Honeymoon Island

I’ve been going through images from previous Januarys lately, as evidenced by recent posts here. Well, the trend continues. In January 2004, I went to a conference in Tampa. I took my trusty Kodak LS-443 pocket camera, and found a couple moments during the week to escape and see some "natural" Florida. First was Weeden Island, then I found a few hours to discover Honeymoon Island, just NW of Tampa. Here’s some photos, most of which have never been published before now (wow!)

Out at the end of the island, I hit the jackpot, finding a hiking trail!! And the perfect length for a late afternoon excursion. IIRC, I only got a little lost… Aside: one of my favorite things about digital is that you can snap a quick shot of signs and such, to help keep track of where you are. This is particularly useful when reviewing those quick stops in a busy week, from 3 years ago!

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There were lots and lots of Osprey on Osprey Trail. But none got close enough to allow my poor point’n’shoot to capture well.

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The pelicans would cruise along the shore, not as distant as the osprey…. It still takes a pretty agressive digital zoom (or in my case crop) to get "close"

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Throughout the walk, I kept hearing rustling in the underbrush, as I was scaring off critters. Finally I saw one, it was an armadillo! I never knew they were in Florida! I saw lots of them on this hike. They weren’t very good at posing, though, this was the best photo, as most were rear views as they scurried away.

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I had high hopes for this when I shot it. Coming out of the "woods", where the trail turned to sand… over the dune to the water. But the harsh lighting is a killer....
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The moment was spoiled just a touch for me when I reached the beach, and could gaze across the water to the buildings of the Gulf Coast… But only a little. It was a really nice break from the grind, I’d recommend it to anybody who makes it through the Tampa St. Pete. area.