Good Morning Tampa!

Sunrise at Ballast Point Pier in Tampa....

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

AIN'T IT GREAT... TO BE.... A FLORIDA GATOR!!!!


Florida 41 - Ohio State 14!!!!!!


YUP! We ARE the national Champions!!! The Gators dominated Ohio State
from start to finish in every aspect of the game! Ohio State started fast by
returning the opening kick-off 94 yards for a TD. That was it for the Buckeyes
as the Gators proceeded to put an old fashion ass whopping on the team from
Ohio! Talked to Courtney & Charlie several times during and after the game
as we shared the "glow" of excitement! Courtney told her brother that the
Gators were winning for him - he is their 12th man! She loves her brother!
We all love the Gators and will relive this special night for years to come!

Hurry back Buddy!

The New Year has always been an exciting time for me. I get excited about a new year, new opportunities, new adventures and always a chance to improve areas of our lives or find new passions!


I ALWAYS remain thankful of the countless blessings and WONDERFUL people in my life! So - as the new year approached, my spirits were soaring! Charlie was home for the 1st Christmas in 3 years and we ALL had a SUPER Christmas and created many new memories! I get excited about my job this time of year too! I think of the new opportunities to grow and expand our great business - I work for an INCREDIBLE company and with some real hard-working, dedicated people! I'm excited when thinking about increasing my skills with my camera for this year too!


WELL, the New Year started out great! I got up early and shot the 1st sunrise of the year at Ballast Point Pier as the sun rose and cast a beautiful orange hue on the new minutes of the new year - Big thanks to our Creator for that gorgeous moment! So, I was pumped as I headed back home to show my new pictures and share with the family AND get ready for some SERIOUS football watching! Linda cooked a big meal and we had a wonderful day!


Tuesday was back to work and I was out early to help with the training of a new salesman we have and excited about all my new plans for my territory! THEN THE POOP HIT THE FAN...............



Charlie called and had received a call from his base that he was needed back and was to deploy to Baghdad ASAP. Talk about a kick in the ass! Now, if you do not have a loved one that you have sent off to a war, one can not begin to understand the sheer horror your mind can put you through. It was much like 2005 when he had to go the 1st time - my mind raced to the worst-case scenarios and I was, once again, frightened to the depths of my soul. Those that know me know the incredibly special relationship that Charlie and I have shared. Tuesday night was not an enjoyable evening. We all went to eat and Charlie went on to meet some friends for a last night of fun before heading back on Wednesday - there was an emotional "cloud" that covered the night.....


Wednesday was the dreaded trip to the airport...FAR worst than last time as none of us could hide our feelings. We waited until the very last possible moment, had our tearful goodbyes and watched as he boarded the trolley. Linda and I did not say a single word for the whole ride home and I had that same empty feeling I had last time. At home we helped each other through this most uncomfortable time and Linda shared that her "motherly instincts" told her he would be fine.... I'll hang my hat on that! We vowed to worked past this initial crippling fear and resume our supportive roles in the coming days. It's a lot like being knocked down - getting back up is my habit and that's what I'll do.




We believe in Charlie and he has been though continuing intensive training and we are sure he will be able to perform his duties at the highest level. Our thoughts will be with him EVERY second he is gone AND I look forward to me and the Captain riding our bikes on the Dragon again in a few months!!! Be safe and come home soon to my best buddy!



JDM

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I got out early on Monday to catch the 1st sunrise of
the year - and it was a beauty!!! I also shot this pre-sunrise
shot with my white balance on tungsten and got the neat
blue shot!

Happy New Year to all - may this be the best ever!

STATE CHAMPIONS!!!!!

THEY DID IT!!! Our own Plant Panthers capped an undefeated
season with a hard-fought, down-to-the-wire 25-21 victory
over the defending state champions! GREAT game! GREAT team!

Home for Christmas!

Miss my boy! Charlie has been "out-of-touch" for 3 weeks now doing some
Special Forces training and it's hard not to be able to talk with him. BUT, for
the 1st time in 3 years, he will be home for Christmas!!! He will fly home on
the 19th and stay through January 3rd!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here he is at his Ranger
graduation in May.

Sunny Sunday

Sunday was another classic beautiful day in Tampa Bay.
After breakfast at Cracker Barrel, Linda and I headed for
a park to shoot some pictures. There was lots of feathered
friends and, of course, I managed to get a few shots of
my best girl!

SEC CHAMPS!!!!!

ON TO GLENDALE!!!!!

The Florida Gators defeated a great Arkansas Razorback team in the
SEC Championship 38 - 28!!!! The victory - combined with a USC loss
moved the Gators into a shot for the National Championship against
Ohio State on January 8!!!!!!!!!!!!

GO GATORS!!!!!!!!

PLANT 20, MIAMI WASHINGTON 15

ON TO THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!

GO PANTHERS!!!

Another day in paradise!

Here it is - the last day of November and almost 80 degrees! Hard to beat!

Gandy Bridge Sunset

Harley Dog

They call me the "Wonder Dog"!! They WONDER what I will tear up next!

St Pete Pier in blue!

Adobe Raw really lets you create some
compelling images with all the options.
This is a shot from October with a few
creative adjustments....

Downtown Tampa at night....

Plant Ends Armwood's Reign!

{This is the high school Charlie and Courtney graduated from...}

Plant's football team had enjoyed a great season, but Armwood was supposed to provide the Panthers with a reality check.

Sure, Plant had defeated Middleton, Hillsborough, Jefferson and Winter Haven, but those teams were like par-3 courses. Armwood was more like the Augusta National Golf Club.

Armwood (11-2) entered its game against Plant with the best resume in Hillsborough County history - advancing to three consecutive state championship games and winning two, plus only one playoff loss during that time span - but Plant (13-0) finished with the most important statistic.

A 38-20 Class 4A region final victory against Armwood in front of over 6,000 fans at Dad's Stadium. It was Armwood's worst playoff loss since a 41-15 defeat by Belle Glade Glades Central in 2000.

Plant advanced to play Miami Booker T. Washington, a 34-0 winner against Miami Jackson, at home on Friday.

GO PANTHERS!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. -- Thornton Wilder

Captain Charles Moores and his lovely mother

Cool fall morning

It's Saturday morning and 48 degrees here in LaLaLand.... hey folks, that's almost freezing to us! It's been a crazy last few weeks. Charlie flew in last week and went to Gainesville for 2 nights to party and go to the Florida game against South Carolina. He had a memorable time and became the "12th man" with wild cheering in the final minutes as the Gators held on to send the old ball coach (Spurrier) home with a loss and preserve the undefeated streak Urban Meyer has going at the swamp! Thursday night Courtney continued the 30 year affair that the Moores clan has had with Mr Jimmy Buffett! She and Keith went to the JB concert at the Ford Amphitheater and the party continues! Jimmy's concerts are much more than your your usual music! As JB sang "A Pirate Looks at Forty" for his last song, Courtney called and held up the phone so I could enjoy the excitement - oh, the memories!
Charlie is back in town for Stevie Meyer's wedding this week and got to go out with the old crowd from high school as they all gathered to wish Stevie and Stephanie the best! Today is the wedding and I'll have new pics up tomorrow as Charlie is wearing his dress uniform.
Time flys on, new memories are created and I remain amazed at the blessings in my life!

BLOCK PARTY!

If you bleed blue & orange, you KNOW what happened... AND hopefully your heart has resumed a more normal pace! The Gators put together a late drive, capped by a freight train named Tebow rumbling in for a TD - the extra point gave us a 1 point lead with very little time. The next few minutes aged all of us by at least 10 years!

Gators 17 - Spurrier's Gamecocks 16! And that's all I've got to say about that!




Florida's Jarvis Moss blocks a
48-yard field goal-attempt by
South Carolina's Ryan Succop
on the final play of the game.