Wordless Wednesday . . . Lost Bird

This beautiful little guy came out of nowhere
 and was hanging out in my trees.

  He seemed to enjoy having his picture taken.

One of the things I love about living
in Florida . . . nature just happens.

I am participating at the following
 Wordless Wednesday hops:

Ask Ms Recipe

 Dagmar's Momsense

If you have a blog hop, blog carnival
or linky event you'd like for me to
include in my blogs, leave me
a comment with the link.

Wordless Wednesday . . . Lemur Love

Update!

Since the lemur photos were a hit, I decided

to update this post to include a video I

made dedicated to these awesome

little creatures.

The lemurs are always a highlight

to a Busch Gardens Tampa visit!

Want to participate in Wordless Wednesday?
Click on the graphic!

I'm blog hopping today!

These are some blog hops I am participating in . . .

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Have an awesome Wednesday!

Sunsets on a Florida Beach . . . Anna Maria Island

Sunsets are one of the most precious gifts of nature and I feel

so blessed to have been born in such a beautiful part of the world.

The following video was created from photos I took while on
vacation at Anna Maria Island, Florida, one of the most
beautiful beaches in Florida.

Click here for more information on Anna Maria Island, Florida
Hope you enjoyed the video!

Busch Gardens . . . October 2010 photos

The Captain and I have spent quite a bit of time at Busch Gardens this month which means lots of photos.  The following video is more of an overview of the gardens and some of the animals.

More videos are coming on specific Busch Garden themes.

The park in October is one of the most enjoyable months to visit since the weather is starting to get a little cooler, not as humid and for some reason, attendance seems to be lower this time of year.  The only negative is that the park closes early (6:00 pm) since Howl-O-Scream (a night event) runs the entire month of October.  All in all, this is my favorite time of the year to visit Busch Gardens.

Hope you enjoyed the video . . . subscribe to this blog for notifications of new posts!

Happy Halloween! Howl-O-Scream, Busch Gardens Tampa . . . where the vampires come out at night!

The Captain and I have been spending quite a bit of time visiting Busch Gardens lately.  Of course we have taken tons of photos and I have been working on sorting out photos, creating new videos and blog posts that will focus on the different aspects of Busch Gardens in Tampa.


Since it is the season . . . the feature of this post is Howl-O-Scream 2010 . . .


This year's Howl-O-Scream Halloween event has found the theme park decked out in festive ghoulish fashion.  This year has an awesome rock and roll theme featuring Sylvie and her band My X.


As night approaches, subtle changes start to happen in the park . . . red lights light up the night . . . the makeup and costumes are awesome . . . the atmosphere in general is hauntingly energetic and electrifying.


The HOS website in itself is an entertaining creation . . . here is a screen shot of one of the pages . . . on this page, you will find the story of Sylvie and Alex, her ex . . .

My tribute video to 2010 Howl-O-Scream

the sights and sounds of vampires, freaks and awesome music!

EVENT PREVIEW from TBO.com

Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream

WHEN: Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday and through October 31, as well as Halloween Night

WHERE: Busch Gardens, 3000 E. Busch Blvd., Tampa, Florida

TAMPA - The protesters outside the Livingsdoom Theater tried to warn me. They waved hand-painted signs with slogans like "This Music is Killing Our Youth" and "Morality Dies When My X Performs."

But that didn't stop me. I was there to get a sneak peek at My X and lead singer, Sylvie. So I pressed on with my tour of "My X: Revenge Rocks," the featured haunted house at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's 11th annual Howl-O-Scream, the park's popular annual fright fest.

Finally making my way through the blockade, I was greeted by a young man in a tilted baseball cap and No. 13 sports jersey. He had dark, sunken eyes — like the drug dealer from those after-school TV specials.

Promising to get me backstage, he quickly ushered me through a side entrance.

The door slammed behind me. I took a brief second to let my eyes adjust to the darkness, my ears to the blaring music. Immediately, I was startled as a doorman pounded the walls of the ticket booth and demanded to see my credentials.

I carefully made my way down the dark, winding corridors. The walls were covered in torn, weathered concert posters.

From a dank, moldy bathroom with flickering lights, a man cried out for help as his friend hung upside-down from the ceiling tiles, head firmly submerged in a flushing toilet. He was good as dead — and his breath probably reeked of urinal cake.

Before I had time to take in the entire dilemma, a grate high upon the wall was flung open. A bloodied man with a bandaged head emerged and screamed, "Save yourself!"

Twisting farther into the winding labyrinth, I came upon a dressing room, complete with soft-lit, oversize mirrors, makeup counters and clothing racks. A sassy wardrobe artist emerged from the darkness.

"You're late for your fitting, Ryan," she scolded. "The next time you're late, I'm going to turn you into a pair of Sylvie's pants."

I hurried my pace as I tried to avoid strands of curtain weights, then the hallway opened up once more as I was greeted by my less-ghoulish media contacts.

And finally, Sylvie.

Scantily clad in skin-tight, torn, black Lycra, she subtly refused my handshake, opting instead to lean her back against me, contort her neck and gaze longingly into my eyes.

In a manic effort to keep things professional, I asked her about her upcoming shows.

"I'm playing every single night for Howl-O-Scream, so come check it out," she said. "It will be a very killer show."

Two of the haunted houses are new this year: "My X: Revenge Rocks" and "Alone ..." which features a twist: You go through it all by yourself.

Though they tout this year as having more haunted houses than ever, most of them are refreshed repeats from previous years.

Among this year's returning houses are "Nightshade Toy Factory: Son of Nightshade," where you'll be terrorized by possessed playthings; "Delta Epsilon Delta: Extreme Rush (DEDer)," where you'll endure the torture and pain of sorority life and "Deconstruction: The Doctor Is Out of Control," which puts you in the laboratory of a mad reconstructive surgeon whose hobbies include combining flesh, bone and steel in hideous ways.

By RYAN BAUER | TBO.com

Published: September 29, 2010

Updated: 10/03/2010 09:06 pm

Busch Garden's newest attraction . . . Cheetah Hunt

Do you love roller coasters?

If you do, Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida has become a haven for roller coaster enthusiasts.  Just when you think they could not possibly squeeze in another roller coaster . . . here comes another one!

Here is a video on the newest attraction . . . Cheetah Hunt

Thrill seekers will be able to immerse themselves in a new jungle realm inside Busch Gardens soon.

Busch Gardens officials introduced the park's new attraction Wednesday - a new ride called Cheetah Hunt. The centerpiece will be a new roller coaster.

The ride will use repelling magnets to launch riders from 0 to 60 mph in seconds. The ride, almost an entire mile in length, will repeat the launch twice more during the ride.

Enthusiasts will board the ride in the historic monorail station, which will be completely renovated as part of the new attraction.

It will feature an African landscape and animals as well. The adjacent area that formerly housed the Budweiser Clydesdales will now be home to cheetahs and give visitors an up close experience with the animals.

The area and ride is expected to open in the spring.

Source:  Bay News 9

KaTonga @ Busch Gardens to close on September 6

“KaTonga,” an Africa-inspired stage show that celebrates animal folklore which has been staged at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's Moroccan Palace Theater, will end its six-year run on September 6 after 10,000 shows.

“KaTonga” follows African storytellers as they bring you on a magical journey of amazing music and colorful puppets . . . AWESOME!

My boyfriend and I plan on visiting Busch Gardens this week to bid farewell to one of the best stage productions I have enjoyed at the theme park through the years. It is one of those productions that I never tired of and have seen it more times than I can say . . . it will be missed!

“KaTonga” will be replaced by “Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy,” a Broadway hit featuring aerialists, contortionists, acrobats and musicians which was nominated for “best costume design” by the American Theatre Wing will debut sometime this winter.

Clearwater Beach, Florida

My first recollection of "the beach" was Clearwater Beach, where we spent several vacations and holidays every year.

Back in the day, the beach was lined with huge rental beach homes and the smaller mom and pop motels with assorted tourist traps, restaurants and nightly open air auctions. The backdrop was the gorgeous Gulf of Mexico with sounds, sights and smells that nothing else can replace.

The week after school let out was designated "Beach Week" . . . and everyone I knew from school went to Clearwater Beach for that week. Well . . . everyone but me . . . it was not allowed.

As a young adult, it was still my favorite beach and I would load my beloved blue Camaro with friends, brother, cousins . . . whoever wanted to go . . . just about every weekend. I adored the beach and it was my favorite place ever . . .

Many years have gone by and other area beaches and attractions became popular and I wanted to experience "new and different" . . . I had not been back to Clearwater Beach in a very long time.

My boyfriend and I decided at the spur of the moment to visit the beach, so we packed the van, picked up my mom and headed out towards a new adventure and old memories at the same time.

Gone were the mom and pop motels . . . in their place were gorgeous high rise hotels and fancy restaurants. The sadness hit when I knew we were at the beach, but could not see it like we could before all the new development.

It was comforting to see some of the old tourist traps made it through the transformation, although we didn't have time to walk the street and take it all in. Some of my fondest recollections of beach visits past were shopping at the shell shops that sold everything made with shells, loose shells, seahorses and sand dollars . . . I still have some of them!

Anyway . . . today's visit brought back many old memories that made me happy and sad. Sad was the fishing pier my dad and I fished many allnighters at was gone . . . a victim of a recent hurricane . . . we sat on a portion that was made into a seating area. Cool, but way more cool was the fishing pier of days past . . .

Happy was seeing the little boy come out in my boyfriend's eyes when we finally got out to the beach. The gulf beaches hold some kind of magic to kids of all ages . . . and it all came back to me today too. My mom shared her childhood memories of the beach and the way it was back in her day. I could see the little girl in her eyes too . . .

It was unfortunately a very rainy day and we didn't want to get our cameras wet . . . so, only a few photos of the beach for today's visit . . . but we will be visiting again very soon :-)

Some photos from today's visit:

Some vintage postcards from Clearwater Beach:

Riverhills Park . . . Temple Terrace, Florida

Nature is one of God's free gifts that many of us take for granted. Riverhills Park located in Temple Terrace, Florida is one of those gifts that living in Florida provides.

There is nothing like escaping into nature after a stressful day at the office. My boyfriend and I frequently visit after work with a picnic for ourselves and the wildlife who call Riverhills Park their home.

The egrets walk the park in search of visitors with treats for them. We have noticed there are several who hop along on one leg and have summized they are a victim of the resident gator who makes his occasional appearance.

Beautiful Riverhills Park offers access to the Hillsborough River, providing a boat ramp and dock, picnic areas set under the cypress and oaks and a boardwalk that winds along the riverfront.

Additional amenities include a large playground area, two newly renovated tennis courts, and restrooms. Riverhills Park gazebo may be reserved for parties and other functions by calling (813) 989-7180.

Visit my boyfriend's blog for more photos . . .

Gasparilla Eve . . . all about Tampa, Florida!

It seemed fitting to repost this article
on Gasparilla Eve!






TAMPA . . . The word "Tampa" is a Native American word used to refer to the area when the first European explorers arrived in Florida whose meaning is sometimes claimed to mean "sticks of fire" in the language . . ."The place to gather sticks" . . . which also relates to the high concentration of lightning strikes that Tampa Bay receives every year during the hot and wet summer months.


HISTORY

Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon first arrived in the Tampa Bay area in 1513, but the Spaniards focused their attention on settling eastern Florida and left the western areas alone. In 1824, only two months after the arrival of the first American settler, four companies of the U.S. Army established Fort Brooke to protect the strategic harbor at Tampa Bay.

Tampa owes its commercial success to Tampa Bay and the Hillsborough River. When phosphates were discovered nearby in the late 1880's, the resulting mining and shipping industries prompted a boom of growth and wealth that lasted through the 1890's. The Port of Tampa is now the seventh largest in the nation; today phosphate shipping is supplemented by trade in shrimp. A pleasure cruise line operates as well.

In 1886, Vicente Martinez Ybor established a cigar factory in Tampa. From the steps of Ybor's factory, José Marti, sometimes called the George Washington of Cuba, exhorted the cigar workers to take up arms against Spain in the late 1800's. Hispanic culture enlivens Ybor City which covers about 2 square miles between Nebraska Avenue, 22nd Street, Columbus Drive and East Broadway.

The military has also had an ongoing role in Tampa's development. The city was the primary outfitting and embarkation port for U.S. troops bound for Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Today the U.S. Operations Command is headquartered nearby at MacDill Air Force Base.





WHAT MAKES TAMPA UNIQUE . . .
DIVERSITY

One of the things that makes Tampa unique is the Gasparilla celebration, a festival similar to Mardi Gras with a pirate theme . . . best to check out the video . . . click here.

As far as I'm concerned, this is as close as I'm going to get to living in paradise. There are warm breezes, gone is the humidity, the daily afternoon tropical thunderstorms or threats of an impending hurricane and only the occasional cold day and night (what I call cold) . . . this is winter in Tampa, the best time to visit my part of the world. We occasionally get a freeze at night, but it never snows and cold fronts usually move fast and last a day or two, then back to warm and sunny Florida weather.

No matter what you are in the mood for, you can find it here, there is lots to do . . . you can relax and dine at a waterside cafe, take a streetcar ride to Channelside for shopping and back to Ybor City for a delight all to itself.

Ybor City is an experience that takes you back to another era, known as Florida's Latin Quarter, wrought iron balconies, globe streetlights, brick-lined walkways and the majestic architecture of cigar factories, social clubs and other unique buildings. It provides a glimpse into an era rich with culture and history . . . famous for Spanish Flamenco dancers, Cuban sandwiches, hand-rolled cigars, shopping at Centro Ybor by day and when the sun goes down, party at the many restaurants, nightclubs and bars that line the streets of Ybor City that are so reminiscent of New Orleans.

For those into sports, Tampa is home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Lightning and winter home of the New York Yankees and served three times as Super Bowl host.

Tampa is one hour away from Disney World and the home of Busch Gardens, where you can ride world known roller coasters like the Montu, Sheikra, Gwazi, Kumba and many other attractions, one of the most awesome zoos in the world and gorgeous gardens to walk through. Check out all to do at Busch Gardens by visiting their website, which is a treat in itself . . .
Busch Gardens website

Cross Tampa Bay and you will find white, sugar sand beaches, sport fishing, jet skiing, parasailing . . . there is nothing like walking the beach at dawn or watching a spectacular sunset on the Gulf of Mexico.

There is also an abundance of state parks, botanical gardens . . . a nature lover's paradise.

Famous people from Tampa . . . Ray Charles, Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys, his brother Aaron Carter, Hulk Hogan, Lauren Hutton, baseball players Dwight Gooden, Gary Sheffield and Steve Garvey, singer/songwriter Stephen Stills . . . and me!