Finding closure to a great week in St Augustine…….

I’m safely tucked away on Amelia Island with Sherelene enjoying a little rest after a fun filled, and busy week at the Florida’s Birding and Photo Fest Event!  It was one of the most fun events I’ve done in a long time, and very well organized and run!  I have to admit that one of the things I most dreaded was shooting horses on the beach, but the folks that did the riding for us were really nice people, and they worked so hard to make it really work.  Sadly the first two mornings the light was just awful and it rained off and on, which made it even more miserable.  In spite of the weather the attendees stayed in high spirits and the horse folks were truly troopers!  On Sunday morning our last trip to the beach,  we had a great sunrise and everyone blasted away!  When we finally lost our light we spent a good hour under the picnic shelter just talking photography, it was great way for my time in St Augustine to end!!!

My time at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm could not have been better, while we fought the elements we got surprisingly good shooting conditions as the thunderstorms rolled in and out! Even though the shooting was fun, being with my dear friend Vinny Colucci and his wife Annette was even better.  Vinny is a world class shooter, and teacher, and even more important to me a dear brother in the Lord, and my friend.  We had a great time just teaching and hanging out in the field.  it had been too long coming, something I will not allow to happen again!  Thanks Vinny for all your help!!!

Getting to meet Mike Matthews and photograph some of his friends, like the Leopard Gecko above, was a real treat.  Mike really knew his stuff and we are now really looking forward to a His Light Workshop in Naples in the winter of 2015!  Mike has already become a dear brother and we both had a great time working together, and I know we are just getting started!!!!

Best of all is family, Sherelene above, got to celebrate her birthday this week with her sisters, Brenda (left side of frame) and Diane (right side).  I got to spend time with not only Brenda and Terry, and Diane and Ron, but got a lot of time with my son Scott, Diane, and my two grandchildren (not children anymore!!!)  Hannah and Ben.  It has been a great week!  Scott went with me to my Keynote address Saturday night and it was wonderful having him with me!!!!!

Blessings,

the pilgrim