When John Audubon first visited the Punta Gorda area on Florida’s Gulf coast in the early 19th century, he wrote that wading birds were so numerous that thousands flying overhead transformed daylight into darkness. Yet less than 100 years later the profligate population had been decimated. In small part, the decline was caused by homesteaders [...]
Posts tagged ‘animals’
A tall, middle-aged man just walked into Pastry Art, my favorite coffee shop and bakery in downtown Sarasota. He opened the door a smidge and squeezed through, barring the large Golden Retriever that accompanied him from entering.
“Stay outside,” he said, pointing to one of the tables near the curb. The dog walked away temporarily, but [...]
After years of working 70 hours a week at jobs I detested, I felt like the proverbial "hole in the donut" - solid on the outside, but empty on the inside. Searching for meaning in my life, I abandoned my successful but unsatisfying career and set out on a six-month solo backpacking trip around the world to pursue my true passions of travel, writing, and photography. 
















