I now have three galleries of photos from the car … I call them my “drive-bys” … this is the first.
DriveTime 1 | DriveTime 2 | DriveTime 3
Click one image for larger photos in a gallery format!
I understand the exhilaration that comes from dangerous things, but here’s a really stupid motorcycle rider pulling a wheelie on Interstate-75 on the morning of Sept. 1, 2018, on the outskirts of Tampa. I was headed to the University of Florida Gators season opening football game when I saw this fool pulling multiple wheelies and dangerously changing lanes. Sigh.
I was trying to show the nighttime colors you can enjoy while stopped at an intersection, but my iPhone caught the light in mid-change and shows one signal with both red and green lights lit. I got the photo on Jan. 22, 2019, as I made an evening run to the Collier County Public Library – Headquarters branch here in Naples, Fla.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol were very busy on Saturday morning near our home in northern Naples, Fla.! And this deputy got an early start with a traffic stop in the dark off Immokalee Road. Less than 45 minutes later the same deputy was issuing another citation a mile away on the same road. Whew! Thank goodness I’m a careful driver! 😊
I’ve always believed that all Ferrari automobiles should be Ferrari red. After all, red is Ferrari. So, here’s a photo I took with my iPhone while stopped at a red light (no pun intended) here in Naples, Fla., on Feb. 23, 2019. That’s a Ferrari California – and most likely a Ferrari California T. Sweet ride! Yet, my first thought was why did this owner choose this color? It’s not red, but it’s a Ferrari. Hmmm. So, which do you like? PS — I used Photoshop to eliminate the license plate numerals.
My usual photo from running an early weekend errand involves a sunrise, but here’s a crash I encountered on Nov. 11, 2018, just after 7 a.m. in our hometown of Naples, Fla. I usually turn at this intersection at the time this crash took place, but was thankfully running late. I’m not sure if anyone was injured, but the minivan has significant damage on the driver side.
My usual photo from running an early weekend errand involves a sunrise, but here’s a crash I encountered on Nov. 11, 2018, just after 7 a.m. in our hometown of Naples, Fla. I usually turn at this intersection at the time this crash took place, but was thankfully running late. I’m not sure if anyone was injured, but the minivan has significant damage on the driver side.
Look what came out from under my hood while I was stopped at a traffic signal! I expected it to go flying over the top of the car after I started driving again, but it was smart enough – or intuitive – and ducked back down under the hood. It happened Oct. 23, 2018, as I drove home from work here in Naples, Fla.
Gasoline prices are low here in Southwest Florida, but not as low as in Charlotte, N.C. Allison was in Charlotte on Dec. 8, 2018, when she got this shot out a car window of the $1.959 price on a sign. I just filled up the same morning near our home in Naples for $2.179. The rain on the window was from a storm front lashing that part of the country that day.
Look what came out from under my hood while I was stopped at a traffic signal! I expected it to go flying over the top of the car after I started driving again, but it was smart enough – or intuitive – and ducked back down under the hood. It happened Oct. 23, 2018, as I drove home from work here in Naples, Fla.
Well, I can answer the question, “Where’s a cop when you need them?” On Sept. 29, 2018, in Estero, Fla., I saw a truck blatantly run a red light. It was at least five seconds after the light turned red for the truck. Just when I asked the age-old question, this Lee County Sheriff’s deputy flashed by with his lights on to nail the truck driver. I don’t know if he issued him a ticket, but at least he stopped him. Good job, deputy!
The start of the time of seasonal residents return to the Naples, Fla., area each fall – as well as their leaving in the spring – used to be a matter of debate. No longer. There is a quantifiable measure. Today, you just look for the car haulers. As traffic has picked up here, so has the sightings of car haulers. Here’s one headed south on Interstate 75 on the Peace River bridge on Oct. 20, 2018.
My “friend” who finds himself caught in traffic on the interstate that requires him to drive above the speed limit just sent this photo to me. He was on Interstate 75 near Punta Gorda on Sept. 2, 2018, headed south when the group of vehicles he was caught up with hit this speed – 94 mph! He wrote he couldn’t help it and soon was back to near the speed limit!
I got this photo of a crash near our home in Naples, Fla., on Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018. It was only a week ago that I got photos of another crash at a different intersection on the same road. The crashes happened a couple of miles apart on Airport-Pulling Road. This one was at the entrance to the Pelican Marsh development. Wow. I guess I won’t be going out on that highway this coming Sunday!
OK, so I’ve taken better photos of a sunrise or sunset in my Honda’s driver-side mirror. However, I like this one all the same. I got this shot of the sunrise on Sept. 16, 2018, while returning home after an early errand here in Naples, Fla.
Depending on the month, you’ll see a nice sunrise blazing on my car’s mirror. I was driving west – obviously – when I got this shot on my way to work here in Naples, Fla., on Sept. 13, 2018.
I’ll be on the road again today to head up to Gainesville for the first University of Florida Gators football game coached by Dan Mullen. I accidentally got this shot of myself showing my iPhone’s UF logo on Aug. 25, 2018, while trying to get a sunrise-in-the-mirror shot without taking my eyes off the road. It was during a trip to Walt Disney World. Today, it’s college football again!
I just got this photo from my “friend” who snaps photos of his speed while being passed on the right. You can see the faster car and note his speed. He got this shot May 12, 2018, while driving in Southwest Florida along Interstate 75.
Ah, Naples in Southwest Florida. Where domestic muscle cars such as this Corvette and international rockets like this Lamborghini coexist peacefully in morning traffic. I’ll always wonder why Chevy put Camaro-like taillights on the ‘Vette and why this Lambo owner didn’t choose a little more exhibitionist color. Well, maybe he or she isn’t the owner. I got this shot just as the light turned green on June 28, 2018.
Here goes my “friend” again. He was driving his wife’s vehicle on June 2, 2018, on Interstate 75 somewhere in Southwest Florida when he snapped this photo showing the speed for “keeping up with traffic.” I’m glad I wasn’t in the vehicle!
I hope this driver understands that he or she has blocked the license tag number of this vehicle! And, I’m sure the driver will blame an officer or trooper if he or she gets pulled over for the obvious violation. Sigh. I got this shot stopped at an intersection near our home in Naples, Fla., on May 31, 2018 – and yes, the signal’s green, but we have moved yet!
I’d never seen pigs transported on an interstate highway before Aug. 22, 2015. We had visited family in Valdosta, Ga., and then went south again to Gainesville, Fla., to visit our daughter at the University of Florida. While driving home, I was riding shotgun when we saw this sight: a truck pulling a trailer with pigs in it. It was south of Gainesville on Interstate-75. The blur in the image at the bottom left is my reflection in the glass.
One look at this dog looking out the window of this car helped dissolve much of my frustration at the backed-up traffic in Gainesville, Fla., that you see in my mirror. I got the shot on Archer Road on April 14, 2018, during a weekend visit to the University of Florida for the spring football game.
My “friend,” who gets out on the highway more than I, sent me another photo of being passed at high speed on Interstate 75. He was southbound near Sarasota on May 12, 2018, when he was not just passed while doing 90 – check his dashboard readout – but passed on the right. There is fast drivers on I-75.
We usually drive to Walt Disney World early on a Saturday morning and it takes about 2 hours 45 minutes from our home in North Naples, Fla. However, we drove up on a Friday afternoon on March 2, 2018, and this added the usual 1-hour and 30 minutes extra because of the gantlet of bad drivers, bottlenecks of too much traffic for the highway and crashes like this one. We were stopped in backed-up traffic in Hillsborough County near Mile Marker 240 when we saw the aftermath of this crash.
We usually drive to Walt Disney World early on a Saturday morning and it takes about 2 hours 45 minutes from our home in North Naples, Fla. However, we drove up on a Friday afternoon on March 2, 2018, and this added the usual 1-hour and 30 minutes extra because of the gantlet of bad drivers, bottlenecks of too much traffic for the highway and crashes like this one. We were stopped in backed-up traffic in Hillsborough County near Mile Marker 240 when we saw the aftermath of this crash.
While we were on Interstate 75 near Riverview, Fla., on our way to Gainesville, I got this shot of a Jeep with a mattress bulging out of the back window. It isn’t as funny as the photo I got that looked like a huge airbag went off in one, but it is amusing. I got the shot on Feb. 24, 2018.
Well, of course this driver’s air bag wasn’t too big when it went off! I got this shot on Feb. 8, 2018, as I drove home from work in Naples, Fla. Look close, the driver’s license tag has an expired registration sticker.
The only good thing you can say about the driver who parked this way at the WalMart near our home in North Naples, Fla., is that the vehicle has a handicap-registered tag. Other than that, there’s not much to defend. If the driver’s intent was to keep free space for a mechanical lift (I see a decal that indicates the van has one), that would be OK to take a little angle. But this one? The word that comes to mind is entitled. I’d say the driver loves to show that he or she can park like this and justify because of the physical challenge. However, the driver shouldn’t partially park in another handicap spot (what if THAT vehicle has a lift?) or do this. The I got the photo Jan. 20, 2018.
The only good thing you can say about the driver who parked this way at the WalMart near our home in North Naples, Fla., is that the vehicle has a handicap-registered tag. Other than that, there’s not much to defend. If the driver’s intent was to keep free space for a mechanical lift (I see a decal that indicates the van has one), that would be OK to take a little angle. But this one? The word that comes to mind is entitled. I’d say the driver loves to show that he or she can park like this and justify because of the physical challenge. However, the driver shouldn’t partially park in another handicap spot (what if THAT vehicle has a lift?) or do this. The I got the photo Jan. 20, 2018.
Here’s my latest “Naples Idiot Parking” photo. I got it Jan. 17, 2018, at a parking garage in our hometown of Naples, Fla. If it was an outdoor parking lot, it would just be a common sight. However, in a parking garage, this means most drivers won’t be able to use the space to the left. Also, as I left the garage, I saw the idiot driver go up onto the sidewalk making a right turn. Fool. I won’t mention the location of the garage to protect it from this idiot’s work and I’ve used Photoshop to remove the license plate number and a distinctive sticker from the back window to protect the identity of the driver.
Our hometown of Naples, Fla., is home to many, many high-end luxury vehicles and supercars. Mercedes outnumbers Volkswagens and it’s a common sight to see Maserati, Lamborghini and Ferrari sports cars cruising. But, along with the occasional Lotus, the rarest of rare sights is a McLaren. Here’s one I photographed Feb. 15, 2018.
Our hometown of Naples, Fla., is home to many, many high-end luxury vehicles and supercars. Mercedes outnumbers Volkswagens and it’s a common sight to see Maserati, Lamborghini and Ferrari sports cars cruising. But, along with the occasional Lotus, the rarest of rare sights is a McLaren. Here’s one I photographed Feb. 15, 2018.
I call this kind of photo “Naples Idiot Parking.” Here in our hometown in Southwest Florida, drivers prove daily they are congenital idiots. Today’s example comes from a Publix parking lot on Jan. 10, 2018, near our home. This fool didn’t take up two spaces to keep from getting his doors dented, he just doesn’t know how to park and managed to block two head-on spaces with one try. Of course the fool got out with a Chihuahua on a leash (I’m sure the poor thing was embarrassed to be seen with him) and when I returned to the parking lot his car alarm was blaring and he was standing beside it and pointing his key fob at it trying to shut it down. He drove off with the emergency flashers on. Idiot.
Although it’s no Arctic blast, when the cold hits 34 degrees in Naples, Fla., that’s pretty damn chilly. That was the temperature as I drove to work on Jan. 18, 2018, and you can see in the dashboard readout of my car.
I usually drive on long trips, but after two knee-replacement surgeries in nearly five months, I had to literally take the back seat in our SUV for a trip to Walt Disney World on Jan. 6, 2018. I wasn’t able to drive the 2 hours and 40 minutes to WDW without being able to stretch out my legs. So, Debbie took the wheel and I had the camera. I got this shot while we were still in Southwest Florida on Interstate 75.
Well, the official temperature didn’t hit freezing at our home in Naples, Fla., but there was more than just a dusting of frost on the top of my car on Dec. 11, 2017. The official low was 40, but some friends got 38-degree readings on their iPhones.
Look close. Our 2012 Honda Civic just turned over to 83,000 miles! Our daughter, who is a junior at the University of Florida uses the car. It just needed a new battery and I was driving home from the auto shop in Naples, Fla., on Dec. 11, 2017, when I got this shot. The other numbers – the miles-per-gallon and time – are not accurate because of the battery failure. I reset the clock when I got home and took this photo while stopped at a traffic signal.
As I continue to recover from knee-replacement surgery, I can’t drive – actually, they won’t let me since my pain management is via a morphine-based prescription drug. So, Debbie takes me out for a drive. Here’s a shot I got Oct. 1, 2017, as we set out in the morning. The rising sun was blazing, but the dew wasn’t off our SUV near our home in Naples, Fla.
Ever wonder if those barriers work protecting doors and equipment at convenience stores work? Well, here’s what I found at a Mobil station near our home in Naples, Fla., on Sept. 3, 2017, as I went to buy an LP gas canister refill.
Here’s the outstanding sunrise we saw Aug. 12, 2017, at the Peace River bridge near Punta Gorda. We were traveling along Interstate 75 on our way to Walt Disney World.
OK, from this angle as I waited in morning traffic for a traffic signal Aug. 21, 2017, in North Naples, Fla., this Collier County Sheriff’s Office motorcycle deputy looks to be hiding behind the sign. No. He’s just monitoring the oncoming traffic.
OK, from this angle as I waited in morning traffic for a traffic signal Aug. 21, 2017, in North Naples, Fla., this Collier County Sheriff’s Office motorcycle deputy looks to be hiding behind the sign. No. He’s just monitoring the oncoming traffic.
I got one sunrise photo over the Peace River on Aug. 12, 2017, and here’s a different view of the same sunrise near the river. Allison and I were headed up to Walt Disney World from our home in Naples, Fla., for a weekend visit when I got the shot from our car.
Here’s another shot I got of beautiful morning clouds on Aug. 12, 2017, as Allison and I drove up to Walt Disney World from our home in Naples, Fla., for a weekend visit.
Here’s an idiot with a capital “I” … and this is a common sight on every highway. An idiot distracted by their smartphone can’t be bothered to pull up in traffic, despite it being rush hour and all space necessary at each intersection. I got this shot of this fool on Aug. 8, 2017, in Naples, Fla.
Allison isn’t the only photographer along with myself in the family. Stephen, too, takes good shots. I was going through our digital archive when I found this neat shot he got in April 2009 out the window of a bus near Washington D.C. He was on a high school band trip. The bright spots of color are the reflections of the monitors inside the bus.
Here’s a photo of a scene no driver needs to see: Three trucks abreast on the interstate. Thankfully, the driver at the far left moved over and didn’t clog Interstate 75. I was driving northbound on I-75 from our home in Naples, Fla., to Gainesville to see a University of Florida baseball game on June 3, 2017, when I go the shot.
The same friend who sent me a photo of being passed on Interstate 75 while driving 91 mph just sent me another. Here you see the friend falling behind at 90 mph while other cars leave him behind. The photo was taken June 4, 2017, on I-75 just south of the Tampa Bay area.
I was driving home to Naples, Fla., after visiting my beloved University of Florida in Gainesville for a regional baseball playoff game on June 4, 2017, when I got this shot. It shows a big storm front moving over the Punta Gorda area. I was on the Peace River bridge of Interstate 75 when I took the photo with my iPhone.
Here’s another example of an idiot driver here in Naples, Fla. Yes, I know it was early in the morning of May 23, 2017, and there wasn’t a demand for parking spaces outside Publix, but this idiot shows just how entitled he or she is in life. I Photoshopped the license plate numbers out just as a courtesy. Of course, I’ll comment on how liberal that people from New Hampshire are and should be better attuned to not being selfish while parking. Good job. You’re an idiot.
I’m doing another example today! Naples has always been known as a town where many drivers cruise streets oblivious of a turn signal blinking. However, I never thought a driver of a Ferrari could commit such a driving sin. I saw my first and posted it in February and now, here’s the second one I got while stopped at a traffic signal in North Naples, Fla., on May 17, 2017. Hey, Ferrari, we’re not in the turn lane!
Here’s a neat view of a sunset from the side-view mirror. I got the shot as we traveled southbound on Interstate 75 near Port Charlotte, Fla., on May 25, 2017.
A view out your passenger-side window doesn’t get much better than this sunset. I got the shot as we traveled southbound on Interstate 75 near Port Charlotte on May 25, 2017.
Here’s a City of Naples police officer’s vehicle during a traffic stop near my office. I got the shot returning to work after lunch on May 2, 2017.
I was driving home from Gainesville and the University of Florida baseball game on the evening of April 22, 2017, when I got this shot of the setting sun’s rays making a beautiful splash of color on clouds. It was along Interstate 75 and somewhere south of Tampa.
I didn’t get a good frame on this shot, but here’s the beautiful even sky as I was driving home from Gainesville and the University of Florida baseball game on April 22, 2017. It was along Interstate 75 and somewhere south of Tampa.
Here is an example of a modern idiot driver. It’s difficult to locate, but check out the front end of a car at the far right of this photo and then check out how far the idiot is from the intersection. I’m the second car in line in my lane and this fool is almost behind me with no one ahead of him/her. Sigh. It used to be old people with bad eyesight stayed far behind the car ahead. Now it’s idiots texting and not caring about how they are driving. I got this shot of this particular idiot on April 5, 2017, here in Naples, Fla.
There are all kinds of drivers on the nation’s interstate highways. Bad. Good. Fast. Slow. Dangerous. Really dangerous. The kind we like are the Disney fans! Look close, you’ll see the Mickey on this vehicle. We were on Interstate 75 on March 3, 2017, on our way to Walt Disney World when encountered this kindred spirit.
Wow. I sympathize with anyone who has to drive on Interstate 4 or Interstate 75 on a weekday afternoon. For our trip to Walt Disney World on March 3, 2017, it took us more than an hour longer to get to our resort than when we drive up from our home in Naples, Fla., on any early Saturday morning. Our usual time is about 2 hours and 40 minutes. Yesterday (March 3), it was 3 hours and 42 minutes. Here’s the view of the backed-up traffic turning from I-75 onto I-4.
I’ve posted this photo on both my personal and my office’s Facebook pages. I like this drop-top Caddy. Naples, Fla., has cool cars, but this is one example of the coolest being old and American. Nothing like the fins on this baby! I got the shot Feb. 21, 2017, after I arrived at work.
What’s that in the distance? Trees behind the big palm tree along Interstate 4? No, it’s a strand of crane arms at a commercial vehicle center just east of Interstate 75. The photo was taken March 3, 2017, as we headed to Walt Disney World.
Naples in Southwest Florida is known for drivers who leave a turn signal on for miles and miles. Here’s one, but it’s a Ferrari – and you’d probably not put that type of car in the class of drivers so clueless that they leave a turn signal on. Here’s one in Naples on Feb. 17, 2017. Look close, you’ll see the left signal lighted. Enzo Ferrari – the il Commendatore – would frown. I guess an optimist would say at least he’s signaling a turn he’ll eventually make but maybe not today.
I realize that just about everyone everywhere can see an example of an idiot behind the wheel. It’s universal. However, I will post this photo that I’ll call “Naples Idiot Parking: Part II.” I took it Feb. 10, 2017, at the parking lot at my office in Naples, Fla. What sets this idiot driver apart is that he or she wasn’t protecting the doors from dings on a Ferrari or Maserati or even the very common Mercedes in this affluent community. It’s an idiot driver who just didn’t care how he or she parked and then walked away and would come back at their leisure.
Even a Ferrari needs a tow now and then. I got this shot of a Ferrari 308 GTB quattrovalvole on the bed of a tow truck in Naples, Fla., on Feb. 9, 2017. I realize the vehicle went out of production 32 years ago, but it’s still different to see a Ferrari being towed and not transported or, more perfectly, driven. Well, I guess I might have caught this one being transported, but I didn’t get that feeling.
When’s a new car not a new car? My 2015 Honda Civic, which we bought in October 2015, just turned over its 10,000th mile on Feb. 7, 2017. I took this shot of the odometer (is that what you still call a digital display?) as it had reached 9,999 when I got to work that morning here in Naples, Fla.
Here is a photo from a serious crash on Interstate 75 on the morning of Feb. 4, 2017. We were driving to Walt Disney World when traffic became backed up at the 210 mile marker. After a few miles it thinned out and then backed up again and we saw this Manatee County ambulance go past. Soon we saw this crash scene blocking two of the three lanes on I-75. I don’t know what happened or the status of those who were in the vehicle, but it was obviously a bad crash as you can see.
Clouds are always fascinating. Here’s a view from our SUV as we drove home to Naples, Fla., on Jan. 14, 2017. We were on Interstate 75 in Fort Myers when I got the shot.
Things slowed down on my drive to work the morning of Nov. 30, 2016, in Naples, Fla. Here’s the three car wreck that drew law enforcement and an ambulance. You see one person sitting on the sidewalk in the bottom right corner of the photo and there’s another sitting on it further away (and hidden by the ambulance). I hope there was no serious injury in the crash.
I hope it didn’t land behind us on Interstate 75! I got this shot of a hot air balloon that we saw over I-75 on the morning of Sept. 10, 2016, as we drove to Gainesville, Fla., to get our daughter settled for her sophomore year at the University of Florida.
Look close. No, Collier County isn’t spraying fog against mosquitoes in this photo I got while driving to work in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 14, 2016. I saw this cloud of smoke in the distance and first thought there was a car fire or something on the road ahead. Then I saw this trail of smoke along the highway – and the car that was spewing it. It was just some schmuck driving along with his car billowing smoke. A half-mile back, a police cruiser with its lights on was following somewhat slowly in the thickest part of the smoke in an attempt to prevent other drivers from barreling along blindly. I wonder if that “smokey” ever caught up with the smoking car …
I know this isn’t the most interesting of photos. However, there’s a big back story to it. What you don’t see is key: there is no commercial fishing vessel at anchor in the sliver of water visible in this photograph. For at least the past 10 years, we have seen a fishing trawler at anchor in the Manatee River that Interstate 75 bridges. We always wondered if it ever moved, then last November as we headed to Walt Disney World it wasn’t there. OMG! On Feb. 4, 2017, we were headed back to Walt Disney World for a weekend and noticed that the boat was missing again. We wonder if we will ever see it again.
Well, here it is again. I took this shot of this vessel at anchor in the Manatee River near the bridge at Interstate 75 on Nov. 5, 2016, as we headed to Walt Disney World. We always see this vessel moored at this exact spot EVERY time we travel northbound or southbound there. EVERY TIME. PS: In an update on July 19, 2017, I note that the vessel is, alas, no longer at its longtime mooring. We stopped seeing it in early 2017 and since someone just viewed this photo online, I thought I’d update the facts.
I got this shot of beautiful clouds on our bus trip back to Naples, Fla., on Oct. 23, 2016, after the contest between our Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills. We were being driven in the late afternoon west along Alligator Alley as the sun was shining brightly.
Here’s another photo of some clouds we encountered on the morning of Oct. 1, 2016, as we drove east on Interstate 4 on our way to Walt Disney World. This looks more like the alien spaceship arriving in “Independence Day” than a storm coming.
Here’s a photo of some interesting clouds we encountered on the morning of Oct. 1, 2016, as we drove east on Interstate 4 on our way to Walt Disney World.
A co-worker got this wonderful shot of a rainbow in Estero, Fla., on Sept. 24, 2016. I haven’t managed to get this neat of a shot of a rainbow and thought I’d post this one on my blog!
OK, I’m a sucker for photos of sunrises and sunsets. I got this shot last night (Sept. 16, 2016) as I drove to Publix on a rare early evening errand here in Naples, Fla. The side-view mirror always makes a sunset shot look nice!
Recently, I was chased home by a storm. Now, I’ve run headlong into one. Here’s a photo I took as I made my way home into the teeth of an impressive thunderstorm here in Naples, Fla. I got this shot on Sept. 6, 2016.
We were on our way back to our home in Naples, Fla. from Gainesville, when we saw this overturned SUV alongside Interstate 75 between Tampa and Sarasota. It was Aug. 20, 2016, and it didn’t appear that anyone was injured and we were not able to tell if authorities had left the scene or were on their way.
I’ve heard of storm chasers, but here’s a storm chasing me! I got this shot of my side-view mirror while stopped at a traffic signal in Naples, Fla., on my way home from work on Sept. 5, 2016. The storm chased me home and then in less than an hour dumped an inch of rain into our pool.
Here’s a second photo of a crash I got while on our way back to our home in Naples, Fla. It was Aug. 20, 2016, along Interstate 75 as we were returning from Gainesville. This image shows the ambulance at the scene.
Here’s a second crash photo we got while on our way back to our home in Naples, Fla. It was Aug. 20, 2016, along Interstate 75 as we were returning from Gainesville. The blur on the vehicle with the major front-end damage is a reflection on our CR-V’s window.
Here’s how a person who is driving-challenged parks next to a law enforcement vehicle. I was in Gainesville, Fla., for a University of Florida baseball game this past weekend (June 12, 2016), when I got this shot of a bad parking job next to an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office vehicle.
The setting sun was extremely bright on June 26, 2016, as I was driving home at 8 p.m. in Naples, Fla. Here’s a shot of the reflection in my side-view mirror.
A “friend” sent me this photo since he knew I’d appreciate the irony of being passed on Interstate 75 as I am quite the careful driver. Notice the car at left as it speeds past. Then, look carefully at the speed of the car from which the photograph is being taken. It’s tough when someone drives with the pack at that speed and then someone blows by them. The photo was taken on I-75 on June 12, 2016.
I’m not using this photo I got May 7, 2016, while we were at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort as a Walt Disney World image, but I’m putting it as a “driving” photo because of its content. Look closely at the dust on the back window of this vehicle. Although not an egregious example of bad parking, in the tight confines of Disney lots (and the large size of the vehicle), this driver showed himself or herself to be an idiot. Someone walking past made note that the driver should “park better.” Apt comment, but I doubt it will affect this bad driver.
Here’s a shot Allison got on May 7, 2016, on Interstate 75 near Punta Gorda. It was a beautiful sunrise as we headed to Walt Disney World. I was driving when she got the shot.
Well, the threat of afternoon showers became an actual downpour on July 13, 2016. I got this shot as I was stopped in traffic as I drove home from work in Naples, Fla.
I happened to be driving in south Lee County on June 4, 2016, when I came upon this crash scene along Three Oaks Parkway in Estero. Obviously it was a dismal, rainy early evening and it was a single-vehicle wreck (a car blowed head-on into a tree in the median). I like this shot because my iPhone camera’s focus hit on the drops of water on my windshield (of course I did a point-and-shoot since I was driving and couldn’t concentrate on taking a great image). Still, it turned out OK.
See the bright white middle light on this traffic signal arm? It is flashing because the ambulance’s flashing light system has triggered the computer in the intersection control panel. Emergency vehicles’ flashing lights now trigger traffic signals to stop all traffic until they pass. I got this shot April 22, 2016, near our home in Naples, Fla.
You can see by the “0” on my speedometer that this Collier County Sheriff’s Office patrol car wasn’t after me on April 12, 2016, when I got this shot on my way home in Naples, Fla.
Stephen got this shot on Feb. 5, 2016, of a Florida Highway Patrol trooper’s car that splashed down in a water-filled median along Interstate 75. We were traveling to Walt Disney World when I spotted something that looked like a trooper’s vehicle in the big puddle of water near the 154-mile marker. Sure enough, it was! The skid marks apparently show what happened.
I always enjoy a blur of lights in a photograph … like this one in my car on March 22, 2016, while I was in a carwash near our home in Naples, Fla. It more little “pellets” of light from my instrument panel than a blur, but it still qualifies.
Here’s the first of three photos (I’ll post one in each of the next two days) of being in a car wash. Actually interesting images from the one near our home in Naples, Fla. I got the shots with my iPhone (sorry, Nikon, but you weren’t with me on the quick trip) on March 15, 2016. Here’s a surreal look as soap or some kind of protectant is spread on my car.
Here’s the second of three photos going through the car wash. I got the shots with my iPhone on March 15, 2016, near our home in Naples, Fla. Here’s what it looks like after the initial rinse. Note the red light denoting that I shouldn’t pull forward.
Here’s the last of three photos going through the car wash. I got the shots with my iPhone on March 15, 2016. Here’s comes the big top brush. It reminds me of a scene in the cop movie “The Seven-Ups” (click here for my review). I was at the car wash near our home in Naples, Fla.
It was a bright sunrise in my rearview mirror yesterday (Feb. 26, 2016) in North Naples, Fla. There was still condensation on my back window that diffused the light.
If you look close, you’ll see streetlights on, even though it’s still daylight. I got this shot on my way home from work on June 10, 2016, in Naples, Fla.
I’ve already posted one view of this sunrise and here’s another shot Allison got on May 7, 2016, on Interstate 75 near Punta Gorda, Fla. It was a beautiful sunrise as we headed to Walt Disney World. I was driving when she got the shot.
The sun was just about set (look far right on the horizon) while these dark clouds dominated the sky west of our home in Naples, Fla., on May 3, 2016.
It’s no surprise that someone from Florida State University would park this way. I got this shot outside my office on Feb. 17, 2016. Take your pick about the reason why they parked this way.
For anyone who has frequent travel on Interstate 4 near Walt Disney World, traffic snarls are a daily annoyance. However, we seldom have trouble going on a Sunday afternoon. Well, here’s a photo of the cause of a major back-up on I-4 on May 8, 2016.
It’s not the best sunset-in-the-sideview-mirror shot I’ve taken, but it shows the beauty of the evening of April 12, 2016, near our home in Naples, Fla.
The clouds over Interstate 75 appeared to be just above the highway as we returned to our home in Naples, Fla., on April 10, 2016, from Walt Disney World. We were slowed down in a Sunday traffic jam south of Sarasota when I got this shot.
Here’s a truly Naples photo: A vintage Lincoln with suicide doors; a couple of older guys in the droptop — and being passed in the right lane with the driver’s foot on the brake as he goes down the highway. Still, cool ride for these guys out for spin in the morning of Dec. 30, 2015.
I have always parked on the west side of the Collier County Public Library. However, on April 2, 2016, I parked on the east side and noticed this special parking spot for U.S. veterans who had been wounded in action. Its marking is purple for the U.S. military’s Purple Heart award. See what you miss by being on the wrong side of the library?
Here’s a cross-over blog post … I’m using this in my Naples spot to show my recent driving companion: Duffy the Disney Bear. I was driving up to Gainesville, Fla., from our home in Naples on March 12, 2016, to see a University of Florida baseball game with a friend. I took Duffy with me to give to our daughter. Normally, I’d use this as a daily Disney photo, but since I have so many Disney photos I thought I’d make it apart from that category.
What’s going on here? Well, first it is early morning in Naples, Fla., on Sept. 28, 2015. My car was outside the garage and so all the windows were covered in a fine mist from the dewy morning. As you drive in the humid morning, the outside of the windshield catches the moisture and you need to use your wipers. That’s the streaks on the windshield of my car. As to the sunrise in the mirror? I was driving west, of course.
Well, even stripes on a speed hump in the road can add a visual touch to a beautiful late afternoon in Naples, Fla. I got this shot on my way home from the office on April 18, 2016.
Well, this driver is an “Animal Friend,” according to his state of Florida license plate. But, remember to beware of his dog. I got this shot while stopped at an intersection in North Naples, Fla., on Jan. 21, 2016.
We were in Valdosta, Ga., over the past weekend to do a Christmas visit to my father-in-law. As we left on Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015, we filled up the tank with some inexpensive gas – we got it for $1.849 at this convenience store. Debbie was taking her own photo when I snapped this one with my iPhone.
You don’t want to cruise by this mini-wolf pack of two Florida Highway Patrol troopers if you’re being a scofflaw by speeding. I got this shot of a pair of troopers parked and ready to follow northbound traffic on Interstate 75 south of Gainesville on Aug. 22, 2015. We were headed home to Naples.
Here’s the glare of the rising sun on March 29, 2016, as I drove westbound (of course) on Vanderbilt Beach Road in Naples, Fla., on my way to work.
While we were driving southbound on Interstate 75 on Sunday, June 7, 2015, I got this nice shot of clouds over the Peace River near Punta Gorda.
How do you protect a boat from a thief? Hang it up in the air, of course! I got this shot June 27, 2015, on Interstate 75 in North Fort Myers, Fla. Workers on the Southwest Florida bridge project were protecting their small boat over the weekend.
I was going a tiny bit over the speed limit in North Naples, Fla., when I got this off-hand shot of a gloomy, rainy morning on Jan. 22, 2016.
Here’s a photo I got in 2001: it shows a security truck that crashed into the Coastland Center Mall sign in Naples, Fla. I found it in my digital vault and thought I’d post it here.
OK, here’s another angle of the security truck crash in 2001 at the Coastland Center Mall in Naples, Fla. Check out the name of the top department store – Burdines. Not that any more. I found it in my digital vault and thought I’d post it here.
As I was stopped for a traffic signal on Sunday morning, Aug. 16, 2015, I tried to get a shot of a beautiful sunrise, but accidentally hit the button on my iPhone before I had the shot framed. The result? A nice swirl of motion and color near our home in North Naples, Fla.
OMG! It’s a Florida license plate on a taxi in Naples, Fla. Well, not OMG, but OMQ. However, OMG is appropriate since the taxi driver was driving 10 mph under the speed limit on one of the busiest roads in North Naples during rush hour on Feb. 12, 2016.
Here’s the cloudy, windy morning on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016 … and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office at the scene of a crash on Immokalee Road in North Naples, Fla.
After a warm Christmas season, things got chilly in recent days in Southwest Florida. I got this shot as I drove to work on Jan. 14, 2016. Storm clouds are brewing and it would rain later as the temperature stayed low in the Naples area. You can see I’m only 2 mph over the speed limit on Vanderbilt Beach Road when I got this shot.
Here’s another one of by “drive-by” photographs (shots). I got this wreck aftermath in Naples, Fla., as I drove home yesterday (Nov. 11, 2015). One vehicle (far left) is up on the curb near the Naples High School sign, while another is stopped in the intersection on Goodlette-Frank Road. An ambulance is at the far right and you can also find a police motorcycle in the center (background). I do not know how many were injured in the crash as the local media did not have a report about it on the websites later.
OK, OK … I like cloud photos. Here’s one off to the south-southeast in North Naples, Fla., as I drove along Vanderbilt Beach Road on July 10, 2015. I got this one with my iPhone.
Here’s a shot of a beautiful sunrise on Sept. 9, 2015. I got it going west on Immokalee Road as we headed to Interstate 75 in North Naples, Fla., near our home.
We got an early start on Aug. 22, 2015, on our trip from Naples, Fla., to Valdosta, Ga., and then back to Gainesville. I got this slow-shutter speed blur of color of vehicles on Interstate 75 because of the pre-dawn darkness.
Here’s another one of a series of photos showing drivers pulled over by highway patrol troopers. I got this shot June 27, 2015, on Interstate 75 near Ocala, Fla., as we were driving from Naples, Fla., to the University of Florida at Gainesville.
More and more cameras are appearing at intersections in Naples, Fla. Although the community previously dumped the red-light camera system, cams (you might as well call them spy cams) continue to sprout up like this one on Airport-Pulling Road in North Naples. I got this shot at a traffic signal on June 18, 2015.
Here’s another shot I got while we were driving southbound on Interstate 75 on Sunday, June 7, 2015. It is of the clouds we saw over the Peace River near Punta Gorda.
You don’t want to see this vehicle’s lights in your rearview mirror. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper had a driver pulled over here on on Interstate 75 on June 7, 2015. We were returning to Naples, Fla., from visiting family in Valdosta, Ga., when I got this shot while riding shotgun.
As the sun was setting June 26, 2015, I snapped this shot of some cattle silhouetted against the horizon as we drove along Interstate 75 on our way from Naples, Fla., to the University of Florida at Gainesville.
I got this shot of a storm cloud moving in over North Naples, Fla., on July 7, 2015, and find it pretty neat. I’m sure it’s pedestrian to most folks, but the images I get of the clouds I enjoy.
Here’s a close-up shot of the tracks of a “track” … that is an armored personnel carrier (this one has been modified) from the U.S. Army. I got this shot on Interstate 75 on June 7, 2015, as we returned to Naples, Fla., from visiting family in Valdosta, Ga.
When the clouds roll in for an afternoon thunderstorm in Southwest Florida … they’re dark. I got this one driving home on June 8, 2015, in our North Naples, Fla., neighborhood.
The setting sun’s rays caused a reflection on the back of this overpass sign on June 26, 2015, on Interstate 75 as we were driving from Naples, Fla., to the University of Florida at Gainesville. You can also see the shadow of our vehicle.
Here’s a look at a water tower for Bradenton, Fla., along Interstate 75. I got this shot on our way to visit family in Valdosta, Ga., on Saturday, June 6, 2015.
While we were driving on Interstate 75 on Sunday, June 7, 2015, we saw this honeymooners car. We were southbound near Valdosta, Ga., after visiting my father-in-law and noticed that this couple from Kentucky had a nicely decorated car. We guessed that they were headed to Walt Disney World for their honeymoon.
I was riding shotgun on May 29, 2015, on the way back home from our daughter’s high school graduation ceremony in Estero, Fla., when I got this shot of threatening skies over Interstate 75. The Barron Collier High School class of 2015 from Naples had its graduation ceremony at Germain Arena (home of the Everblades!).
After just a few moments at a red light in North Naples, Florida, on May 26, 2015, rain beaded on my windshield. You can also see dark clouds (with a little discoloration because of the tint on my windshield).
OK, I enjoy sunrises and since I usually view one in my car headed eastbound to Publix in Naples, Fla., I have the opportunity to get a photo of it while waiting at the traffic signal at the intersection of Immokalee and Livingston roads. I got this one yesterday, May 23, 2015.
Here’s the final image of three of a cloud over Naples, Fla., on May 6, 2015. It is from the furthest point that I began taking photos (it was an off-hand shot from just picking my Nikon up and guessing the frame; I was NOT driving while doing real photography).
Yesterday I posted a close-up of a cloud. Now, here’s the whole thing. I still believe this cloud over Naples, Fla., on May 6, 2015, is interesting.
I know this Collier County Sheriff’s deputy didn’t think I was texting in driving (we were stopped for a traffic signal), but I certainly hoped that he didn’t think I usually drove with an iPhone in front of my face. I got this shot at Vanderbilt Beach Road and Airport-Pulling Road in Naples, Fla., on Feb. 24, 2015, on my way home from work.
I got this shot just as I got the left turn arrow (no, I wasn’t photographing and driving). It’s a bit of a “soft” focus since it was taken with my iPhone (and not a competent DSLR). If you look closely, you’ll see a rising full moon right under the center of the traffic signal arm. I got this April 3, 2015, in Naples, Fla.
I got this shot of a sunset in my rear-view mirror on April 2, 2015, in Naples, Fla. I wish I could have seen it set into the Gulf of Mexico, instead of heading the other direction to Publix.
Nothing much changes in traffic enforcement. Here is a Lee County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office motorcycle deputy shooting radar at vehicles in Bonita Springs in April 2007.
Here’s a shot I got while riding shotgun on a North Naples, Fla., road in 2014. The clouds in front reflect the setting sun behind us. My iPhone shot freezes the ground, but most of the rest is blurry.
As the sun was setting June 26, 2015, I snapped this shot of a cloud as we drove along Interstate 75 on our way from Naples, Fla., to the University of Florida at Gainesville.
Here’s a split view as we drove on the Interstate 75 bridge over the Peace River on June 26, 2015. I was riding shotgun and got the photo at left out the driver’s window. I then turned and got the one out my window. A different perspective with the two photos at the same time and place.
I don’t recall seeing many aircraft coming in for a landing at the Punta Gorda airport as we drive along Interstate 75. However, you can always spot its control tower. I got this shot on June 26, 2015, as we were driving to Gainesville from Naples.
I call my photos I get while in the car my “drive-bys.” Here’s another of a cloud formation as we drove along Interstate 75 on June 26, 2015. You can see the reflection of my watch in the side mirror.
OK, so I’m on a drive-by kick of getting photos of storm clouds (it’s the season for here in Southwest Florida). Here’s another shot I got as I drove past Naples High School on July 9, 2015.
After all these years past graduation from the University of Florida, I still get a bit excited driving north on Interstate 75 when I spot the signature red building on a hill. It always let me know on my drives north from South Florida back to the university that I was nearing Alachua County and UF. I got this shot on June 27, 2015, as we were driving to Gainesville from Naples.
I got this neat sunrise on July 14, 2015, as we drove along Interstate 75 in Fort Myers, Fla., on our way to a morning appointment.
Now, is this driver an attorney for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or the Southeastern Conference? Don’t know, as I caught this license plate while driving to work in Naples, Fla., earlier in July 2015.
Here’s a quick snapshot I got while we were in Gainesville, Fla., on June 27, 2015. We were dropping Allison off at the University of Florida for the Summer B term. This minor crash held up some traffic off Archer Road near Interstate 75. The LED lights now found on most law enforcement vehicles can be seen from far away.
I’ve been getting some cloud shots recently and this is a neat one of some rain clouds in the morning on July 15, 2015, in North Naples, Fla.
OK, OK … so my photos of clouds as I drive to or from work are becoming a bit ubiquitous. Still, I like ‘em. I got this one on the morning of July 24, 2015, in North Naples, Fla.
You can see the raindrops on my windshield in this shot from Sunday afternoon, July 26, 2015, in North Naples, Fla., at Livingston and Immokalee roads. It doesn’t take a genius to see the source of the raindrops.
And here’s another shot of clouds as I drive to work in Naples, Fla. I got this shot on July 30, 2015, in North Naples on Airport-Pulling Road.
When thunderstorms strike across Southwest Florida, clouds can appear blue-black like you see in this photo (straight shot with my iPhone – cropped but not “enhanced” in any way through Photoshop). It helps, too, that I’m in bright sunlight while looking into the heart of this afternoon thunder-boomer on Aug. 17, 2015, in North Naples, Fla.
A driver’s right-side mirror isn’t always filled with moving traffic. Here’s a shot I got on my iPhone on Aug. 17, 2015, in Naples, Fla., after passing a three-car crash on Airport-Pulling Road, just south of Pine Ridge Road. I was on my way home from work and was stopped at the traffic signal when I got the shot.
As we were coming home to Naples on Aug. 22, 2015, I tried to get some shots of the sunset as we cruised southbound on Interstate-75. The dark clouds gave a nice touch to another otherwise pedestrian scene.
Here’s one LED light that shines brighter – and you don’t want it to: the one on top of a police vehicle. I got this shot of a motorist pulled over on Interstate 75 north of Naples on Aug. 22, 2015.
Five cruisers, a tow truck and a damaged vehicle is never a good sight on the highway. I got this shot while riding shotgun on a trip on Aug. 22, 2015. We were on Interstate-75 when we spotted it. The fifth law enforcement vehicle is hidden by the tow truck and the second damaged vehicle is out of the frame.
We took a trip on Aug. 22, 2015, from our home in Naples, Fla., to visit my father-in-law in Valdosta, Ga. On the way home, we stopped in Gainesville to visit our daughter, who’s about to begin the fall term at the University of Florida. Well, as we drove home later in the day, we saw a rainbow – and it turned out to be the best we’ve ever seen. It was visible for more than an hour as we headed south on Interstate 75. In the distance in this photo is a church near the end of the rainbow.
Here’s another one of my shots of Florida Highway Patrol troopers as they do a traffic stop. I got this one of a lone trooper north of Gainesville on Aug. 22, 2015, as we headed north on the interstate to visit my father-in-law in Valdosta, Ga.
Sunrise along Interstate 75 can be beautiful. I got this shot on the morning of Aug. 22, 2015, as we headed north on the interstate north of Naples, Fla.
Here’s another shot with our new Nikon camera. One setting on it allows the shooter to highlight a color in the frame. Allison got this one of the video display area of our new Honda CR-V on Aug. 16, 2015, as she and Debbie were on their way for a visit to Walt Disney World.
Well, this driver’s bedding was going to be in rough shape after a trip on Interstate 75. That’s not a canvas cover on them, it is sheets being ripped to shreds by the wind. I got this shot on Aug. 22, 2015. We had visited family in Valdosta, Ga., and then went south again to Gainesville, Fla., to visit our daughter at the University of Florida. I got the shot south of Gainesville.
Look closely and you’ll see the door to this Florida Highway Patrol cruiser opening as its trooper is ready to get out and talk to this drivers. I got this shot on Interstate 75 south of Gainesville on Aug. 22, 2015. We were headed home to Naples when we passed by.
While we were driving southbound on Interstate 75 on Aug. 22, 2015, I got this shot of sunset at the Peace River near Punta Gorda. The light level was low, so my Nikon’s slow shutter speed resulted in blurs and “jumping” lights.
Rainy weather is nothing new in Southwest Florida, but we’re still getting hit each day with some showers. I got this shot through my windshield as I drove home in Naples on Sept. 14, 2015.
Every time we travel north on Interstate 75 I see this commercial fishing or shrimp boat (sorry for the poor quality of the photo). The vessel is always moored on the east side of a bridge north of the Manatee River (I cannot recall its name – but it is a large waterway). It is ALWAYS there. No matter what month; no matter what day. We always wonder if it ever leaves its mooring. I got this shot on Aug. 22, 2015, in the morning as we drove northbound on I-75.
Although there were a few rain clouds in the sky over North Naples, Fla., on Oct. 7, 2015, there was sun and some nice fluffy ones, too. I got this shot driving home from work in a bit of glorious sunshine after so many overcast and rainy days the past week or so.
Here’s another beautiful sunset in Naples, Fla. I was in the central city area and caught this one on Oct. 11, 2015.
OK, we don’t buy cars often, but we buy in spurts. After buying a vehicle in August, our family just had one car head to the graveyard with a blown engine. So, here’s our new Honda Civic.
No, this isn’t a rising sun. It’s a rising (nearly) full moon I got a shot of while waiting for a traffic signal in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 24, 2015.
We’ve had a rainy couple of days in Naples in Southwest Florida, but some blue sky peeked out here in this morning shot I got on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015. There was some sun later, but then the clouds boiled back up.
I always snap a shot of a flashing light on a trooper’s car when we’re driving on the Interstate. I got this iPhone photo of one poor soul getting a citation (and not for good driving habits) on Interstate 75 near Valdosta, Ga., on Dec. 13, 2015.
Well, some Collier County workers were closing up the work site near our home in Naples, Fla., on Jan. 25, 2016, when I got this shot stopped for the construction traffic. You can see the truck lights on and the glare at right from a portable spotlight still on that they had used the night before.
Well, it looks like the middle of a sunny day in Southwest Florida, but I got this shot of a rising full moon (look just over the top of the vehicle in front of me) as I headed to Publix after work on March 22, 2016, near our home in Naples, Fla.
I get most of my sunrise photos on the weekend – I typically go to Publix near our home in Naples, Fla. I got this shot as I was headed north across a street to get to the supermarket on April 23, 2016. The dew that covered our Honda CR-V’s windows is now just a bunch of drops of water.
I wish I could do a better job of showing what I want in this image. It’s supposed to look like the steam cloud coming from the commercial plant on the distant horizon is belching the entire cloud. Well, I all I had May 29, 2016, as we drove southbound on Interstate 75 near the I-4 intersection was my iPhone and here’s the shot I got. We were on our way back home to Naples, Fla., after visiting family in Valdosta, Ga.
Here’s another shot of how bright the setting sun was on June 26, 2016. I got this one at 8 p.m. as I was driving home in Naples, Fla. Note the brightness of the highway in front of me and the tops of trees in the distance.
It gets tough sometimes in finding photos for my blog (“blog fodder,” as I call my photos). So, here’s one of me slow-driving going home in Naples, Fla. I’m not usually a slow driver, but the Collier County Sheriff’s Office is quite adept at having its traffic corps patrol this particular stretch of non-speed highway (30 mph – and I’m over that). I got the shot out of sheer boredom and need of blog fodder on July 8, 2016.
OK, I saw this old Camaro in Naples, Fla., on July 20, 2016. It has an Arizona license plate, but it’s here in Southwest Florida. My father had a Camaro just like this one (I believe it is a 1970 mid-year model – the first streamlined Camaro). Well this driver wasn’t anything like my father – he drove very slowly and changed lanes in front of me. Well, the car is a neat memory.
Here’s a comparison of gas prices at a convenience store in Valdosta, Ga. The most recent photo was taken Aug. 27, 2016. The price of gas was $2.029. Compare that to the other photo where the price was $1.849 on Dec. 13, 2015. Another comparison is that gas was $2.179 in Naples on Aug. 27, 2016. I took both of these photos while we were visiting family in Valdosta.
Bored again … by taking this shot of some clouds while running an errand in Naples, Fla., on the evening of Sept. 28, 2016.
It’s nice that they have countdown clocks at intersections for pedestrians (or, in this case, bicyclists) to see just how long until the next light change. However, I think that such “shot clocks” ought to be put up with the traffic signals so drivers will know when the next yellow light is coming – and they don’t have to glance over to the side in hopes of catching a glimpse. I got this shot near our home in Naples, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2017.
Here’s a moment where you wish you had your Nikon: A nighttime intersection near our home in Naples, Fla., on March 1, 2017. Notice a few things: 1) the white light near the traffic signal … it is a flasher that is triggered by an emergency vehicle 2) the beautiful sliver of moon just above the traffic signals 3) the tiny green light – and no, it is NOT part of the traffic signal system. Hmmm … maybe a UFO?
I’m dipping into my photos from our current visit to Walt Disney World for today’s “Drive Time” photo. Here’s the exhaust of a WDW bus – you can see the heat rippling as the setting sun’s rays hit the back of the vehicle. I got the shot March 3, 2016, early in the evening of our first day at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside resort.
I wonder why this car has its trunk-lid brake light covered? The vehicle hasn’t been damaged. Hmmm. A question for the ages in Naples, Fla., from March 30, 2017. Oh, yes, I removed the license plate number and an identifying sticker from the bumper to preserve the driver’s identity since I couldn’t find out why it is covered.
No April Fool’s here! You don’t joke around – or speed – through a school zone, although I see enough knuckleheads (or, asshats if you prefer) each week completely disregarding the flashing lights at this school zone in front of Pelican Marsh Elementary School in Naples, Fla. I got this shot on March 31, 2017, as I headed to work. Both Stephen and Allison were K-5 at PME!
With brushfire season upon us and especially in our current drought situation, you wouldn’t expect to see a burning allowed as developers clear land. However, that’s just what we saw along Interstate 75 in northern Lee County on May 7, 2017, as we returned home to Naples, Fla., from a visit to Valdosta, Ga.
We need the rain and here’s a shot I got as we drove home on Interstate 75, on May 25, 2017. We appeared that we were headed right into a storm … but we never encountered any rain. The photo was taken near Punta Gorda and we drove another 53 miles to our home exit in Naples.
It’s a rotten photo, but I’m posting it anyway. Here’s the scene of a wreck as we drove back to Naples, Fla., on May 25, 2017. The crash happened at the northern part of Lee County and it was late evening and the light bad. Still, the flashing lights catch your eye.
If you’re old enough, you’ll remember the license plate game? While traveling on the highway – most often for a “family vacation” – people in the car try to spy license plates from different states … and the further away the better (ever see one from Hawaii, you non-Hawaiian?). So, I’m starting to post a few example on my blog. Today? It’s a Utah tag on a Mazda in North Naples, Fla., on July 6, 2017. Quite a ways from home; or just found a new one for the driver. I removed the number to provide a bit of privacy.
Here’s my next post from the License Plate Game. Look close: That’s a license tag from Alaska. I got the shot – it’s not as close-up as another I got from Utah – on Aug. 13, 2017, on Interstate 4 as we returned home from Walt Disney World. It’s really an unremarkable license tag – one color and no design. However, it was a long way from home. I erased the plate number with Photoshop.
Here’s another in my ongoing “license plate game” postings on my blog. Look close! You’ll need to because Montana’s license plate is very plain – undistinguished? It’s the essence of simplicity! It’s not as beautiful as Utah’s. I got this shot in Naples, Fla., on Sept. 17, 2017. As with other license plate photos, I’ve removed the numbers to protect the privacy of the owner.
Debbie takes me for a ride on occasion now that I’m recovering from knee-replacement surgery and can’t drive myself. Here’s a photo I got from the shotgun seat of a Collier County Sheriff’s deputy having a driver pulled over near our home on Oct. 7, 2017.
Here you can see the colorful cloud I photographed the morning of Aug. 12, 2017, as we drove to . You can also spot some color in the clouds in the side-view mirror of our Honda CR-V. I got the shot on Interstate 75 in the Sarasota region.
I wanted a flood of rain on my windshield so I could get a shot of the wiper fighting a valiant struggle, but all I got May 22, 2018, as I drove home here in Naples, Fla., were these few drops. Oh well, maybe tomorrow since a storm is headed to the Gulf of Mexico.
It’s been nearly nine months since I posted a “license plate game” photo. Here’s the next one: from New Mexico! We don’t see many of these here in Naples in Southwest Florida. I got this photo on the morning of June 27, 2018, as I drove to work. I erased the license tag numbers with Photoshop. New Mexico offers a eye-catching color and minimalist design.
I’m sure this driver needed extra room on his or her side of the car to get out, but it sure looks like an idiot parked it since all he or she had to do for more room was park in the other spot. Although apparently needing space, the driver blocks the marked walkway between the parking spaces and actually limits the other space. What an idiot. Sigh. Parking in Naples, Fla., on Sept. 14, 2018.
Rain doesn’t help drivers here in Southwest Florida. Here is a photo of a crash scene near the Collier County Public Library – Headquarters branch that happened on the afternoon of Sept. 23, 2018, near our home in Naples.
Rain doesn’t help drivers here in Southwest Florida. Here is a photo of a crash scene near the Collier County Public Library – Headquarters branch that happened on the afternoon of Sept. 23, 2018, near our home in Naples.
Rain doesn’t help drivers here in Southwest Florida. Here is a photo of a crash scene near the Collier County Public Library – Headquarters branch that happened on the afternoon of Sept. 23, 2018, near our home in Naples.
Well, it’s Christmas morning here in 2018 and it’s my sadness to note that Santa didn’t bring me this Ferrari this year (nor has he left one ever before). Living here in Naples, Fla., you get to see these on the road every day. I was driving home from work on Dec. 17, 2018, when I got this shot.
OK, 2019 is upon us, but today I’ll post my final photo of a contrail from 2018. I didn’t have a chance to post it before today because of other items being posted on my blog, but I’m now posting this one. I got this shot as the sunrise illuminated a contrail over Naples, Fla., on Dec. 28, 2018.
What’s better than a beautiful “red sky at morning?” One with a contrail that’s backlit by the rising sun. I got this shot of the morning and the contrail on Dec. 27, 2018, as I drove to work in our hometown of Naples, Fla.
I just can’t drive any distance without seeing the aftermath of a crash or roadway incident. Short trips; long trip; each doesn’t matter. Here’s one I managed not to get held up with on Interstate 75 on the morning of Jan. 11, 2019. I got this shot as I pulled into the rest area at mile marker 238 near Ruskin, Fla. A damaged truck was being towed.
There was a beautiful sunrise here in Naples, Fla., on March 24, 2019, that was punctuated by a Collier County Sheriff’s Office patrol car’s flashing lights. I got the shot as I ran an early morning errand near our home.
If you ever wanted to see how to block two disabled parking spaces at one time, just check out this FedEx truck. I got this shot on April 12, 2019, here in Naples, Fla. I understand the difficult time the driver has in making a delivery, but blocking two disabled parking spaces? Go block five spots at the back of the lot, please. Oh, and this is a medical office building where such parking spaces are at a premium.
Ever get burned up in traffic? Well, today I’m not writing about the emotion. Here’s the toasted wreck of a car being towed here in Naples, Fla., on April 17, 2019. I have no idea what happened to the car, but you know it’s headed for only one place: the scrapyard.
Ever get burned up in traffic? Well, today I’m not writing about the emotion. Here’s the toasted wreck of a car being towed here in Naples, Fla., on April 17, 2019. I have no idea what happened to the car, but you know it’s headed for only one place: the scrapyard.
I was riding shotgun on a nighttime drive on May 13, 2019, on Interstate 75 here in Southwest Florida and managed to get a couple of nice photos. We were driving to pick up our daughter’s car at the airport in Fort Myers when I got them on the interstate just north of our hometown of Naples.
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