Visit Skywatch Friday to see the beauty and wonders of the world's most magnificent skies. It's always an amazing show and all brought to you by Skywatchers from all over the planet.
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The docks of the Tampa Waterside Marriott Hotel on Garrison Chanel were packed with "go-fast" boats gathered for a "fun run" by the West Coast Powerboat Club of Florida. Headquartered near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in St. Petersburg, the go-fast boat owners and guests were partying up a storm in Tampa with music, food, drink and lots of good looking people. A blast!! 
The bright blue sky,powdery white clouds and the 80-degree weather made for an awesome day. It IS the middle of December, right? No way a sleigh and reindeer can navigate this summer-like paradise but I'm sure there's a way. Perhaps they need a handsome new boat? 
nochrome Maniacs! It's made possible each week by Aileni. 
The sky over our beautiful city is still solid gray and wintry-looking. Although it's not cold at all (I hate looking at that national weather map and seeing how cold other parts of the country are today), it does look though as if it'll snow at any minute. Notice that every slip has a boat snugly tied up and covered against the "nasty" winter day. Even a scene like this one with the water, yachts and the homes and buildings on Harbour Island has a dreary, sullen look without the glorious, blazing sunshine.
Sure, it appears these two boats are simply tied bow to bow at adjacent docks. But look closer. It doesn't happen often, but prams and other small watercraft have been known to result from this kind of naughty, nautical behavior. And then, with that kind of fast start in the world, the wee little rowboat grows up to be a 130mph Outerlimits powerboat. Yikes!! (And you thought this was just another pretty picture of Tampa's waterfront.)
Tucked in on the Tampa side of the Howard Franklin Bridge over Old Tampa Bay, south of the bridge and interstate, is an area that for many years was the Tampa Bay Marina. Many folks have fond (OK, not all fond) memories of coming in and out of the docks there at all hours of the day and night. The marina itself is long gone and was replaced by streets, office complexes, homes and parking lots and garages. But in between 
and behind some of the buildings, and still surrounding the homes going out on the finger called Mariner Drive are canals (and even a nice size bayou.) One canal has rows of sailboats and a few powerboats at dock and up on davits behind homes. It can't get more "watery" then this scene.
