Bird takes flight for Tampa Daily Photo

When I started my three blogs, all of them concentrated on Tampa, Florida. This blog, which is the only one of the three not a part of the incredible community of City Daily Photo bloggers, has strayed occasionally and often lagged behind my efforts to be true to its name. It has not always featured Tampa Bay or been daily. Because of the time and craziness of trying to faithfully post every day about the Tampa Bay region at three different but similar sites, I have decided to cease posting here...for now. It was harder than I ever guessed to post each day on all three sites.(I know some of you are saying, Duh! Could've told you dummy.) To those of you who regularly post on 2, 3 or more sites, I am amazed and congratulate on your talent and determination. I honestly don't know how you do it.

To my loyal Followers I offer a huge THANK YOU. I will be visiting your blog(s) and giving you this change and update personally. But I want to thank each of you here for visiting and leaving your comments over the past months. I sincerely appreciate your online friendship and invite you to come on over to Tampa Daily Photo HERE (and Tampa Florida Photo HERE) and rejoin me as a Follower. Regardless, I will continue to visit your site and look forward to continuing our online relationship and community of friendship, exploration and discovery. So for now, I leave you with this very fresh magnolia bloom and hope you'll continue to join me on the online adventure.

Bird of Paradise bursts with exotic form and color in Plant Park

Plant Park lies between the original Tampa Bay Hotel, today the home of the University of Tampa and the Henry B. Plant Museum, and the Hillsborough River. The Friends of Plant Park have spent many hours and years reproducing and nurturing the lush beauty of the walkways and gardens as Plant envisioned and offered his hotel guests when the fabulous resort hotel opened in 1891. This gorgeous Bird of Paradise is just one of many beautiful and exotic plants you can enjoy while strolling under moss-laden oaks and beside softly meandering streams. It's the perfect, quiet place to breath deeply and relax body, mind and soul.

This ain't Florida, #2

This cute fellow is an Agama Lizard, or Red-Headed Rock Agama (Agama agama), which can be found hanging out and sunning themselves all over sub-Saharan Africa. This particular guy was very comfortable in the 100 degree heat on a rock wall near the beach on the Gulf of Guinea in Ghana. Although he seemed friendly, and totally unafraid of me, the Agama lizard's diet of crickets, mealworms, grasshoppers, and locusts, does not mention that he could probably chomp down pretty good on our black cat. (The cat should be afraid. Very afraid.)

Old Morgan Street Jail Meets Its Maker

The Morgan Street Jail, which sat just south of the interstate, and beside Oaklawn Cemetery, is fast being reduced to twisted steel and rubble. Right now it looks like what some of our major hurricanes left behind in 2004-5. First opened in 1964, this facility had seen better days when it was closed almost 5 years ago. The Florida Department of Transportation now owns the land. I hope big plans are in place for this prime downtown location to replace it with something much better for the citizens of Tampa.

Play Nice in the Sandbox

We have a dog that, after a big meal of too-expensive gourmet food mixed with a bowl of dry food, weighs 20 lbs. Wet. We have taken him to the dog park but confine him to the small dog fenced area, which is very nice if you're a small dog. From there he can just watch the big dogs run and play. The few times we've let him venture in the big dog area, with the 80-150lb dogs, he's been OK. He goes about 12 feet, stops, and then doesn't move. They all run over to him, they have words, sniff, and then they turn and leave him alone. It cannot be that he bared his teeth, which are tiny and buried in his flat, smushed face, but something he says that clearly establishes his place in the pecking order. But, still, we take no chances and let the bigger, stronger dogs chase each other and try to see who's king of the hill. This wild, playful pack of lovable dogs, every breed imaginable, were having a great time trying to wrestle the other smaller dogs and take charge, rule the park. Our guy watched with royal disdain and disinterest. (We're almost embarrassed that he doesn't like to step onto the grass like every other dog on earth; he prefers sidewalks or oriental carpets....don't even think of messing with a Pekingese. He is perfect, you know, has the right size nose, and no, his eyes are NOT gigantic. What are you talking about, human??)

A Purpose-Built Boat

This boat belongs to the George F. Young company. They are consultants offering a range of architectural, engineering, and related services and specialize in land development projects including mixed use and master planned developments. One area of expertise is municipal engineering which includes water, wastewater, and sanitary sewer design and permitting. They are one of the largest surveying and mapping firms in Florida. That area includes hydrographic surveying and this purposeful boat. I watched it, with its twin Yamaha outboards, fly from this dock like a dragster after a top-fuel prize. So this boat and its crew are highly trained and very specialized experts in their field. They know what they are doing.

You reflect well on yourselves

The Suntrust Financial Centre, Wachovia and Verizon Buildings in Tampa's downtown are shown at sunset as reflections in the bay. To see them right side up visit Tampa Florida Photo HERE.

Down a pint of Jack the Quaffer London Porter at Tampa Bay Brewing Company

The Tampa Bay Brewing Company, on the plaza level on 8th Avenue in Central Ybor, is the place in Ybor City to find a really good burger plus a wide variety of handcrafted beers and ales. Located in the heart of Ybor's Historic District, you can enjoy outdoor dining while you watch the trolleys go by or sit comfortably inside and make friends with the bartenders. The place is perfect for meeting friends and enjoying a couple of cold pints. Tampa Bay Brewing Company is justly proud of their beer and ale and use some of the world's best barley, hops and yeast to brew great tasting beers. The atmosphere is warm and congenial brewpub, the food is delicious, even into the late night, and you cannot find a better beer - in my estimation - then a pint of their very own Jack the Quaffer London Porter. Yummm!!

This ain't Florida

So, if this isn't a scene of Florida's swaying palm trees, sailboats at anchor and breathtaking sunsets, where is it?

Falling Oaks, Moss and the Lazy River

These oak trees, laden with moss and age, are slipping into the Hillsborough River.

Ibis grabs a bite

The American White Ibis is one of the most common and numerous wading birds in Florida. They can found all along our waterfronts and very often in our front yards. When a bunch of them are moving across the lawn I have to wonder what poor insect is on their menu. This ibis is hunting for a bit of fish or a small frog in the saltwater shallows of Hillsborough Bay.

Sea Oats 'neath the moon and sky

Museum of Fine Arts: C. Paul Jennewein and "The First Step"

This bronze statue is called The First Step. It captures a mother lovingly guiding her son as he begins to take his first step. The statue was created by American artist C. Paul Jennewein (1890-1978). The statue is approximately 30 inches high and is located in the north courtyard of the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg. We went across Tampa Bay to see the current exhibition of photography on display from the museum’s collection. There were images from the earliest years in the mid nineteenth century, masters of the twentieth century including American photographer Burk Uzzle, to Len Prince and his recent images of Sally Mann’s daughter, Jessie. Because we cannot take photographs inside the museum galleries, I went out into the sculpture garden, used the cell phone and took a few photos of the pieces from the permanent collection displayed outdoors. There are several very impressive sculptures. You can see The First Step on a pedestal in the center of the garden photo.

Jennewein was born in Stuttgart, Germany and immigrated to the United States in 1907. He spent his early years as a muralist. In 1912, he completed the four murals for the Woolworth Building in New York City. Following his military service with the U.S. Army during World War I he moved to Rome where he studied at the American Academy of Rome. It was while living and studying in Italy that his concentration turned to sculpture. He is best known today for the figures completed in 1933 in the pediment of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. During his career he sculpted five majestic and monumental eagles: one at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, another one at the Memorial Bridge in Arlington, Virginia, the third on the Federal Office Building in New York City, and a fourth, for the Spanish-American War Memorial in Rochester, New York. The fifth is at the Ardennes Memorial in Belgium. He created smaller eagles for the American Embassy in Paris. Jim Jennewein, the artist’s son, is an architect and lives in Tampa.

As everyone who lives in this area of Florida knows, we had one of our fast moving rainstorms today of what seemed to be biblical proportions. The deluge flooded the interstate highway and roads as we drove over to downtown St. Petersburg. If you go in closer to the statue, the mother and son are dripping from the rain, but still the light in the garden was soft and beautiful. The photo of the entrance to the museum shows the banners announcing the current and future exhibitions.

Manatees swim and dance like ballerinas

These handpainted manatees are on a wall in Ballast Point Park. As the artist depicted them, they probably weigh 1,200lbs but they are twisting, spinning and rolling like featherweights under water. Although they are mammals, not fish, they never leave the water. They rise to the surface to breath and then submerge themselves for up to 24 minutes before going up for air again. The artist captured their playfulness, cute expressive faces and massive size quite well. Yesterday I posted a Caution: Manatee warning sign for boaters at Tampa Florida Photo with links to a couple of very good manatee web sites. If you're interested in learning a lot more take a look. These animals are amazing and fantastic creatures. Can't you imagine a hug from those flippers?

Man-made mysteries in the sea

Look back to my post of Saturday, July 18th HERE, to see how these mysterious-looking clumps of sea shells came to be. After showing you in my earlier post what they looked like before they became so shell-encrusted, how they were made and their purpose, I thought you might like see what happens to them after they've sat awhile in the water up close to shore. In no time they come to life, literally. It's an amazing thing we can do when we put our minds to it.

It's the Giant Sugar Cookie

I pass by these windows of the Williams Sonoma store in Hyde Park Village almost every day. The store is like a dear friend. For over 15 years it has been the source of countless kitchen-related, read cooking...food... gifts that I have bought and given at Christmas, assorted holidays and for of course birthdays. In return for my thoughtful, caring and unselfish gift-giving, I have eaten like a king. I have brought home perfect, crisply-wrapped boxes (with their distinctive ribbon) holding pots, knifes, waffle-makers, weird kitchen gadgets that no one on this earth knows how to use, kitchen mitts, more kitchen mitts and so many hand towels I was finally asked/told to not gift any more towels. (OK, I did get that message.) There are exotic food stuffs, like Vermont maple syrup, and cooking books featuring cities all over the country and the great cities of the world. It is a store that always delivers. And then just walking by, minding my own business tonight, I spot what looks to me to be the biggest sugar cookie I could dream of. The rest of the window goodies may be slightly obscured but not the cookie. The first time I went inside a Williams Sonoma was in Ridgewood, New Jersey, 25 or so years ago. It has only gotten better with age. If you've never had the pleasure, it is a cook's and real chef's dream. But without me, what would the best chef on earth do with all that delicious food? I ask you, isn't my purchase of these these fine kitchen implements and foods a magnanimous gesture on my part? Save the Gourmet Meals. Save the Gourmet Meals. It's been my rallying cry for almost 30 years. I can't stop now. I'd whither and die.

Where's the Big Yellow School Bus Hiding?

In many states and rural communities school buses go home at night with the drivers. I don't know if that is the policy here locally or why this bus is buried in beside this house. I just thought the bright yellow bus made for a nice combination of colors with everything else around it. Even the deep blue of the Obama Biden sign posted on the fence adds a complimentary color to the scene. The Hillsborough County School District serves almost 170,000 students at 219 schools - the 8th largest school system in the united sates. Maybe this particular bus is exhausted from hauling all those kids every day and is hiding out and taking a much needed break.

Why's a tree sneeking into my sky

House of the Seven Gables (I think there are at least seven.)

I'm not sure what to make of this building. It's been boarded up for so long that it almost looks normal. But being encased this way is just plain strange and creepy. Enough already, owner. Do something with it. Tear it down completely and start anew or restore it to some semblance of its former glory. As it is, it's a total waste. It's good for only one thing in this condition and that's photographs of its many wobbly, uneven sides and odd, unexplainable roof line. It stares at passing motorists who pass it every day on the corner on Westshore Boulevard in Port Tampa. And ignore it. Completely. I find the roof especially intriguing and it screams to be noticed. There are more angles and lines than one can count, but why I can't imagine. Although it is old and probably has an interesting history, nobody cares to listen. Or that it matters anymore. Other than some good stories, it's not a historic structure and would be hard to rehabilitate or restore. If it could talk, it might tell of its life when Port Tampa was a city onto itself and before it was annexed into the City of Tampa. Now those might be good stories. But, buildings don't talk and this one is so pathetic, strange and tightly boarded up by its owner that it's suffocating and ready to die.

Reef Balls come alive

Reef Balls®, or Oyster Domes, are part of C.O.R.E. (Community Oyster Reef Enhancement), a program begun by Tampa Bay Watch. The oyster domes help replace and replenish oysters in some of our struggling waterways. Originally designed to rebuild coral reefs, they have been an important part of the restoration programs for years. Thousands have been placed in areas along Bayshore Boulevard, Ballast Point and around MacDill Air Force Base. They are all placed by hand, by volunteers and go along seawalls and shorelines to improve our saltwater quality and reduce erosion. The domes are made with help from students and teachers from schools in the Tampa Bay area, community groups and volunteers who really enjoy the work and the positve end result. They welcome everyone's involvement. Each ball is made of marine-friendly concrete mixed with Microsilica to balance their ph and encourage growth around it. And, it works. Plus, an added benefit which I bet the marine scientists never thought of is they look like an art project and site installation. They look amazing and have attracted people to the cool, creative results. I have a very talented and skilled photographer friend, Matt Larson (click to visit his blog), who is expert at Polaroid and toy camera photography. He has had a long career in photography and these unusual and demanding camera types make one see a little differently and work a bit harder. I recommend his work. It's outstanding. Click HERE to see his great photos of the Reef Balls along Bayshore. The Reef Balls come alive!

Art Deco or Art Moderne: It's a Kress 5 & 10 Store on the inside nontheless

I found this building's corner facade hard to believe. I posted a photo of the S.H. Kress and Co. building at Tampa Daily Photo yesterday. It was a close-up of the top most part of the building showing the elaborate details and original painted sign on the brick. This building is connected to Kress, on the same city block and appears to be a much later addition to the store. But it zooms forward in time to the Art Deco period like a Buck Rogers space ship. If this was not part of the Kress store I will gladly stand corrected. If one does not mind leaping back in forth in their architectural design periods, then this is as interesting as it gets. The colors alone are magnificent and design details outstanding. I looked online but could not find more about this. I'll keep trying.

Tampa's Gothic pride is on display 42 stories and 579 feet in the air: It's tough to get up close and personal

Tampa doesn’t have any grand cathedrals, palaces or turreted castles from ancient times. As a town and city that was still deciding whether it would or would not incorporate as recently as the mid-nineteenth century (it was first incorporated in 1849 and was reincorporated as a town on December 15, 1855), this office building is our towering example of grand, gothic-style architecture, at least as you study the top floors and its roof. 100 North Tampa Street, known as the AmSouth Building, is 579 feet (176 m) and 42 floors. It is the tallest building in Tampa and on Florida’s Gulf Coast, and the ninth-tallest building in Florida. It was completed in 1992 and contains 552,000 square feet of office space. I have spent many hours in the conference rooms that are located on the 40th floor directly under the protruding cone-like gable roof section on the top right. (I understand that satellite dishes hide in the gable sections on each end.) The building is mostly flat on top and the rising sections conceal mechanical equipment. (There were special architectural tours conducted by the staff of the Tampa Museum of Art in the 1990s that took small groups into Tampa's more interesting buildings and most included a visit to the to the roofs. The brave were allowed to climb if possible up skinny ladders to the very tippy-top and peek out.) When 100 North Tampa was finished it was the tallest building in Tampa. The exterior is clad in Rosa Dante granite from Spain, the windows are pewter tinted and the roof is made of metal. It was designed by HKS, Inc., the international architecture firm that has offices in Tampa. The views are awesome. (And the motley collection of rather large birds that swoop and circle by the windows is a bit creepy at times. Buzzards at eye level are strange and unnerving.)

This well-worn Jeep has the best view on the beach

This Jeep seems to live on the sand at the edge of the Seaplane Basin on Davis Islands. My guess is it's cheap transportation for one of the sailboat live-aboards whose boat is anchored in the basin. There are lots of weathered bikes and several small row boats tied up to the boat dock nearby. Occasionally I see a VW bus that looks like a cousin to this jeep; both have seen a million-plus miles but flat refuse to retire. The shape tells me it was probably a U.S. Postal vehicle when new and after its years of hauling mail were over it was sold. It enjoys a beach bum's life now. Hanging out at the water's edge, sucking in the salt air, and watching the incredible sunsets from the best seat on the beach. What a way to live. (Sure beats delivering the mail, doesn't it?)

Is this a cleat that the ropes to the SS American Vistory Ship are tied to?

These ropes are tied to the SS American Victory ship, a 455 foot long merchant cargo ship built in the 1940s. It's a big ship and it amazes me that these roes are what keep it tied to its dock. A museum now after almost forty years of distinguished service beginning during World War II and continuing through the Korean War and Vietnam, it now serves as a museum in the Port of Tampa. (Visit their website, SS American Victory Mariners Memorial and Museum Ship, to see what a really extraordinary story this ship has to tell. I posted today a photo of the ship in port at Tampa Daily Photo.) The big question I have is, Is this big yellow thing called a cleat, even though it is humongous? Does anyone know. Any sailors out there who helped tie up a ship of this size? Obviously, I did not serve in the navy.

The textures and colors of New Mexico come to life in Tampa's Ybor City

I know I am a very long way from the indescribable beauty of New Mexico and the warm earthen colors that make the state so magical. To my right brain, I see a touch of Santa Fe or Taos in this scene. Perhaps it's the stuccoed, adobe-like texture to the wall or the brilliant rust red color, but I couldn't help but be reminded of one of my favorite places on earth. The City Different, as Santa Fe is called, creeps into your soul and takes hold of you in a way that I can't describe. Venice is that way. Paris of course. But to spend time in a pueblo, spell the flat bread sizzling and gaze up at an adobe church, that time can not be surpassed by many other of the world's sights, sounds or smells. To witness the sun setting in New Mexico is beyond words. It is ethereal. The sight takes command of that part of you that forms memories and embeds itself very deeply. Florida is also a place of tremendous nature beauty, but isn't the human brain weird that it would let me see this simple wall and be transported to an entirely different place, in all its magnificence and near sensory overload like New Mexico. Bless you and thank you poor cracking wall in Ybor City. Love you for the power you have on me. I needed that.

Tampa's Smoke Barbecue & Grill on Platt heats up as the hungry arrive and the rainy night closes in

If you know and love barbecue then Smoke Barbecue & Grill on Platt Street at South Boulevard is a place you'll fall in love with. From the incredible aroma as you pull up and very cool bar and outside dining area, the owners thought long and hard about what kind of total eating experience they wanted to create. On top of delicious food, the fast, friendly service, fun menu (check it out here) and a comforting, wrap your hands around a fresh corn-on-the-cob atmosphere are the reasons why this restaurant has become a popular and much talked-about dining destination. Located in a very old and funky gasoline station from the 1930s or 40s, they transformed every inch of space into a smoking hot barbecue headquarters. Lunch. Dinner. Slow-w-w smoked. Plus live music fours nights a week. Or, 8 Days a Week as they put it. Home away from home. Yep, another fine restaurant that's a must-go-to in South Tampa.

Yacht Starship anchored in Garrison Channel

Back many weeks ago at Tampa Daily Photo I featured a little ship's captain whose job was to direct visitors and diners to the Yacht Starship docked in Garrison Channel. I thought it was about time that I showed the Starship itself and its proximity to the Channel District and Shops at Channelside. The 30-story twin Towers of Channelside rise up behind the ship. This growing area is home to several of Tampa's most popular venues and attractions including the Tampa Bay History Center, the Florida Aquarium, the St. Pete Times Forum, American Victory Museum plus new apartments and condominiums, and Tampa's cruise ship terminals. The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce is even located here. (A few days ago I featured the wonderful, found-objects, metal football player/transformer that was crafted at Rustic Steel Creatives . The studio is located just a couple of blocks north of here. You could walk over and see the giant metal dragon before dinner.) Obviously the Yacht Starship isn't the only reason to the visit this area but it is the only way you can enjoy fine dining as you sail Tampa's port.

The repair garage of last cartoon resort: Sure, we can fix it. Just wait til we move this truck out

This truck is mighty big and fills this space so well. I just can not resist the hunt and the joy of finding murals like this one. Don't you agree, they add so much to otherwise bland, nondescript wall surfaces? Plus, another benefit not to be overlooked, they bring a smile to our lives.

FROM BEHINDS? Where was my grade school English teacher when the dog park called?

I couldn't resist this sign. They always fascinate me but this particular sign was so professionally printed. Can you just imagine the reaction of the person at the neighborhood sign shop when the customer insisted on this exact wording. It may or may not be proper English, but it clearly gets its point across. Being a dog owner, and knowing that dogs respect "territory" and feel the urge to frequently mark theirs and that of every other dog that has crossed their path, does this "All Dogs Welcome" park provide separate facilities for the animals...off the property? Do they play awhile and then have to raise a paw to be excused? Off to the doggy outhouse or a designated fire hydrant? Nothing? Now, that's harsh.

To Here. To There. To Align. Sign.

Don't ask me for any more about it. This sign is on the side of a sturdy brick warehouse-looking building in our artsy Channel District. I just know it's very cool and means something, to someone, but I'm not sure what. It's worth investigating. Some day. In the meantime, use your imagination and invent your own story. Make it good.

Black Cats will bring in the 4th with a bang. Maybe they'll scare away my black cat, too. (Only kidding little guy.)

As the 4th of July celebrations grown nearer, colorful can't miss-them tents are springing up on every lot and street corner. Who buys all of these fireworks anyway? I must admit that as subjects for the camera lens they are hard to beat. I'm not sure where the fireworks are made - China? -but the American flags could not be in greater numbers or more prominently displayed. Along with OPEN flags so we don't think these places were set up but are just for show. The only places that try to show their American spirit more boldly are the car lots that must own a factory that produces flags by the hundred of dozens. And, the more giant the flag the better. Hey, maybe there's a tie-in with the fireworks banner manufacturers and car lot managers who also love the bright, bold colors (!) and garish displays. I bet they go to the same school of advertising. Black Cat tent managers could give any car manager a run for his money when it comes to stopping traffic. (Now I must go apologize to my black cat before he misreads this post.)

CAUTION: This LARC vehicle is FAR bigger in person then it appears

I remember when this nearly unidentifiable vehicle was sitting in a dirt field at the eastern end of the Gandy Bridge just after crossing Tampa Bay. It stood there, solidly parked, as though it was the premo cream-puff on a used car lot. No bunting or streamers but it did scream take me home every time I drove past. Believe me, it towered over the passing cars and trucks. It disappeared and I hadn't seen it or thought of it for years. I just remembered it was a huge, hulking thing, way, way out of its element as it sat, high and dry, alongside the highway. Talk about lost and forgotten, this was it. Lo and behold, as I stood today taking a few shots of the boat slips and docks, it appears out of the heat and hazy sun right across the channel, parked behind a warehouse building and definitely not in the water. I snapped a couple of shots of it, and now that it had found me again, I promised myself I would find out exactly what it was. So, after a few minutes on the Internet, and after trying every combination of descriptions I could think of, I found it. Or I should say I found its sad and forlorn brother for sale at YACHTWORLD.com and located in Louisiana. Here is their online ad: "The Ultimate 4 Wheel Drive Vehicle, LARC LX AMPHIBIOUS LANDING CRAFT. This unit has been totally refurbished by the military and is in bristol condition. Hull #20 was the only unit in the fleet to get a total restoration. It was disassembled, blasted, painted inside & out. Everything in this unit has been updated, from new 48 ply sidewall tires and flared wheel wells to reduce drag. All systems are new including engines. Pilot house & Crews quarters are air conditioned. All overboard bilge plumbing has been routed to holding tank for regulated discharge. Extensive set of spares with sale along with full set of blue prints & tec. manuals... [length] 62.6 ft. [width] 26.9 ft. ...HEIGHT-19.6 ft ... capacity 50,000 Lbs. ...Top land speed 12.75 mph. to 20.5 mph depending on load. Water speed 6 to 10 knots depending on load & sea conditions." With a little editing for length, this is the seller's complete description of this unbelievable vessel/vehicle in Louisiana. But it is a twin to the one I found here today. And to think I was sure i could the words, one-of-a-kind. Obviously there are at least two. Almost TWENTY FEET TALL. Try to guess the tire size. Try filling them with air at the convenience mart. Built in 1952, it is selling for the blowout price of $245,000. Now I wonder if somehow we could get a deal for the two...and have LARC races on and under the bridge. Now that would be a sight.

Pierrot-Court Jester entertains Tampa at Anime Convention

I found this wonderfully costumed court jester at Tampa's Metrocon Anime Convention. Hundreds of costumed characters, from the anime cartoons, descended on Tampa for the three day celebration at the Tampa Convention Center. I featured a close-up of the jester yesterday but this different full-length pose is worth seeing. I was not prepared for the variety and creative inventiveness of the folks who attended the convention. Today's crowd was dressed equally as colorful. Visit my posts from Saturday to see more of the participant's wild costuming and more detail on anime and the convention.

This Fine Golden Lady Graces the Bow of the Pirate Ship Jose Gasparilla

This is the bow of the pirate ship Jose Gasparilla that invades our city each year carrying hundreds of blood-thirsty, swashbuckling pirates of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla. The ship spends most of its year quietly docked in the channel on Bayshore Boulevard across from Tampa General Hospital and the Tampa Convention Center. But it will silently diappear come winter and reappear in February to carry its invading Krewe as they take over the city of Tampa and parade through the streets. If you read my post at Tampa Florida Photo about the Bead Barn, I mentioned that each year this citywide invasion draws hundreds of thousands of spectators and probably millions of beads are thrown and collected around everyone’s neck. It's a fun celebration that we look forward to each year.

You're Invited to Experience ART-Symphony Galleria

The Art-Symphony Galleria, which has a very informative website, is located on South MacDill Avenue just north of Bay-to-Bay, in the heart of the Palma Ceia arts and antiques district. Several popular restaurants are nearby including one of my new favorites, Datz Delicatessen. The gallery's owner, artist Marc De Wade, specializes in canvas works, metal sculptures, copper fountains, trompe l’oeil and wall murals. Born in Belgium in 1962, De Wade worked throughout Europe including having a part in the restoration of the paintings at the Royal Palace in Brussels, Belgium. His work is in several private collections. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, Eeklo, Belgium, took courses in Paris and exhibited widely in Europe. Since coming to the United States in 1999, he has accepted commissions to create trompe l’oeil orders, restorations and wall murals - and furniture restoration - for private clients throughout the Tampa Bay area. In 2008, he began to restore and convert this wonderful two story building on MacDill Avenue into Art-Symphony Galleria. The front is filled with large, bold examples of his work. Plus, you may have seen his sculpture, The Harp Fountain, on downtown's Franklin Street Mall. De Wade created this fantastic piece for the artLOUD Competition sponsored by Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW). The artLOUD installations are designed to promote culture and the arts in the downtown district. It features eleven yearlong installations of which De Wade's is very prominent and incredibly interesting. You must see it (the small photo doesn't capture its intricacy, beauty and design. Click on it to see it much larger.)

Tampa Fireboat to the Pool Party Rescue

I like that the classy fireboat, the same one that I featured at its dock in my Tampa Daily Photo post of May 27th, is out patrolling the channel between Davis Islands and these homes on Harbour Island. Do the girls in bikinis beside the pool of this million dollar home look like they need rescuing? They might just be rushing out to the seawall to bring ice water to the men working in the midday sun. Your guess is as good as mine. I just enjoy the close proximity of the fireboat to the poolside party the men are, sadly, missing out on. Someone has to work and patrol the waters for fires and rescues.

Boxing for the derriere: Who knew it'd come to this?

I found this sign firmly nailed to a telephone pole in the South Howard - SoHo - section of South Tampa. It's intriguing to say the least. I didn't call for more information and there is nothing at all online with more information or details to go with. It'll remain a mystery, a titillating sign of someone's desire to really get that part of their body in great shape. The classes are probably filled with young, female, power-professionals who want to look their best. (After a few weeks of boxing just don't mess with them. Right?) I couldn't resist sharing it with you.

Be very afraid: Respond, the Frog in the swing, is armed and on duty 24/7.

This humorous, carved wooden frog hanging in the tree is apparently guarding this million dollar home on one of Tampa's sumptuous waterfront streets. I wanted each of you to be aware if you had any thought of burglary of this particular residence that "Respond," the frog, is positioned on the swing and on duty day and night. Ready to spring and leap into action. He (or she?) will take action to thwart your attempt. Scary, right? (And this is one of South Tampa's most beautiful and desirable neighborhoods. I wonder what they pay for this unique security service?)

A Thunderstorm Moves Over Tampa's Hillsborough Bay

The Ballast Point picnic area is being drenched with an afternoon shower, more frequent now then we have experienced over the past few months. The rain is very welcome and it turns the view of the downtown into an interesting and very colorful Impressionist painting. Visit Tampa Daily Photo and Tampa Florida Photo for my other Tampa blogs.

Just as the oak tree limb falls away

Tampa's Garrison Channel bathed in clouds, rain and quiet

This view from Harbour Island is looking west along the Garrison Channel at the docks, the Waterside Marriott Hotel and Embassy Suites.

Get your horse harness and wagon here.

Thomas N. Henderson moved to Tampa in 1891 and along with other businesses, he opened and operated the Tampa Harness and Wagon Company. He purchased and was president of the Tampa Coca-Cola Bottling Works. Henderson also served as Tampa’s Chief of Police, on the Board of Public Works and as a member of the City Council. When D.B. McKay resigned on October 27, 1931, Henderson became mayor to complete the seven days remaining in D.B. McKay’s term. He later served as Hillsborough County Commissioner from 1935 until his death on October 13, 1944. The building that housed the Tampa Harness & Wagon Company, at 1007-1009 Franklin Street, stands today, as does Henderson’s original sign fading yet visible facing north up on the top corner of the brick facade. A high-end nightclub is being planned for the space.

Tampa's very own, larger-than-life postcard