Tampa Taxi Shots

Tampa Nature Trail Closed Due To Toxic Waste From Military

Pam Callahan Memorial park Town & Country

I have enjoyed the Pam Callahan nature trail for years. I never knew that it was once part of an old Army Corp. bombing range and that there were toxic chemical in the ground. That may explain why I got very sick the last time I went when I took these photographs. 


Between 1940 and 1947 it was part of the Drew Field bombing range. According to the Army corps of engineers the surface water and soil sediment now pose a "human health and ecological risk." In fact, test show there may be unexploded ordinance in the park! I never knew that while I was enjoying a very peaceful fall day on the hiking tail.


The trial head in on Memorial Highway but it is not easy to see. Many people live and commute for years and never know it is there. I have never seen anyone else out there. 


You have to park on the side of the road and there is a gate that is locked but you can easily go around it. This seemed to be a maintained trail. It looked freshly mowed. The trail goes strait into the wet lands that are along the bay. One thing you notice is after only a few hundred feet off the main road, you think you are in the middle of nowhere. There is an apartment complex to the right and a major airport nearby, but you still have that isolated feel.degrees, a very nice day. I took a lot of pictures on the 0.7 mile hike out to a plaque the memorializes the lady that the trail is named after. It is posted on a large granite rock and points out that she spearheaded a grass roots efforts to save this part of Tampa from the land developers. She was able to "Fight city hall." Unfortunately she passed away in 1993 and did not live to see this trail named in her honor. I could look around from the end of the trail and still could not believe how close I was to civilization.

Taxi parked at the trail head

 

I noticed fiddler crabs on the path (I am glad I had on hiking boots). I also saw a hawk swoop down, but I did not have my camera ready to take his photo.  There are several side trails that expose hardwood pine areas. I got some photos of some interesting flora. I have no real idea what it is. I am sure there is poison ivy out there. so be careful.

 

If you are driving by and have some time. This is a real peaceful hike. Just watch out for the fiddler crabs!

I have made a new photo album of this shoot. You can go below and see the images of the trail.

Black Racer Snake In Withlacoochee State Park

Declared as one of the "10 Coolest Places You've Never Been In North America" by the World Wildlife Fund, Withlacoochee State Park in Florida.  It is the largest State forest in the State of Florida and is divided into several distinct tracts. I was in the Richloam Track today and video taped this Black Snake on a dirt road. They are seen during the summer because they like the heat. Richloam is known for wildlife. I also recorded coyotes and caught a glimpse of Bigfoot (Skunk Ape). Know how cool is that!

Crop Circles And Star Maps

 I am listening to the late night radio show "Coast To Coast AM" on Tampa radio 970 WFLA. The guest is talking about crop circles. He believes that if you take an overhead image of them, and connect them with lines, you then have a star map that shows the location of the UFO's home planet. I bet if you compare this with known star maps, it may not line up the way he thinks.

The thing that gets me about crop circles is the geometric precision the show. How could hoaxers, at ground level, go into the fields at night and nail the image like this on the first try without someone up above directing them. That is what I find weird about the whole phenomena. 

Cypress Point Park Looking For The Oil Spill In the Gulf Of Mexico

     There is a massive oil spill in the Gulf Of Mexico that is right now the size of Pinellas and Hillsborough county combined, and growing. This needs to be put under control fast. Part of the tragedy in all of this is that we need this technology of offshore drilling for our economy and National security. Period. Anyone that says otherwise has a death wish. Lets not turn this into a Three Mile Island. Lets put it to bed now.
     I went to Cypress Point Park in Tampa today during the lunch hour. Many people use this place to picnic, fish, swim, read books in the shade, and just relax and take it easy. I often come here to just walk the shoreline and meditate. It helps relax me. I hope it does not become covered with oil. 

TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE

This is what I found along the coast today as the swells came in from Tropical Storm Claudette.

WELCOME TO THE BEACH, A TOPLESS CAB DRIVER AND JOHN UPDIKE

Check out this new YouTube.com posting I did this afternoon after I dropped off at the beach after getting a $70 fair out of the airport....Man I love this time of year. TOM,HERE IS THE QUOTE FROM JOHN UPDIKES A&P: "I just saunter into the electric eye in my white shirt that my mother ironed the night before, and the door heaves itself open, and outside the sunshine is skating around on the asphalt.... Looking back in the big windows, over the bags of peat moss and aluminum lawn furniture stacked on the pavement, I could see Lengel in my place in the slot, checking the sheep through. His face was dark gray and his back stiff, as if he'djust had an injection of iron, and my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter."

Tampa Bay

Nice Light In Tampa

One of the things I like about this time of year, is the low level light and warm colors we get in the morning. This shot was taken right after sunrise on MacDill near the Palma Cie Baptist Church. The composition is right. The only thing wrong are the telephone wires strung across the road.

What are you going to do? Photoshop them out? I guess.

Anyway, I have been getting some spectacular images lately and will soon be posting them.

I am trying to get back into the swing of things, but that is harder than I thought it would be.

Stay tuned.

Welcome To Cypress Point Park

There is a nice little beach park on the extreme west end of Cypress Bloulavard in Tampa. There is actualy a beach with sand dunes. Those things you don't often see in Florida.

I was dropping off a fare at the office center near Reno and Cypress, and pulled in here to take a little nap. It was very quit and peaceful and I really don't know if I had ever been here before.

After a little nap, I took a walk over to where the sand dunes were went past them and even took a walk on the beach. It was a beautiful summer day still early enough that it was not to hot! I did notice some guys out fishing (I seem to see guys fishing everywhere). The beach is not in the best of shape. There is a lot of seaweed, but there is an awesome view of Tampa Bay. Bring a towel or blanket for the beach does have sea weed on it. The park is on the direct flight line to Tampa International Airport and they will fly overhead by only a few hundred feet.

I did get this image of a plane flying overhead. I really hope Homeland Security does not come after me.

Anyway, if you are in the area check this place out. It was rather relaxing

We were really busy today. Since the 4th of July is on a Wednesday, many people, I think, are taking next week off and they were getting out of town today. I really hope this will continue thru Monday. I need the money. I am getting ready for a good 4th with cookout and firecrackers....Yeah! Go boom!

Davis Island And Fiddler Crabs As Pets!

In the cab business, we have the city divided into zones. Each zone has an area that we sit waiting for a call. The Davis Island stand is by the Yacht basin. It is one of the more pretty zones we have. Some Zones are measly parking lots at grocery stores. Davis Island even has wildlife.

The basin is lined with rocks and when the tide is low, wading birds come in looking for chow. I guess they are feeding off of Fiddler crabs and other varmints that are now exposed by the lower water level.

Did you know that you could make pets out of Fiddler crabs. Check out this website that tells you all about it, how to set up a tank and what to include in it and the food they eat. I imagine they are cuddly right?

Talk about food. This guy, I think he is an Egret, is looking along the sidewalk for his next meal. He eventually jumped off and headed down. I guess he found breakfast. 

Davis Island has a lot of nice things to photo like these yachts I saw. That is why I bring my camera with me because you never know when something interesting may happen.

As it turned out, I got a call at the hospital that was to go to the airport. How cool is that. Good crab photos and an airport trip. When I found out I had no credit card forms, I asked them if we could stop at an ATM and they could get 20 bucks. They seemed to balk and did not think that would work. I found out they had been stranded down here and had run out of money. Well do you think that maybe the credit card would of been taped out as well. I don't want to be a skeptic, but with no forms any way I did not take them. I could of called it in for an approval but I did not want to waste my time. Don did hold me out on stand two. Now that was cool.

PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: If you can get a reflection in an image....Do It! Still water will always give you a great opportunity for this. My first shot was just the boats with my telephoto. I saw the reflection and pulled back.

The Best Weather In The US And Obama In The Hood

Florida is fantastic this time of year. As a photographer you can get some real  color in early morning clouds. Check out this sunrise. What is cool is that this was taken with a cell phone camera.

The snow is getting deep up north and they are starting to finally come down here. There has been a noticeable increase in our business, especially at the airport. One of the side affects of this is gridlock traffic during most of the day. Not so bad on the weekend but it is noticeable.

As long as this weather pattern holds for the next two months, we can make some money.

I am at home with the cable news on and I just thought I heard Barak Obama's wife just say that her husband as "a black man can be shot just going to the gas station." What is that supposed to mean. As a cab driver I can get shot just picking up some scumbag. Cannot anyone get shot just going to a gas station? Maybe someone can shed some light on this. I don't get it. Does Obama really go to the gas station? Or was this a subtle way for her to say that her husband is just a regular guy and the gas station around the corner is in the hood. Thats right. Obama lives in the hood. How cool is that!

McKay Bay Nature Preserve In Trouble

Off of 34th st just south of Ybor City is a massive wildlife preserve that most people don't even know about. It is called the McKay Bay Nature Preserve, I think it was named after the late football coach. What is strange about this is its located behind a solid waste dump but when you enter the park you are transported back to the primitive era of Florida. Unfortunately, this place is now dilapidated and in serious need of help. The very wildlife it was meant to help are now gone. This is a tragedy.

I had not been to the park in 3 years. The last time I was here, I saw pelicans, rosette spoonbills, herons, egrets and other wading birds. They are now gone.

It seems to me that they have not maintained the Eco system to protect these birds. Let me explain.

When you enter the East trail that goes along the bay it is now completely overgrown. I had to use a big stick to clear a path and wipe away the spider webs as I proceeded. Three years ago this trail was in good shape. When I reached the vantage point where you can see some wildlife, the saw grass had built up on the shore line to the point that the wading birds were gone. That is just wrong man. The rosette spoonbill is running out of areas to habitat and nest. This place used to be home to a very large flock. I have photos from the last time and I don't even recognize it now.

I did get a good image of the tower at the waste plant. You can see how far I am into the trail. I did not go much furter because of the overgrowth. There were these nice red berries. Yum. I don't feel so good.

The sign on the trail that was supposed to tell you all about the birds you are seeing is overgrown with the saw-grass or cattails to were you can hardly see it. This hike was not fun. I really don't recommend anyone going out there. There were things crawling on me.

The hike was not a bust. I did get a photo of a hawk!! Wow! They are hard to spot, much less photograph.

There are many side trails and a boardwalk. That is a joke. It is completely surrounded by 15 foot mangroves. You can't see anything. It was, however, worth the effort. I did get some nice shots. I have set up a new gallery for the images.

I really wish the people in charge of this place will do the maintenance necessary for the wildlife to flourish again.

Pam Callahan Nature Preserve Trail

I drive up and down Memorial hgwy in Town and Country and I often see a wooden sign that says "Pam Callahan Nature Preserve." Today I stopped by to see what it was all about.

You have to park on the side of the road and there is a gate that is locked but you can easily go around it. This seemed to be a maintained trail. It looked freshly mowed. The trail goes strait into the wet lands that are along the bay. One thing you notice is after only a few hundred feet off the main road, you think you are in the middle of nowhere. There is an apartment complex to the right and a major airport nearby, but you still have that isolated feel.

I noticed fiddler crabs on the path (I am glad I had on hiking boots). I also saw a hawk swoop down, but I did not have my camera ready to take his photo.  There are several side trails that expose hardwood pine areas. I got some photos of some interesting flora. I have no real idea what it is. I am sure there is poison ivy out here, so don't touch a bunch of stuff. It was a beautiful, peacefull day. Clear blue sky, 72  degrees, a very nice day. I took a lot of pictures on the 0.7 mile hike out to a plaque the memorializes the lady that the trail is named after. It is posted on a large granite rock and points out that she spearheaded a grass roots efforts to save this part of Tampa from the land developers. She was able to "Fight city hall." Unfortunately she passed away in 1993 and did not live to see this trail named in her honor. I could look around from the end of the trail and still could not believe how close I was to civilization.

If you are driving by and have some time. This is a real peaceful hike. Just watch out for the fiddler crabs!

I have made a new photo album of this shoot. You can go below and see the images of the trail.

A Cool Day In Tampa Bay

This time of year makes me think of LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY. We have many wonderful places to go for that, but it is usually just to hot most of the year to go. Biting insects will eat you alive. Since biz is now exploding, I had extra energy and after a trip across the Bay, I went to Ft. Desoto.

This is the WEST PIER. Not to be confused with the SOUTH PIER were most of the fisherman hang out. Always use a foreground frame of reference when you do landscape, such as these sea gulls.

When I opened the ST. Pete Times this morning, I was featured on the local section of the paper. They just released an article about the attempt by Greg Cox to De-regulate the taxi business in Tampa. At least that is how I am interpreting what Mr. Cox. is doing. He is getting ready to let a company called "Metro" known as the "Wall Mart" of cab companies into our area. They are supposed to have new cars, state of the art service equipment, GPS navigation and drivers are classified as employees. All that stuff. I am totally against it. Way to much change to quickly will disrupt what is currently a good thing. NO way the drivers would benefit. This Pied Piper called Metro will lead us all to destruction.

In fact, my quote leads off the article ahead of all the lawyers. Great, I like being on top. The reporter did not, however, put everything I had to say in the article. They have space concerns. Go get the paper, my words speak for themselves.

TAMPA - Tim Fasano has been driving a taxi for United Cab in Hillsborough County since 1995.

What keeps him working, he said, is the county's tight regulation of the taxi industry, which allows a limited number of new cab permits each year.

"Whenever you have a free market, competition is good. But in this particular case, I don't know how much it would help anyone," Fasano said. "There isn't enough business out there right now to support all these fleets."

But there's a major fight brewing that could change the direction of taxi service in Hillsborough County.

Metro Cab, one of Florida's largest taxi cab operators, wants to offer service in the county.

John Trevena, an attorney for Metro Cab, described the company as the "Wal-Mart of taxis." Huge financial resources, new vehicles, large garages and a GPS dispatching system allow the company to offer high-quality service at a reasonable price, he said.

I showed the article to Amy. And she said she had never heard of Metro Cab. She was going to show the paper to Nancy.

Hy folks...the airport is off the chain. I advise everyone to call United Cab if they need a ride to the airport. And yes! make a time call and tell them where you are going. The dispatcher will make it a priority call. Remember, Wednesday and Sunday will be the busiest days of the week...and year.

Symbol Of The "Wild West"

The most enduring symbol of the Wild West is the Saguaro Cactus. This is the one thing people think of when they think of the Southwest. They can reach a height of 60 feet! and live over 200 years. When I was taking this shot, I thought Ronald Reagan was going to come riding by on a horse!

Believe it or not, this was not taken out in the desert. It was taken in the Hotel parking lot. I simply did three things right. The golden three rules of photography.

1) KNOW YOUR SUBJECT. Most people really don't know what they are shooting.

2) SHOW YOUR SUBJECT. People should know immediately when they look at your image what it is about. That means you must use techniques to draw attention to your subject and nothing else.

3) SIMPLIFY. Eliminate all distractions.

Sunrise Over East Tampa

Do you know where this was taken? Looks like someting out West? No. It's the Tampa Canal system off US 301.

I often like to go to Hillsborough River State Park located in Northeast Hillsbourgh County. Often on the way there are many opportunities for landscapes at sunrise. Don't just shoot the sky. Look for a foreground image that can leed you into the image. The road sort of pulls you in and adds depth.

I always use the example set by the great Ansel Adams. When he photographed any landscape he was on the scene prior to sunrise. That is when you have great light, colors and no harsh shadows.

This is really important for Florida landscapes. Notice how the tree line in silhouette almost looks like a mountain range in the distance. That is necessary here because we have no elevation in this state. The highest point in Florida is 300 feet above sea level. That's flat folks.

Davis Island Sunset

With the possibility of a hurricane entering the Gulf and maybe hitting the west coast of Florida, I thought I would post a sedate image of a sunset I caught last winter. It was cold that day and I was glad to get this image and go home.

Florida has been hit with hurricanes for centuries. The problem was nobody lived here then! That has changed. With a lull in storms in the last half of the last century, that may now be changing. Hold on to your hat.

There may be some good to all of this. It may, like in the 1920S, get rid of the irresponsible real estate speculators who have hammered up the price of homes so the average person can no longer put a roof over their head. All because of these greedy bastards.

Florida Beach And "Mind Freak"

Do you believe in weirdness? I do. After watching A&E's production of Criss Angel's Mind Freak I realized the art on illusion was not restricted to Goth freaks. What about Taxi cab drivers?

This photo was taken on a Florida Beach. I would not lie about that. Did you know that ancient Pacific Tribe explorers or sailors out of the Book Of Mormon once landed on the West Coast of Florida. Check it out!

No tricks folks. Just the same stuff Criss Angel does. Blows your mind doesn't it? Wait to you see the pictures of me levitating above the Borders Book Store parking lot the other day. Cool stuff.

Florida Has No Elevation

After 30 years in Florida I never got a chance to shoot something like this mountain. They tell me its only a hill.

The image was taken from a moving car on the interstate. I really wish Florida had stuff like this.

Oh well, I got my camera and will be shooting Tampa and all the wonderful things we have here that make this a great place to live.