Sometimes the weather even cooperates

Well, thankfully, the rain that was moving in from that low pressure system that flooded the Houston area last week, did a split apart just before arriving at the Florida panhandle (what are the chances?) on Saturday, leaving us with a dry game day! I never would have expected that with 50-70% chance of rain from a solid approaching system. Apparently, the Dewvoid can work in my favor from time to time. We were fully prepared with waterproof spirit face tattoos and ponchos. Lo and behold... not a drop! We must be living right!

We were in Tallahassee for the FSU game against Maryland. It was a great game, with an intense ending, which had us pulling our hair out. I heard "Well, that's it, we're done." "It's all over now." "They'd better pull it out against Florida or they're missing the bowls." "Hang it up." Then, from out of nowhere, they did it. They stopped them. They turned it over. The drove the ball and TOUCHDOWN FLORIDA STATE!!!! I bet the people who gave up and left are kicking themselves right about now. So, here is FSU football... Dew-style.They actually gave us our very own weather update.The huddle was great. Some of the players expressions were so full of passion.The band demonstrated sharp marching precision. I love the rows of people.I really love the "Unconquered" statue outside the stadium. One of my favorite parts of the game is when Chief Osceola comes out to the field and slams the torch into the center of the field. Well, since they were honoring the 26 year defensive coordinator, Mickey Andrews, Chief Osceola stopped and handed off the torch to Coach Andrews and allowed him to spike the torch. It was cool.

This next set is interesting... is that foot hold from the ground legal??? Oh well, FSU won!!!Have a great day!
~Dewdrop

Are you ready for some football??!!!

My goodness... I have so much to write about today... first of all, yet another record with this year's hurricane season... over the weekend, Hurricane Paloma reached major hurricane status actually getting up to category 4 strength before weakening just before landfall in Cuba as a still major category 3 hurricane. The milestone here is that we have now had a major hurricane in the past 5 months...

July --------> Hurricane Bertha reached category 5
August ------> Hurricane Gustav reached category 4
September ---> Hurricane Ike reached category 4
October -----> Hurricane Omar reached category 3
November ----> Hurricane Paloma reached category 4

It really has been an amazingly impressive year!

I got an email from a local blog friend who is fighting for the right to maintain his canopy road... Read the story here... and here is some additional information. It breaks my heart when local governments (especially mine) perceive a need to destroy that what God has put so much beauty into. These amazing canopy roads are a breathtaking sight... I have photographed several in the area, and it is disturbing that they have decided to rob us of one of these gems. Anyone with advice on how to stop this action, please help my friend, jq out...

Honestly folks, I derive a tremendous amount of joy from shooting the world around me. It is full of such natural and raw beauty. As I have kept this blog over the past couple of years, many have offered encouraging feedback... what can be done to stop this destruction, which some call "progress". It doesn't have to be this way. It really doesn't.

A SWF participant stopped by to share an image she found where they post an astronomy picture of the day. She said that it made her think of my blog. What an amazing capture it is of a small asteroid interacting with our atmosphere. Check it out at this link. Thanks, Deborah! Very cool contrail left by the asteroid!

Aside from that, I had a monumental first over the weekend. My wonderful gtb's absolute favorite college football team is the Florida State Seminoles. For our anniversary, I surprised him with tickets to the game, which was actually my first time attending a college football game. (Can you imagine the fear that quarterback must be feeling at that moment, with #93 barrelling toward him and no one free to stop the royal pounding??? I feel an OUCH! coming on!!!)
Back to my story... we rode into Tally and parked near the athletics complex and rode the "Spirit Express" bus to Bobby Bowden Field at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. The stadium was PACKED! The fans were WILD! I had a BLAST! FSU won the game, to boot! Of course, you know me, camera crazy! I'll try to hone it down. Weather was absolutely perfect for a football game! It was sunny and comfortable in the early afternoon, and we were needing a light jacket as the sun crept below the edge of the stadium. It couldn't have been better football weather. My wonderful gtb loves it when the tubas run onto the field during the pre-game ceremonies.

I thought the Seminole riding the horse with the spear was an interesting touch. They mean business with these games.

These guys were right in front of us... good that they could put their differences aside and just enjoy the game. I won't mention the fact that they would jump up and scream in each other's faces when their team scored or intercepted.

Those were just miscellaneous cool shots, but check out the referee's expression at the upper right...

The night hurt the quality of the shots, lots of blur, but I thought this shot was cool, where you could see the ball and all the wild football action.

Check out number 57 in that shot, blocking two guys at once. Impressive!

A sea of garnet, chopping things up a bit.

The cutest little fan... besides this one... of course.... and that, my friends, is football, Dewdrop-style.

Have a great day!!!
~Dewdrop