Friday, December 23, 2016

MORE FLORIDA PHOTOS TO KEEP YOU WARM



From our 2nd week on Anna Maria Island and around...



Great White Egret, long and tall and sleek - also not afraid of people as he/she was used to fisherfolk coming in with their boats or catching good stuff he/she could share :)










What do you call a group of Snowy Egrets?  These guys and gals were hanging out at the Anna Maria City Pier, waiting for something good to be brought up in a net from the fisherfolk netting bait fish.  The Pier was busy with people walking back and forth and these bold ones would move a bit and then reposition themselves.  





Saw this interested spikey spider (red spikes sticking out of the black body) in a web - in fact, saw many of them along the nature walk we took at Leffis Key south of Anna Maria and Holmes Beach.











After a trip to St. Petersburg to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation group (for Sweetie's continuing research), we drove back into St. Pete to see the permanent Chihuly Collection at the Morean Arts Center.  Some of his glasswork (this was from a ceiling) reminded me of the spider and web.







After touring the Chihuly, we walked across the street to the HotShop to see glassblowers in action.  Unfortunately, I had a migraine all day and couldn't enjoy the brightness of the kiln/hotbox as much as I normally would, plus it takes a long time to make one vase!

The glassworker's name was Eidelweiss.  Interesting first name.  While she put the vase-in-progress in and out of the hotbox, I went back into the shop and looked at all the beautiful things for sale.








Loved the warm golden reflections on this large Chihuly vase.  





Looks like we are going to have a warm, snowless Christmas - which suits me just fine!  Hope you get the Christmas you wish for, wherever you are; and if you have to travel, be safe.
















5 comments:

Gary L. Everest said...

Hi Rhonda,
Almost Merry Christmas. Delightful post. Loved the birds, that strange spider and, of course, the Chihuly story. Somewhere in my blog's older posts is one about our visit to Tacoma, Washington and the Chihuly Museum. What fabulous glass art!
Hope those nasty migraines are deleted from the New Year!!
Sincerely,
Gary

E.M. Corsa said...

Love, love, love that spider! Thanks for sharing.

Jennifer Rose said...

sorry to read you had another migraine :(

group of egrets a heronry? no idea actually lol

humbird said...

What a wonderful trip! From the birds and spider to colorful art! And the main - special blue of gulf in St. Pete! Thank you for sharing, Rhonda!

Sadami said...

Rhoda, wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Take care. Best wishes, Sadami