Thistle

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Nuttall’s Thistle – Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge – March 2015
thistle
Thistle – Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge – March 2015

“All my life I have tried to pluck a thistle and plant a flower wherever the flower would grow in thought and mind.” Abraham Lincoln

Beautiful plant, 4 to 7 feet high, the flowers are 3 to 4 inches across. As you can see by the thorns, it has an excellent defense system.

Quote found at http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/thistle/

Big Guy

gatorandbabes
Sunny side up – Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge – March 2015

“Miracles are the retelling in small letters of the very same story that is written across the whole world is letters too large for some of us to see.” C.S. Lewis

This guy was REALLY big – I guess over 12 feet. If you look closely there are young gators on the right side of the photo. They are living dangerously, since the biggest predators of alligators are larger alligators.

Quote found at http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/large/.

Osprey

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Watching – Mullet Lake Park – March 2015
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Osprey – Mullet Lake Park – March 2015

“My life has been the poem I would have writ, But I cannot both live and utter it.” – Henry David Thoureau

It’s been an osprey weekend, both at Mullet Lake Park and at Orlando Wetlands Park. The sun was just right on this bird.

At the wetlands there was a pair of young osprey trying to build a nest on the top of a dead palm. Poor guys, in addition to being a month or two too late, they couldn’t build a nest because there wasn’t enough base – but they have been trying for over a week. We decided they must be young – practicing for next year.

Quote found in the book The Zen of Creativity – John Daido Loori

Triumph – Photo 101

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Triumph – Gatorland – March 2015
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Wrestlers – Gatorland – March 2015

If I had to guess that Great is feeling pretty triumphant. As for the two gators – not really sure if it’s triumph, domination, or if he’s stuck.

Photo 101 has been great fun, where do we go from here? I’ve thoroughly enjoyed meeting all the like minded bloggers and gaining a glimpse into their world. THANK YOU. I have noticed several bloggers are embarked on other photo challenges, etc. Please let me know about them – I would love to participate.

Special thanks to the Blogging U. folks for putting this together.

Babies

Great Egret
Baby Great Egret – Gatorland – March 2015
Great Egret
Waiting for Mom – Gatorland – March 2015

“I shut my eyes in order to see: – Paul Gauguin

Gatorland in Orlando has a wonderful rookery. And while it may not seem logical, gators and nesting birds have a symbiotic relationship. Nests are made in the trees above swimming gators. The birds lose an occasional egg or two, and in turn get protection from the rest of the creatures.

Quote found in the book The Zen of Creativity by John Daido Loori.