Russell-Fields Pier, Florida

 

 

 Not quite a park in the traditional sense

 

 

 

 This pier at Panama City Beach rises up...

 

 

 And extends far out into the water.

 

 

 

 A yellow flag day

 

 

 Looking west

 

 

 

 Looking east

 

 

 Fighters from Eglin Air Force Base roar beneath the clouds.

 

 

 Buzzed by a touring helicopter

 

 

 

 Ad planes coming

 

 

 

 And going

 

 

 

 Even wind sailors!

 

 

 

 Gazing from the end of the pier, due south, across deep waters

 

 

 Northwest

 

 

 

 And northeast

 

 

 A few to show the height

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Back to the dunes

 

Pier Park (Aaron Bessant Park), Florida

 

 

This park is just a few blocks inland from the beach.

 

 

 

Wonderful waterlilies

 

 

 

Breezy day

 

 

 

Bright flowers

 

 

 

 A sculpture-tribute to the Olympic Torch Relay

 

 

 

 Paved

 

 

 

Unpaved

 

 

 

 

Nearly wild

 

 

 

Smashed!

 

 

 

 

 Fuzzy plants

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stark trees

 

 

 

 

 

The seed pods look like birds!

 

 

 

 

 Interesting reddish flowers

 

 

 

 Sandy slope leading to a small pond

 

 

 

A local grotesque

 

 

 

Part of a veterans' memorial

 

 

 

 Nice amphitheater

 

 

 

 White flowers in the sun

 

 

 

 

 

A few more palms

 

Pine Log State Forest, Florida

 

 

It was a long drive down to Florida.

 

Thank the Lord for coffee!

 

 

 

About 15 miles inland...



 

 

 

 

 

 

 Nice sandy trail

 

 

 

 

Hot summer day

 

 

 

The trail went on

 

 

 

And on

 

 

 

With berries

 

 

 

And fuzzy pines

 

 

 

And white flowers

 

 

 

Then this nasty little creature blocked my path.

I barely stopped short of walking into his giant web!

See him?  Just right of center...

 

 

 

 

 

 Pungent pine needles

 

 

 

 

Perhaps a wider trail...

 

 

 

 

Better

 

 

 

 

Much better

 

 

 

Maybe not...

 

 

 

 

 So pretty

 

 

 

 

 The sun was baking hot.

 

 

 

 

It felt almost like Mexico.

 

 

 

 

 Lizard!

 

 

 

 

 

 There he goes.

 

 

 

 

He's thinking.

 

 

 

 Off the other way!