dropped one carnation into the water to honor her mother and about one minute later dropped the other one to honor her father. The tide was going out and the water was moving at a fast rate towards Bob Sikes Cut located a short distance to the west. About five minutes later, our friend, on whose dock we were standing, pointed at a red object floating in the water against the tide at the opposite end of the dock. Photographs were taken showing the two red carnations floating stem to stem and while we watched they came together bloom to bloom. We were all overcome with emotion upon witnessing this unexplainable event. My wife was convinced that this was a "sign" that her parents were at last together.

Sunsets over Apalachicola Bay from St. George Island are truly spectacular. Apalachicola Bay is one of the most productive estuarine systems in the Northern Hemisphere. Apalachicola Bay is located on Florida's northwest coast. The Apalachicola Bay system includes St. Georges Sound, St. Vincent Sound and East Bay, covering an area of about 539 sq. km. Three islands (St. Vincent, St. George and Dog I.) separate the system from the Gulf of Mexico. Water exchange occurs through Indian Pass, West Pass, East Pass and the Duer Channel. The bay has been designated as a National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Apalachicola River is the largest source of freshwater to the estuary. Combined with the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers, they drain a watershed of over 51,800 sq. km at a rate of 555 cubic m/sec (USGS, 2002).

The region features 1,162 species of plants, and includes the largest natural stand of tupelo trees in the world. The area is also home to 308 species of birds, 186 species of fish, 57 species of mammals, and boasts the highest species density of amphibians and reptiles in all of North America, north of Mexico (Apalachicola Reserve, 2002).

This beautiful bird was photographed in Saint George Island State Park in Florida. Great blue herons are the largest herons in North America. They stand approximately 60 inches tall and are 38 to 54 inches long. They weigh 4.50 to 5.5 lbs. They have long, rounded wings, long bills that taper to a point at the end, and short tails. They also have very long necks and legs. The bills are a yellowish color and the legs are green. Great blue herons have gray upper bodies, and their necks are streaked with white, black and rust-brown. They have grey feathers on the back of their necks with chestnut colored feathers on their thighs. The males have a puffy plume of feathers behind their heads and also tend to be slightly larger than females.

This female osprey was nesting on St. George Island. An Osprey's diet is almost exclusively live fish, and includes a wide variety of fish species. The Osprey uses low, slow flights over water, and occasionally hovers to search for prey. When a fish is spotted, Osprey make dramatic dives from heights of 30 - 120 feet to plunge feet first into the water after their prey.

The New River originates in the far north of the Apalachicola National Forest, draining a wide region of Liberty County bordered by the Apalachicola River on the west and the Wakulla River to the east. The dark Gulf-bound waterway begins to widen within Tate's Hell State Forest and become tidally influenced before leaving the state forest and reaching Carrabelle and opening into the Gulf at Dog Island.

Bald Eagle landing in nest on Saint George Island.

Oyster skiffs anchored in Apalachicola Bay off Saint George Island. More than 90 percent of all the oysters sold in Florida, and 10 percent of the nation’s supply come from Apalachicola Bay. Together with other salt water treats such as shrimp, crab and finfish, Franklin County produces more than $11 million worth of seafood annually. Hurricanes in 2004 and 2005 impacted the oyster beds, but the industry has made a strong comeback.

The Willet (catoptrophorus semipalmatus) is a large sandpiper with mottled gray-brown upperparts, white rump and lightly streaked and barred white underparts. Broad white stripes on black wings are visible in flight. Tail is white with dark brown tip. Legs are blue-gray. Flight is short and low, alternates rapid wing beats with glides. The Willet is known by its piercing calls and bright black-and-white flashing wings. It is the only North American sandpiper whose breeding range extends southward into the tropics.

As of February 2008, there were four pairs of Bald Eagles on St. George Island. One pair is nesting in St. George Plantation.

The Gazebo on West Mountain.

El Ombú de Areco, an historical estancia (ranch) just over an hour's drive from downtown Buenos Aires, is located in San Antonio de Areco, birthplace of the gaucho tradition.

This Willet was photographed in early February on the St. George Island, Florida, beach. The Willet is a large, chunky shorebird with drab plumage. It is similar in height to a Greater Yellowlegs, but heavier and with a shorter neck. Its bill is long and fairly thick for a shorebird, and its legs are gray. It is mottled gray all over, with heavier barring in breeding plumage than in winter. The rump is white, and most of the tail is barred gray. The wing-linings are dark, resulting in a bold black-and-white wing pattern. Willets are strongly migratory. Wintering grounds include the West Coast of the United States to the north coast of South America and the West Indies. The birds wintering in Washington breed in the northern Great Plains, usually beginning by late April. Many adults depart the breeding grounds in June and July, with juveniles following soon after.

A pair of ospreys were spotted at a nest in St. George Plantation on St. George Island. The female was in the nest and the male arrived carrying a Hardhead Catfish which it caught in Apalachicola Bay a short distance from the nest. While I watched, a Black Vulture and a Bald Eagle swooped down simultaneously and tried to take the fish away. The osprey eluded both birds but ended up dropping the fish right in front of us on Leisure Lane which passes through The Plantation.

This pair of ospreys return to the same nest on Saint George Island, a barrier island situated across Apalachicola Bay from the city of Apalachicola. The North American Osprey is a very large bird reaching 2 feet in length with a remarkable wingspan over 5 feet and weights of between 3-4 lbs. Coloration of the Osprey is very distinctive. They have a deep dark brown back with a stark white underside and white head. As with most raptors, Osprey have a short hooked beak and exceptional vision. Facial marking are prominent with a dark stripe running from its golden eye to the back of its head that widens behind the eye line. Sexually dimorphic, females are slightly larger than the male of the species and often have an unusual chest marking that looks somewhat like a speckled necklace. Osprey in the order Falconiformes, and subfamily Pandioninae are one of the largest of raptors in the world. Taxonomic breakdown of the Osprey's scientific name Pandion refers to the mythic King of Athens whose daughters were turned into birds in Greek mythology. The word "Haliaetus" comes from the Greek word "Halos" (Sea or Salt) combined with "Aetos" or Eagle. However, it is the Latin word "Ossifragus" which translates to "bone breaker" that gave this bird its common name "Osprey".

As a resident of Saint George Island I have the opportunity to photograph beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Stargazers are in their glory on the island because there is no light pollution and there are a majority of clear skies.

Nine miles of undeveloped beaches and dunes, surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and Apalachicola Bay, provide the perfect setting for St. George Island State Park. The natural features of the park include extensive beaches and dunes, forests of slash pines and live oak hammocks. The ocean and bay support an abundance of marine life, while small freshwater ponds and sloughs provide a limited aquatic habitat in an otherwise arid climate. The waters of this area are some of the most productive commercial and sport fisheries in Florida, with a thriving oyster industry at the mouth of the Apalachicola River.

This was another beautiful day to fish at Saint George Island State Park. Nine miles of undeveloped beaches and dunes, surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and Apalachicola Bay, provide the perfect setting for St. George Island State Park. Occupying 1,962 acres at the end of a long, narrow barrier island, St. George is a combination of sandy coves, salt marshes, shady pines and oak forests. During most of its 5,000 years of existence, St. George Island was uninhabited by man. During the early and middle 1900s, the island's pine forests were turpentined. Many scars are still visible on the island's larger slash pines. During World War II, the island was used by troops for numerous training exercises that were carried out over the area's vast dunes. Acquisition of land for the park in 1963 and completion of the causeway in 1965 led to increased use of the beaches for recreational activity. In 1980, construction of the park facilities was complete, and the park was opened for public use. The natural features of the park include extensive beaches and dunes, forests of slash pines and live oak hammocks. The ocean and bay support an abundance of marine life, while small freshwater ponds and sloughs provide a limited aquatic habitat in an otherwise arid climate. The waters of this area are some of the most productive commercial and sport fisheries in Florida, with a thriving oyster industry at the mouth of the Apalachicola River. The arid conditions, coupled with the park's island location, limit both the number and type of resident animal life. Osprey may frequently be seen fishing in the waters, and their nests are found in the tops of living or dead pine trees in the park. Raccoons and ghost crabs may be observed, along with the salt-marsh snakes and diamondback terrapin that reside in the marsh and bay waters. Birds such as the snowy plover, least tern, black skimmer, willet and many other species of shorebirds frequently nest along the park's sandy shores and grass flats. The barrier islands of the Gulf Coast are important "rest stops" for a wide variety of migrating birds during the fall and spring. The best time to observe migrating birds is after the passage of cold fronts.

This is an untouched photo. The planes flew directly overhead of my location at the Base Commander's site. The USAF Heritage Flight featured the F-22 Raptor, F-15 Eagle, QF-4 Phantom, and P-51 Mustang.

The Ilulissat Icefjord is located just south of Greenland's third largest town, Ilulissat, with a population of 4,500 and 30,000 sled dogs. Ilulissat means "the place of the icebergs". The Ilulissat Icefjord (Ilulissat Kangerlua) is filled with beautiful and enormous icebergs that originate from the glacier Sermeq Kujalleq at the head of the fjord, some 25 miles from Ilulissat. The glacier produces 20 million tons of ice each day and is moving at an average rate of more than 70 feet per day. This is the most productive glacier in Greenland and the world's most prolific glacier outside of Antarctica. Where the fjord meets the Disko Bay just south of Ilulissat many of the larger icebergs get stranded. The height of the icebergs can be up to 360 feet above sea level (nine times that below the surface) and some are as many as 30,000 years old. Many of the massive bergs rest on the bottom of the 4,000-foot deep channel.

Icebergs are called 'Ilulissat' in Greenlandic. The town of Ilulissat is beautifully situated at the mouth of the 30 mile long, 4 1/2 mile wide ice fjord filled with enormous icebergs produced by the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere. Some of the icebergs in the field are more than 300 feet high (nine times that below the surface). The largest icebergs strand at the mouth of the fjord at depths of 4,000 feet. The largest icebergs choke the inlet for centuries.

I was extremely fortunate to have a beautiful sunny day in the icefjord. The icebergs came to life in the brilliant sunshine. Icebergs are called 'Ilulissat' in Greenlandic. The town of Ilulissat is beautifully situated at the mouth of the 30 mile long, 4 1/2 mile wide ice fjord filled with enormous icebergs produced by the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere. Some of the icebergs in the field are more than 300 feet high (nine times that below the surface). The largest icebergs strand at the mouth of the fjord at depths of 4,000 feet. The largest icebergs choke the inlet for centuries.

I was extremely fortunate to have a beautiful sunny day in the icefjord. The icebergs came to life in the brilliant sunshine. But in spite of the risks connected with sailing in the area, the locals fish here 24 hours a day, most of the summer helped by the midnight sun. Because of the high levels of oxygen in the water from the released air bubbles, the water is rich in life, and fish can be caught in large scale close to the entrance of the icefjord.

Sunsets on Apalachicola Bay are beautiful and every one is different.

Boardwalks extend over the dunes to reach the white sand beaches of Saint George Island, Florida.

Among the many islands along the falls, the most notable is Isla Grande San Martín, which is situated downstream from the Garganta do Diabo (on the Argentine side). From this island, a fine view of many of the cataracts may be had. Individual falls to be seen from the forest paths and trails on the Argentine side include those known as Dos Hermanas; Two Sisters, Bozzetti, San Martín, Escondido, and Rivadavia. From the Brazilian shore, an impressive panorama of falls can also be seen; among individual Brazilian falls are those known as Benjamin Constant, Deodoro, and Floriano.

The waterfall system consists of almost 300 falls, with heights of up to 70 meters, along 2.7 kilometres of the Iguazu River. The Garganta del Diablo ("Devil's Throat"), a U shaped 150 meters wide and 700 meters long cliff, is the most impressive of them all, and marks the border between Argentina and Brazil. Most of the falls are within Argentine territory, but from the Brazilian side (600 meters) a more panoramic view of the Garganta del Diablo is obtained.

Iguazu falls are strung out along the rim of a crescent-shaped cliff about 2.5 miles long, some 275 individual cascades and waterfalls plummet up to 269 feet into the gorge below.

Iguazu Falls are located in the region bounded by the municipalities of Puerto Iguazu (Argentina), Foz do Iguacu (Brasil) and Ciudad del Este (Paraguay).

Situated in Iguazú National Park, some 20 km. from Puerto Iguazú in the north of the province, these falls are shared by Brazil and Argentina. Iguazú river is born in Paraná state in Brazil, and after crossing 1,200 km. on a plateau where it receives several affluents, it reaches a fault forming a crack in the interleaved layers of sandstone and basalt where the river runs.

The waterfall system consists of about 270 falls along 2.7 kilometres (1.67 miles) of the Iguazu River. Some of the individual falls are up to 82 metres (269 feet) in height, though the majority are about 64 metres (210 feet). The Garganta del Diablo or Devil's Throat (Garganta do Diabo in Portuguese), a U-shaped 150-metre-wide and 700-metre-long (490 by 2300 feet) cliff, is the most impressive of all, and marks the border between Argentina and Brazil. Most of the falls are within Argentine territory, but from the Brazilian side a more panoramic view of the Garganta do Diabo is obtained. Many islands split up the falls, including several large ones. About 900 metres of the 2.7-kilometre length does not have water flowing over it.

This photo was taken from the Brazil side of Iguazu Falls.

El Ombú de Areco, an historical estancia (ranch) just over an hour's drive from downtown Buenos Aires, is located in San Antonio de Areco, birthplace of the gaucho tradition. The Late-Colonial style mansion was built in 1880 by Lieutenant-general Pablo Riccheri. The main house is surrounded by a covered gallery typical of the late-Colonial period, with a richly tiled floor and cascaded steps that lead into the gardens of the park.

When you dock in Port Cantaros you can trek along the scenic Cantaros Cascade up to Cantaros Lake. This seven hundred-step walk is in deep, wet rainforest, with flora like fungus and mushrooms that are inaccessible anywhere else in the park.

Mount Tronador, 11,660 feet above sea level, is located within the Nahuel Huapi National Park. The main and highest of its three summits marks the boundary with Chile.

Saint Edward's Chapel stands on the top of a hill, enjoying an excellent panoramic view of Llao Llao Resort and most of the village. Inside the church are stained glass windows by artist Marcos Jerman and a valuable painting by Raúl Soldi.

The Ilulissat icefjord contains icebergs, some of which are more than 300 feet high and more than 30,000 years old. In summer, you can sit by the fjord in the glow of the midnight sun sipping a drink with ice cubes that are thousands of years old! The fjord's icebergs originate from Greenland's second-fastest producing glacier located at the head of the fjord producing 20 million tons of ice every 24 hours - as much water as New York City consumes in one year!

The public beach on St. George Island is a perfect place to spend the day. Its location in the middle of the island where the bridge connects to the mainland allows one to walk to housing and a wide variety of businesses.

Shrimp and fishing boats moored on Scipio Creek marina in Apalachicola. Time was when the shrimp in the United States were caught in the Gulf of Mexico by shrimpers - fishermen who took their boats out to the seas or the bays, returning home laden with the squirming pink, translucent white, or silvery gray shellfish. Apalachicola, like so many towns along the Gulf of Mexico, was not so long ago a thriving fishing village, its working waterfront crowded with shrimp boats. Today, it's a different matter. Many Gulf shrimpers have given up, victim most recently of regulations that limit when and how they bring in their catch, by the high prices of fuel, and by the price competition that comes from cheap imported shrimp. It's probably less expensive right here in Apalachicola to eat shrimp farmed in Thailand than it is to buy the real deal fresh off the boats coming into the bay.

The Apalachicola River, along with its bay and drainage basin, represents the largest and most productive estuary in Florida. It is also one of the least populated coastal areas in the state. The Apalachicola River is the largest in Florida and ranks 21st in the United States in terms of flow. Its floodplain encompasses approximately 144,000 acres, and it is one of the most undeveloped, pristine and unique aquatic systems remaining in the nation. The Apalachicola Bay system is a wide, shallow estuary that covers an area of approximately 210 square miles behind a chain of barrier islands. Its primary source of fresh water is the Apalachicola River. Average depth in the bay system ranges from 3 feet, in East Bay, to 9 feet, in Apalachicola Bay, with maximum depths up to 20 feet occurring toward the barrier islands.

Sunrises on the beach at St. George Island are beautiful every day of the year. Sunsets are equally beautiful.

The butterfly was photographed at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. St. Marks is situated on the migratory path of the Monarchs. The Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is a well-known North American butterfly. Monarchs are especially noted for their lengthy annual migration. They make massive southward migrations from August through until the first frost. A northward migration takes place in the spring. Female Monarchs deposit eggs for the next generation during these migrations. The population east of the Rocky Mountains sanctuaries in the area of Angangueo, Michoacán, El Rosario, Mexico, and the western population overwinters in various sites in central coastal California, United States, notably in Pacific Grove and Santa Cruz. The length of these journeys exceeds the normal lifespan of most Monarchs, which is less than two months for butterflies born in early summer. The last generation of the summer enters into a non-reproductive phase known as diapause and may live up to 7 months. During diapause, butterflies fly to one of many overwintering sites. The generation that overwinters generally does not reproduce until it leaves the overwintering site sometime in February and March. It is thought that the overwinter population may reach as far north as Texas and Oklahoma during the spring migration. It is the second, third and fourth generations that return to their northern locations in the United States and Canada in the spring. How the species manages to return to the same overwintering spots over a gap of several generations is still a subject of research; the flight patterns appear to be inherited, based on a combination of circadian rhythm and the position of the sun in the sky.

Iguazu Falls from the Brazilian Side

The Iguazú river flows for approximately 1320km until its outlet in the Paraná.
Its width generally varies between 500 and 1000m however within the park it broadens to 1.500 meters and it twists to the south, then back to the north, forming a huge U which contains the outlet. A sudden drop in altitude here is the reason for the impressive water falls which form the main attraction of the park. In this large curved path, the rocky landscape fragments the river into a multitude of channels, each of these in turn become its own waterfall. This long fragmenting effect results in the fan of falls which gives the park its name.

Anhingas (and Cormorants) lack oil glands with which to preen and so must perch with their wings half open to dry them in the sun. This anhinga and slider turtle were photographed on the Apalachicola River.

This old silo in Central Illinois hasn't been used in at least 70 years. The brickwork is still in good condition and it should stand for another 70 years unless it is razed for a new subdivision..

Rural roads are much improved over what existed in years past. I remember when most country roads were unpaved with many potholes and muddy when it rained. Today, most have an oil or asphalt base with white rock surface.

This old one room school in Central Illinois has remained vacant for at least 60 years. It is deteriorating like so many other buildings in the United States of this generation. Why don't we try to protect and cherish our memories and heritage?

This black crowned night-heron was on the Apalachicola River in Northwest Florida. With a range that spans five continents, including much of North America, the Black-crowned Night-Heron is the most widespread heron in the world. It is most active at dusk and at night, feeding in the same areas that other heron species frequent during the day.

Apalachicola is home port for a fleet of offshore and near shore Gulf seafood vessels that daily bring in the shrimp, grouper, red snapper and other delicacies that will be locally prepared and shipped overnight to grace the tables of upscale restaurants all along the Eastern United States.

St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge is a 12,358 acre underdeveloped barrier island located just offshore from the mouth of the Apalachicola River in Franklin County, Florida. Four miles wide at the east end and nine miles long, this triangular island is larger and wider than most of the northern Gulf Coast barrier islands.

This sunset was captured from St. George Island. The sun rises on the Gulf of Mexico side of the island and the sun sets over Apalachicola Bay. The Apalachicola Bay system also includes St. Georges Sound, St. Vincent Sound and East Bay, covering an area of about 539 sq. km. Three islands (St. Vincent, St. George and Dog I.) separate the system from the Gulf of Mexico. Water exchange occurs through Indian Pass, West Pass, East Pass and the Duer Channel. The bay has been designated as a National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Apalachicola River is the largest source of freshwater to the estuary. Combined with the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers, they drain a watershed of over 51,800 sq. km at a rate of 555 cubic m/sec (USGS, 2002).

The region features 1,162 species of plants, and includes the largest natural stand of tupelo trees in the world. The area is also home to 308 species of birds, 186 species of fish, 57 species of mammals, and boasts the highest species density of amphibians and reptiles in all of North America, north of Mexico (Apalachicola Reserve, 2002).

This young Snowy Egret (egretta thula) was within St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. A small, active white heron, the Snowy Egret is found in small ponds as well as along the ocean shore. Its black legs and yellow feet quickly identify it. The snowy egret runs after its food. It eats shrimp, minnows and other small fish, crustaceans and frogs. It often feeds in groups.

This Snowy Egret was on a pond within St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. The snowy egret is about two feet in length and has a wingspan of about three feet. It has white feathers, a yellow patch of skin around its eyes, a black bill and black legs with bright yellow feet. In breeding season, it has lacy plumes on its head, neck and back. Males and females look alike.

Apalachicola Water Street park and dock

Lafayette Park, located in the center of Apalachicola's historic home district, is a waterfront showcase. Dedicated in 1832 and rededicated 100 years later, it features a lush landscape, period lighting, a gazebo, children's play equipment, picnic tables and a long fishing pier which stretches several hundred feet out into Apalachicola Bay.

Sunset on Apalachicola Bay viewed from Saint George Island.

This cross is located in a cemetary at the highest point in the village of Guadalest, Spain. Guadalest is of Islamic origin and when it was built, it was considered a highly valuable fortification. In the town centre at the top of the rock is the Saint Joseph castle dating from the 12th Century. The castle is reached via the pretty Calle de la Pena, lined with whitewashed houses decorated with numerous flower pots. Nearby is the 12th Century city dungeon, the bell tower, the recently restored Orduña House, the parish church and a Moorish fortified building.

Guadelest is a tiny mountain village in Spain with only 200 inhabitants. Occupying one of the most stunning positions in Spain, this small village is precariously perched on the pinnacle of a granite mountain, giving fabulous views across the valley carved out by the river from which the village takes its name. The old town centre of Castell de Guadalest is reached via a tunnel under a freestanding bell tower set on top of the stunning granite mass. Its privileged position offers stunning views over the valley and Castell de Guadalest reservoir.

This photograph was taken while on a visit to an Uruguayan estancia bordering the Rio de la Plata. The Rio de la Plata flows between Uruguay and Argentina and is 60 miles wide where the photo was taken. The Río de la Plata (Spanish: "Silver River") is the estuary formed by the combination of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River. Where the rivers join, it is 48 kilometres (30 mi) wide, and it runs to the southeast growing to 220 kilometres (137 mi) wide where it opens on the Atlantic Ocean, making it the widest estuary in the world. It forms part of the border between Argentina and Uruguay, with the major ports and capital cities of Buenos Aires in the southwest and Montevideo in the northeast.

Renowned for its mouth-watering seafood, Apalachicola, located on the northwestern panhandle of Florida, remains an authentic working town that boasts exceptional charm. It features a waterfront dotted with fishing vessels, a downtown filled with eclectic shops and streets lined with historic buildings.

Apalachicola’s roots date back to the early 1800s when it was established as a port for the cotton trade between New England and Europe. Remnants of this colorful past are made visible through the nearly 900 structures listed within the National Register Historic District. A scenic walking tour of the town highlights many of these places from the stately Victorian homes nestled amid magnolias to the original cotton warehouses, museums and parks that bring to life the bustling riverport days of the 1830s.

Apalachicola Bay is protected by a chain of offshore barrier islands. Home to some of the nation’s most pristine beaches, Apalachicola also boasts a sprawling landscape that includes the Apalachicola National Forest (500,000 acres) and the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (246,000 acres). Recreational activities abound. From kayaking and fishing to guided tours along the Historic Apalachicola waterfront, there are a variety of ways to explore the area’s wildlife preserves and barrier islands. Visitors can also enjoy land-based adventures by hiking, picnicing or biking through the thousands of acres of primitive forests.

On February 7, 2008, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Apalachicola, Florida one of its 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations. Since 2000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has annually selected communities across the United States that offer cultural and recreational experiences different from the typical vacation destination.

The vineyard at the Veramonte winery is the largest contiguous vineyard in Chile. It stretches over 350 hectares in the prime growing area of Chile's Casablanca Valley. In 1990, Agustin Huneeus chose this site for Veramonte recognizing that the microclimates and soils of this beautiful valley are similar to California's prestigious Napa Valley and Carneros winegrowing regions.

Bald cypress trees grow throughout the Apalachicola River Basin in Florida. Cypress can live for hundred of years, has "knees" that protrude above the soil, and loses its leaves in the winter, hence the "bald" cypress name. The Apalachicola River, along with its bay and drainage basin, represents the largest and most productive estuary in Florida. It is also one of the least populated coastal areas in the state. The Apalachicola River is the largest in Florida and ranks 21st in the United States in terms of flow. Its floodplain encompasses approximately 144,000 acres, and it is one of the most undeveloped, pristine and unique aquatic systems remaining in the nation. The Apalachicola Bay system is a wide, shallow estuary that covers an area of approximately 210 square miles behind a chain of barrier islands. Its primary source of fresh water is the Apalachicola River. Average depth in the bay system ranges from 3 feet, in East Bay, to 9 feet, in Apalachicola Bay, with maximum depths up to 20 feet occurring toward the barrier islands.

This Great Egret was arranging its nest on St. Marks River. The Great Egret (Ardea alba) is a wading egret found in most of the tropical and warmer temperate parts of the world. The Great Egret is a large bird with all white plumage, as much as 101 cm long and weighing up to 950 g. It is only slightly smaller than the Great Blue or Grey Herons. Apart from size, the Great Egret can be distinguished from other white egrets by its yellow bill and black legs and feet. It also has a slow flight, with its neck retracted. This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes and spoonbills, which extend their necks.

The Great Egret feeds in shallow water or drier habitats, spearing fish, frogs or insects with its long, sharp bill. It will often wait motionless for prey, or slowly stalk its victim. It is a conspicuous species, usually easily seen.

The Great Egret is partially migratory, with northern hemisphere birds moving south from areas with cold winters. It breeds in colonies in trees close to large lakes with reed beds or other extensive wetlands. It builds a bulky stick nest. The call at breeding colonies is a loud croaking "cuk cuk cuk".

This intense looking brown pelican is about four feet in length. It was photographed in Apalachicola Bay. It has a brown and gray body and a white head with a light brown crown. Its neck is dark brown during breeding season. Young pelicans are all brown. The brown pelican has a very long gray bill with a large pouch of skin. Its pouch holds two or three times more than the its stomach can hold -- close to three gallons of fish and water! Males and females look the same.

This Osprey was in a tree along the Apalachicola River. The Osprey is 20 to 24 inches long with a 5 to 5.5 foot wingspan. It has mainly white underparts and head, apart from a dark mask through the eye, and fairly uniformly brown upperparts. Its short tail and long, narrow wings with four long "finger" feathers (and a shorter fifth) give it a very distinctive appearance.

Juvenile birds are readily identified by the buff fringes to the upperpart plumage, buff tone to the underparts, and streaked crown. By spring, wear on the upperparts makes barring on the underwings and flight feathers a better indicator of young birds. Adult males can be distinguished from females from their slimmer bodies and narrower wings. They also have a weaker or non-existent breast band than the female, and more uniformly pale underwing coverts. It is straightforward to sex a breeding pair, but harder with individual birds.

In flight, Ospreys have arched wings and drooping "hands", giving them a diagnostic gull-like appearance. The call is a series of sharp whistles, cheep, cheep, or yewk, yewk. Near the nest, a frenzied cheereek!

Indian Ladder Falls at Skytop in Spring

The F-22 is a fifth-generation fighter that is considered a fourth-generation stealth aircraft by the USAF.

In addition to approximately 800 F-4 Phantom aircraft still flying in active service for other nations, the United States is still flying nearly 100 QF-4 Phantoms as drones. As the Phantom marks its 40th birthday on March 20, 2000, there are 12 QF-4 aircraft stationed with the Navy at Pt. Mugu, CA, and about 70 QF-4 serving the Air Force at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida and Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.

The QF-4 is an F-4 fighter that has been converted into a drone to resemble enemy aircraft.

The Air Force, Navy and Army use these drones for developmental/operational test and evaluation, weapon system evaluation and for live-fire lethality testing for ground-to-air and air-to-air missiles.

The American Alligator and Slider Turtle were sharing a log in the Apalachicola River in Northwest Florida. The American Alligator has a large, slightly rounded body, with thick limbs, a broad head, and a very powerful tail. Males can weigh over 1000 pounds; the largest recorded American Alligator reached a length of 19 feet, 2 inches (5.8 meters), although 13 to 14.7 feet (4 to 4.5 meters) is a more common adult size.

This large iceberg was floating off the coast of Greenland near the city of Ilulissat.

Each day, about 20 million tons of ice break apart from the Sermeq Kujalleq Glacier into the waters of the Ilulissat Fjord, some towering more than 300 feet above the sea.

Apalachicola is home port for a fleet of offshore and near shore Gulf seafood vessels that daily bring in the shrimp, grouper, red snapper and other delicacies that will be locally prepared and shipped overnight to grace the tables of upscale restaurants all along the Eastern United States.

Indian Ladder Falls

Another gorgeous sunset on Apalachicola Bay.

In the 1830s, Apalachicola was Florida’s largest port, and cotton was the reason why. From the city, the Apalachicola river winds inland for over three hundred miles to Columbus, Georgia. Some fifteen steamboats once plied the river, transporting the fluffy white gold grown in eastern Alabama and western Georgia to the Gulf. Once it reached Apalachicola, the cotton was compressed into bales and then lightered across shallow Apalachicola Bay to West Pass, located between St. Vincent and St. George Islands. The cotton bales were then transferred to three-masted ships, which transported the crop to mills located in New England and Europe. In 1836, 50,000 bales were shipped from Apalachicola, which by that time was the third largest cotton port on the Gulf Coast, behind New Orleans and Mobile.

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A lighthouse was obviously needed to mark Apalachicola Bay, and the efforts of the Florida Territorial Legislature to obtain one were awarded with an $11,800 Congressional appropriation in 1831. A site was selected on the extreme west end of St. George Island to mark West Pass, the main entrance to Apalachicola Bay. Constructed in 1833 under the guidance of Winslow Lewis, the lighthouse stood 75-feet-tall and exhibited eleven lamps.

St. George Island was shaped something like a giant check mark. From West Pass, the island extended southeast almost four miles before it reached its southernmost point, from where it bent northeast for twenty-five miles. It was soon noted that as vessels approached from the east, they would encounter the southern extreme of the island, before they could see the light on its west end. To remedy this situation, a local, Edward Bowden, was awarded a contract to build a new lighthouse at the southern extreme of the island.

The contract actually covered the construction of a lighthouse on Cape San Blas as well. The Cape San Blas Lighthouse was to be built using material from the discontinued St. Joseph Point Lighthouse, and Bowden was instructed to cannibalize the 1833 lighthouse on the western end of St. George Island to build the new Cape St. George Lighthouse. Keeper Francis Lee first lit the lamps in St. George’s second tower on November 16, 1848. The lighthouse didn’t survive even three years, as it was flattened in August of 1851 by a powerful gale that also toppled Bowden’s tower at Cape San Blas, along with a lighthouse on Dog Island.

A new contract was awarded on December 10, 1851 to Emerson and Adams to build a replacement. The site for the island’s third lighthouse was 250 yards inland from the previous site. Instead of building directly on the sand, a ring of pine pilings driven into the sand served as a foundation for the tower. Material salvaged from the destroyed lighthouse was used during the construction of the new station.

Following the outbreak of the Civil War, the lens and other valuables were removed from the station by order of the Confederate superintendent of lights. Keeper Braddock Williams was retained as keeper, until it became obvious that the conflict would prevent him from performing his duties for quite some time. The lighthouse survived the war in remarkable shape, and was quickly returned to service after peace returned to the area. A new keeper, James Reilly, reactivated the light on August 1, 1865. Keeper Williams was given responsibility for the light at Cape San Blas, but he would return to St. George and serve as an assistant under his son Arad. Tragically, in 1875, the younger Williams suffered a fall while painting the lighthouse and died four hours later.

In 1888, a “dark angle,” found in the tower’s lens and attributed to damage it received during the war, led to the installation of a new lens. Over the next several decades, the lighthouse withstood numerous storms and required only routine repairs. Perhaps surprisingly, the lighthouse witnessed action during a second deadly conflict: World War II. Part of St. George Island, along with Dog Island and a large area on the mainland, was used to train troops for the eventual invasion of Europe. A lookout tower was also built just west of the lighthouse to spot enemy activity offshore.

In the mid 1900s, the St. George Lighthouse had separate dwellings for the keeper and his assistant, but the assistant’s dwelling was lost to fire in the 1940s. The station was automated in 1949, leaving the keeper’s dwelling vacant.

The Army Corps of Engineers dug a channel, known as Bob Sikes Cut, through St. George Island in 1954 to provide ships a direct route between Apalachicola and the Gulf. The smaller of the two islands formed by the cut was named Little St. George Island or Cape St. George, while the larger island retained the name of St. George Island. The lighthouse is located on Cape St. George. In 1965, a bridge and causeway was constructed to connect St. George Island to the mainland. The state of Florida purchased Cape St. George in 1977, and created the Cape St. George State Reserve.

Barrier islands tend to migrate, losing sand in some areas while gaining it in others. The 1852 lighthouse originally stood over 500 yards from the Gulf, but by 1990 the beach erosion on the Gulf side of the island threatened the lighthouse. Hurricane Andrew removed most of the remaining buffer zone in 1992. The Coast Guard, realizing that the lighthouse might be lost, deactivated the light in 1994. The St. George Island Yacht Club, a tax-exempt, charitable organization without yachts or a club, attempted to halt the decommissioning of the light. When that failed, the group tried to raise money to keep the light operating. Local fishermen and shrimpers supported the effort, but the project was unsuccessful.

Before the beach could build back up following Hurricane Andrew, Hurricane Opal struck in 1995. The resulting tidal surge swept around the lighthouse, forcing it off its piling foundation. As the lighthouse settled into the sand, the circular staircase was torn from the interior walls, and the tower developed a pronounced lean. The oil house and keeper’s dwelling were also heavily damaged by the storm, however, the dwelling apparently had suffered significant damage already at the hands of a group of Coast Guardsmen who found it made good firewood.

Many thought the lighthouse was certainly lost, but a local campaign called “Save the Light” was started by the Apalachicola Times. The Cape St George Lighthouse Society was soon formed, and over the next couple of years the group managed to raise over $250,000. In June of 1999, contractor Bill Grimes, hired by the association, arrived on the island to save the lighthouse. Armed with a backhoe, Grimes took a low-tech approach towards saving the tower. He slowly excavated sand from beneath one side of the tower, and after many days the lighthouse started to settle back to vertical. With the tower level, several drillings were made through the four-foot thick walls at the base of the tower. A ring of corrugated metal was then formed around the bottom of the tower, and a 10-foot base of cement was poured in the mold. The concrete flowed through the cutouts made in the base of the tower, securing the lighthouse to the cement block. For a few years, the hollow tower stood securely anchored in its own cement island, permitting it to remain upright, even as water occasionally encircled the tower.

In 2000, the Cape St. George Lighthouse Society was dissolved, leaving the lighthouse without an active caretaker until a new group, the St. George Lighthouse Association, was formed on December 6, 2004. By that time, the lighthouse was standing in shallow water, and the concrete foundation that was attached to the base of the lighthouse had started to succumb to the constant wave action. The new organization was determined to move the tower inland before it was lost in the surf.

Hurricane Dennis struck the Florida Panhandle on July 10, 2005 as a Category 3 hurricane. As the storm was compact and fast-moving, damage was less than had been predicted. Cape St. George Lighthouse, located roughly 100 miles from where Dennis made landfall, survived the storm intact as shown in this photograph taken on July 11 by Debbie Hooper from Port St. Joe, Florida. 2005 was a record year for hurricanes, but as no other hurricanes came close to the Cape St. George Lighthouse, it seemed the tower would survive another hurricane season. However, on October 21, years of stress on the leaning tower apparently became too much, as the lighthouse toppled into the gulf at 11:45 a.m. This dramatic photograph, taken the following morning by Debbie Hooper, shows the partially submerged tower.

The St. George Lighthouse Association quickly launched an effort to salvage the remains of the lighthouse. Roughly six months after the tower toppled, excavation equipment was used to recover the pieces of the lighthouse and load them on a barge so they could be transported to Eastpoint, where a local radio station had provided a storage area. Volunteers have since spent numerous hours cleaning the recovered bricks so they can eventually be used to reconstruct the lighthouse.

On December 1, 2006, a replica of the Cape St. George Lighthouse's lantern was completed atop a custom-made platform in the County Park on St. George Island with hopes that work on construction of the new tower would begin the next year. Plans for the new tower were based on original drawings obtained from the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and ground was broken for the project on October 22, 2007. Sixteen square concrete pilings were driven almost forty feet into the ground to provide support for the tower, and atop these a reinforced cement foundation was poured on November 30. The first bricks were laid in early December, and over the next several months the tower steadily grew until the 65-foot tower was topped off on March 21, 2008. An eighteen-piece soapstone deck, imported from Brazil, was set in place atop the brickwork in late March, and on April 2, the lantern room was lifted aloft by a crane to take its place atop the tower. The exterior of the tower was then stuccoed and a heart-pine staircase installed inside the tower before it first opened for visitors in November of 2008. The state of Florida provided $575,000 for reconstructing the lighthouse and establishing a park.

The Llao Llao Hotel & Resort is located within Nahuel Huapi National Park, about 22 miles outside Bariloche. It is surrounded by majestic mountain peaks, crystal blue lakes, snow-covered mountains, rivers and colorful forests of Larch, Cypress, Coihue and Arrayanes. The Hotel was built in 1940 by well-known architect Ezequiel Bustillo and renovated in 1993. Its Canadian style is in harmony with the breathtaking landscape.

Iguazu affords better views and walkways and its shape allows for spectacular vistas. At one point a person can stand and be surrounded by 260 degrees of waterfalls. The Garganta do Diabo has water pouring into it from three sides, which makes for an exceptional sight. Likewise, because Iguazu is split into many relatively small falls, one can view these a portion at a time. Victoria does not allow this, as it is essentially one waterfall that falls into a canyon and is too immense to appreciate at once (except from the air). Iguazu and Victoria are generally regarded as the world's most spectacular waterfalls, with people divided as to which is the more impressive.

The waterfall system consists of about 270 falls along 2.7 kilometres (1.67 miles) of the Iguazu River. Some of the individual falls are up to 82 metres (269 feet) in height, though the majority are about 64 metres (210 feet). The Garganta del Diablo or Devil's Throat (Garganta do Diabo in Portuguese), a U-shaped 150-metre-wide and 700-metre-long (490 by 2300 feet) cliff, is the most impressive of all, and marks the border between Argentina and Brazil. Most of the falls are within Argentine territory, but from the Brazilian side a more panoramic view of the Garganta do Diabo is obtained. Many islands split up the falls, including several large ones. About 900 metres of the 2.7-kilometre length does not have water flowing over it. The first European to find the falls was the Spanish Conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, after whom one of the falls in the Argentine side is named.

The name of the falls comes from the Guaraní word for "great water." The first Spanish explorer to see the falls (did you see the film The Mission?) was Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1541 but the vast power of the falls was not fully utilized until the construction of the huge Itaipu hydroelectric power plant built jointly by Paraguay and Brazil. Completed in 1991 the dam is open to tours and provides 12,600,000 KW of power satisfying almost 40% of Brazil and Argentine power needs. The dam one of the largest in the world is touted by both countries as a masterpiece of technology.

Cape Horn is widely considered to be the southern tip of South America. Cape Horn is the most southerly of the great capes, and marks the northern boundary of the Drake Passage; for many years it was a major milestone on the clipper route, by which sailing ships carried trade around the world. However, the waters around the cape are particularly hazardous, due to strong winds, large waves, strong currents and icebergs; these dangers have made it notorious as a sailors' graveyard.

This Bald Eagle eaglet was born around Christmas 2008 on Saint George Island, Florida. The feathers of newly hatched Bald Eaglets are light grey, and turn dark brown before they leave the nest at about 12 weeks of age. During their third and fourth years, Bald Eagles have mottled brown and white feathers under their wings and on their head, tail and breast. The distinctive white head and tail feathers do not appear until Bald Eagles are about 4 to 5 years old. Their beak and eyes turn yellow during the fourth and fifth year, and are dark brown prior to that time. Bald Eagles are about 29 to 42 inches long, can weigh 7 to 15 pounds, and have a wing span of 6 to 8 feet. This makes them one of the largest birds in North America. Females are larger than males. Bald Eagles residing in the northern U. S. are larger than those that reside in the south. They have a life span of up to 40 years in the wild, and longer in captivity.

Most of the deer (Cervidae) in Florida are white-tailed deer. The White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus, is found in forest edge habitats statewide. It is gray- to russet brown with a white underside. It is large (55-80") with large ears, a large tail, and long slender legs. Males have antlers. Antlers are largest on males 6-10 years old. They are shed in late winter or early spring and regrow 6-8 weeks later. Breeding season is from September to March. About 200 days later, a litter of 1-3 fawns is born. The young begin accompanying the mother to feed at 3-4 weeks but are not weaned for another 2-3 months and will remain with her until they are 6-18 months old.

This Bald Eagle was nesting on St. George Island, a barrier island on Florida's Northwest coast. Bald Eagles feed primarily on fish, but also eat small animals (ducks, coots, muskrats, turtles, rabbits, snakes, etc.) and occasional carrion (dead animals). They swoop down to seize fish in their powerful, long and sharp talons (approximately 1,000 pounds of pressure per square inch in each foot). They can carry their food off in flight, but can only lift about half their weight. Bald Eagles have been recorded at 44 miles per hour in level flight. They seldom dive vertically on their prey, preferring to decend more gradually and snatch fish, rabbits, etc. with their feet. Their diving speed is estimated at 75 to 100 miles per hour. They can fly to altitudes of 10,000 feet or more, and can soar aloft for hours using natural wind currents and thermal updrafts. Bald Eagles can swim to shore with a heavy fish using their strong wings as paddles. However, it is also possible that they can drown if the fish weighs too much.

One of the largest birds of prey in North America, the Osprey eats almost exclusively fish. It is one of the most widespread birds in the world, found on all continents except Antarctica.

The Osprey readily builds its nest on manmade structures, such as telephone poles, channel markers, duck blinds, and nest platforms designed especially for it. Such platforms have become an important tool in reestablishing Ospreys in areas where they had disappeared. In some areas nests are placed almost exclusively on artificial structures.

Osprey eggs do not hatch all at once, but instead the first chick hatches out up to five days before the last one. The older chick dominates its younger siblings, and can monopolize the food brought by the parents. If food is abundant, little aggression is seen amongst the chicks, but if food is limited, the younger chicks often starve.

The Osprey is a fish-eating specialist, with live fish accounting for about 99% of its diet. Barbed pads on the soles of its feet help it grip slippery fish. When an Osprey takes a large fish to its nest, it carries the fish headfirst to make it as aerodynamic as possible.

This photo was taken before sunrise in apalachicola on a fishing trip to the Gulf of Mexico.

The trout stream leads to Indian Ladder Falls.

This barn is located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Gambrel barn and related barns of the late nineteenth century mark the advent of the standardized construction systems, mass-produced building materials, mail-order planning and distribution, and national barn-building traditions. The barn is one of the most familiar features of the American rural landscape. Reinforced by its size and its prominent setting near open fields and pastures, the barn is indelibly etched into the collective American consciousness. Even for those who have only seen them in the media, barns have had a strong, enduring attraction for most Americans. From the earliest European settlements in America, the barn has been a fundamental component of the farm and has become a symbol for the agrarian way of life.

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