Magical Flaming Book Burning

A twinkling-eyed and bewhiskered magician in top hat and full regalia, Marty Capitano, entertained families and tons of kids today and I was captivated by his book which ignited upon opening and caught fire. Just opening his well-worn and ancient looking book revealed very real fire. Huge, HOT licking flames. It's magic but, oh so entertaining. Kind of hard to get the hot dancing flames to cooperate for the camera, but the trick in person is very realistic and captivating. How do magicians do that?

Skywatch Friday - Season 4 Episode 15

The sky and Hillsborough Bay were very inviting and relaxing today. The arc in the water just a few feet from the shore are a series of Reef Balls®, or Oyster Domes, part of C.O.R.E. (Community Oyster Reef Enhancement) program that I posted about earlier in the summer. It's a project of Tampa Bay Watch. The oyster domes, which are placed in this position, help replace and replenish oysters in some of our struggling waterways. Thousands have been placed along Bayshore Boulevard, Ballast Point and around MacDill Air Force Base. Before they are placed in the water and begin to work, they look like some strange, odd-shaped alien devices with holes in them. They have changed quite a bit since July and become even more encrusted with oyster shells. They begin to look natural and part of the ecosystem. (If you want to see what they look like at the start, before they become part of the life in the bay, click HERE.)

Visit Skywatch Friday to see the beauty and wonders of the world's most magnificent skies. It's always an amazing show brought to you by Skywatchers from all over the planet.

Scared Heart stands tall and proud after almost 150 years

Catholicism came to the shores of Tampa Bay in 1528, with the first Spanish explorers. But a permanent settlement took many years as Native-Americans and other hearty pioneers continued to live along the shores of Hillsborough Bay. Although Tampa was the site of a U.S. Army post, Fort Brooke, from the early 19th century, the city wasn’t officially incorporated until 1855 (an earlier attempt at organization failed after it was incorporated as the “Village of Tampa” in 1849. Florida had become the 27th state in 1845.) Tampa's first census count in 1850 listed Tampa /Fort Brooke as having 974 residents, including the military personnel at the army post. Although there weren't many residents in the early 1850s, Hillsborough County commissioners gave property at Ashley Drive and Twiggs Street for a Catholic church. The property later was exchanged for this present site at Florida Avenue and Twiggs Street. In 1859, a frame church was erected on the site of the present Sacred Heart Church. It was named St. Louis Parish in honor of King Louis IX of France. (I posted a monochromatic shot taken in the St. Louis Catholic Cemetery HERE.)

Tampa really began to grow with the arrival of Henry Plant’s railroad in 1884, and then the opening of his Tampa Bay Hotel in 1891. Having outgrown the original church building, ground was broken for the present Scared Heart Catholic Church on February 16, 1898, and it was dedicated on January 15, 1905. It was on that date that the parish changed from St. Louis to Sacred Heart. It cost the Jesuits who had it built $300,000. The Romanesque-style architecture is graced with a combination of granite and white marble and the spectacular round window over the entrance. The church, which looks just as it did over a century ago, boasts 70 stained glass windows which were all made for the new building by Franz Mayer Co. of Munich, Germany (which has been in business of since 1848, and making stained glass since about 1860.) The transition from Jesuits to Franciscans took place on July 15, 2005 and now, plans are underway to celebrate their 150th anniversary in February. Scared Heart has a long and proud heritage in Tampa’s downtown and throughout its parish.

Watery Wednesday #58: Welcome

The Great Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias) is the most common and largest of the North American herons. They wade along the shallows as this one is on the shore of Hillsborough Bay. According to National Geographic, “They are expert fishers. Herons snare their aquatic prey by walking slowly, or standing still for long periods of time and waiting for fish to come within range of their long necks and blade-like bills. The deathblow is delivered with a quick thrust of the sharp bill, and the prey is swallowed whole. Great blue herons have been known to choke to death by attempting to swallow fish too large for their long, S-shaped necks. Though they are best known as fishers, mice constitute a large part of their diet, and they also eat insects and other small creatures." They stand quite tall, 3.2 to 4.5 feet (1 to 1.4 meters) - this one was about 4 feet - and have a wingspan of 5.5 to 6.6 feet (1.7 to 2 meters.) They can fly along at 20 to 30 miles per hour.

Click HERE to see other wet and Watery Wednesday images from around the world.

I am so pleased to welcome
three new followers to
Tampa Daily Photo.
Be sure and visit all four of their sites.

Rebecca Sexton Larson of Tampa is a very fine and accomplished studio artist and photographer. She is represented in several major private collections and museums throughout the United States. Visit her@ http://boxfotos.blogspot.com/
Lynda from Scotland @ http://slowgrowinginscotland.blogspot.com/ and http://occasionalscotland.blogspot.com/ and Sulo Heinola from Finland @ http://sulo-heinola.blogspot.com/

Blow your own horn: Is it Gabriel?

Is this the fabled angel Gabriel blowing his horn? Or, is my imagination running away with me. I think that's a wing, but I'm not sure about Gabriel having all those blond curls.

Any angel experts out there with experience with yard art?

Balancing Act: The Equilibrist by Marc DeWaele

The Equilibrist is a fascinating interactive sculpture. Located at in front of the Franklin Exchange Fountain at Franklin Street and Zack Street in Tampa’s downtown, it was the Grand prize Winner in the artLOUD! 2009 competition with its purpose to bring art to the city’s downtown. In that regard it has been very successful. The sculptor Marc De Waele created Equilibrist in all metal. It stands 84-inches tall, is 50-inches deep and 48-inches wide. This larger photo is a close-up of the balancing figure so do click on the smaller insert to get an idea of the overall size and complete design of this awesome kinetic creation. It won for being the Most Interactive and Creative Sculpture in the City of Tampa / artLOUD Competition sponsored by the Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW). It features eleven yearlong installations of artwork and even has another of De Waele’s pieces that I featured in a post at Tampa Bay Daily Photo back on June 17th (Click HERE.) That sculpture, entitled Our Harp Fountain, is on display on Franklin near Twiggs. De Waele specializes in canvas works, metal sculptures, copper fountains, trompe l’oeil and wall murals. Born in Belgium in 1962, De Waele worked throughout Europe. 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. (To learn more about De Waele's work, click HERE.)

The French got it right: Raise your glass to the Citroën 2CV

This was the scene this weekend at the Lake Mirror Classic Auto Festival in Lakeland where almost 30,000 attendees enjoyed seeing hundreds of examples of the world's automotive manufacturers past and present. Some of the best known makes and models were proudly displayed alongside the rare and obscure. From the antique to the brand new, there was a car or two to fit everyone's needs and tastes for age, design, raw speed, luxury or utilitarian use. The world's grandest marques were side-by-side with car badges unknown and long lost to consumer history. They were all here from the just plain interested out enjoying the perfect fall weather and the show's lake setting to the serious collector. In some cases, such as the incredible collection of Chrysler Maseratis, clubs and their prize vehicles were extremely well represented. This picnic setting, complete with authentic French tablecloth, basket, wines, meats and cheese, was the perfect compliment to the colorful little car the owners had brought for our enjoyment. Their 1985 Citroën 2CV Dolly, a special edition of the extremely popular car, was glowing as it sat basking in the reflections off the water of the lake. During a production run of 42 years, between 1948 and 1990, 3,872,583 of these cars were produced in France and later, in Portugal. Your trip to France is not complete until a 2CV whisks past you on the street. It screams you are in France!

I want to WELCOME Lucy Corrander, a new follower
of Tampa DP. She has a very interesting and must-see photoblog at Pictures just Pictures, and hails from Dorset in the UK. Dorset is one of the most rural counties of England. It is situated on the south coast between Devon and Hampshire.
Do visit Lucy. I think you will be very pleasantly surprised and become a big fan of her images.
It is a fascinating part of our world.

1939 Cadillac 2-Door 7567 Convertible: Absolutely stunning at Lake Mirror Classic Auto Festival - Weekend Reflections

Yes, today's weather was perfect, PERFECT, and I beg all my fellow Floridians to hurry home from parts north to enjoy our autumn, as short-lived as it might be. To you folks who live a good distance from Florida's Gulf Coast, you can now be officially jealous. Today was about 75-degrees and blues skies. NO humidity (for us anyway.) The sun was warm and bright and right now it's about 60. Ah-h-h. I warned you in yesterday's post that I was going to a classic car show. There are several really nice shows in the US and this one is spectacular. The Mirror Lake Classic Auto Festival is held on the streets of Lakeland and all around the town's beautiful Mirror Lake. (The swans preened for my camera as classic wooden speed boats cruised around the lake for their admirers.) It's not Pebble Beach or Amelia Island but ranks right up there as a lead-up to Florida's-own Amelia Island held in March. Today's festival featured cars of every vintage, from Brass Era antiques to newer Roush Mustangs. The rare and unusual to the extremes in design and technology such as the cute Amphicars (built in Berlin from 1962-1967) that go from your driveway right into the water. Several put on demonstrations during the day. There was a Mercedes-Benz 600 and a 1942 Czech Tatra T87 from the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum collection from across Tampa Bay in Pinellas Park.
The car pictured is a very special vehicle with an interesting history. The 1939 Cadillac 2-Door 7567 Convertible is a magnificent restoration and winner of the 2008 Senior National First Prize awarded by the Antique Automobile Club of America. Owned by Mr. Richard Nunis of Windemere, Florida, it was a special order in '39 reputedly by a Mafia "family" member and even acquired bullet holes in its rear fender. The Walt Disney Company bought it along with a number of other cars built in '39 to be used in a "Voyage to 1939" themed promotion in 1990, with the majestic ship, RMS Queen Mary, which is docked in Long Beach, California. (Disney owned the ship and operated the attraction then.) The present owner, and his very nice wife, bought the car in 1992, and have lovingly restored it to its immaculate and award-winning condition. Great car and very nice owners!

The car to the left is another of the hundreds of cars that sat and smiled today for thousands of admiring show-goers. It is a 1932 BSA 3-Wheeler built by the British Small Arms company and is a motorcycle-like car proudly showing off it leather-covered wooden frame construction.

Go to Tampa Florida Photo HERE to see more spectacular cars at today's great auto festival.

All-in-all, the day could not have been better. (It's time to pack for your Florida vacation. Now! Hurry.)

Check out the great WEEKEND REFLECTIONS HERE that James is making possible through his blog, Newtown Daily Photo.

Skywatch Friday - Season 4 Episode 14

A cold front is moving very rapidly across the the Tampa Bay area from the northwest bringing heavy clouds, rain and - for Tampa - colder temperatures. This shot was made at 12:30 pm when the temp was 83-degrees. It's 81 now and our Saturday morning low is expected to be 55-degrees with a forecast high of 75. That is almost twenty degrees colder then it was a week ago...I think fall has officially arrived. Even the water was choppy and winds were picking up. NOT a good day to be out on the bay. (I took my shot for Tampa Florida Photo at 2:30 and the skies were already clearing as the cold front began to move past and south of us.)

Visit Skywatch Friday to see the beauty and wonders of the world's most magnificent skies. It's always an amazing show brought to you by Skywatchers from all over the planet.

Abandoned and forgotten

These are just two of the large and elaborate brick arches on the side of a once-proud church. Located on East Palm Avenue, the building is boarded up and abandoned. It's clear to me that when it was built it was well-designed and carefully constructed. Look closely at the fine details used even at the foundation and at the roofline. This is a big building and was an expensive project. I imagine there were many years of collections to help pay off the new sanctuary debt. When did it first open its doors to a congregation? When did it host its last church service? I don't know. Although overall church attendance may be dropping off in some parts of the U.S., and many Protestant denominations have seen a decline in membership, it still hurts to see a building that was a once a big part of people's lives and the heart of a community sadly close and be forgotten. Looking at the architectural elements used throughout and the type of construction materials, it's a certainty that unless it is deliberately demolished, this mighty old house of worship will be standing for a very long time.

Watery Wednesday #57

It is not raining here but as you can see from looking across the Hillsborough Bay at our city's skyline, it's hot, humid and hazy off in the distance. But, in our favor, we can enjoy the beauty of the magnificent bodies of water that surround us and the gorgeous skies that look down on us every day. A slight pinch of autumn may be in store for us this weekend (temperatures forecast to plummet into the mid 70s for a high) but we should be grateful for the near-perfect weather we can boast of to everyone already wearing winter parkas and out shoveling snow from the driveway. Sorry friends.

Click HERE to see other wet and Watery Wednesday images from around the world.

Tampa's weather is fantastic...Day after day after day after.....

I have a number of blogs I love to visit. Many of them I spend time with reading the commentary and examining the photographs. (I love to be able to enlarge many of them to see the fine details and subtleties - you guys are very good with the camera.) One of the things I am really enjoying right now, believe it or not, is your weather. Although none of you are posting weather reports per se (although many of you do have weather widgets) I can easily see how your skies are changing, it's getting dark earlier, your leaves are changing colors and dropping, heavier clothing is evident, you are stacking firewood and are lighting fires in your fireplaces. Can you hear me sighing with envy and turning bright shades of Florida green with extreme jealousy? (YES, the grass is still green and growing here and needs mowing!!)

Here's my Tampa weather report for today...and yesterday...and tomorrow:

Partly Cloudy Skies
Temperature NOW (as I type this) 91-Degrees
55% Humidity (it is very low for Tampa)
Winds: South at 5 mph (there isn't even a breath of air moving)
Low Temperature: 75 degrees (when it hit that low today is anyone's guess...it was in the 80s when I walked the dog this morning!)

I am NOT complaining about Tampa's weather, not really. Thankfully, none of us in the Tampa Bay area or Florida have experienced a hurricane this year or last. Whew! Lucky. We are blessed with beautiful blue skies, billowing mountains of white clouds, calm and very warm Gulf water temperatures of 85 degrees. Just days and days filled with unending, blinding sunshine. It sounds like the perfect place on earth to vacation and hit the beaches for a tan. Right? What's to complain about? Nothing except I cannot wait much longer for one, ONE, crisp fall-like day. The words A hint of autumn in the air is enough to make me crank the air conditioning in the house down to 60 degrees and grab a sweater and a good book. Hey, I could get the fireplace going with an oak log and make some hot chocolate and really pretend. Please, oh please, will the weather never change around here??!!