As a first outing in early November with a new DSLR for Mike and some new lenses, we went to central Florida to Crooked Lake Prairie and Bok Tower Gardens. Mike continues to be the photo editor while we work on catching up on posts.

With the Canon EF-S 10-22mm:

I’m not quite sure if this is a scrub lizard or eastern fence lizard.

Mike using the Canon 100-400mm L:

We saw a bald eagle on a dead tree, but it was far enough away that our pictures didn’t turn out very well.

Bok Tower is a “205-foot art deco and neo-Gothic Singing Tower housing one of the world’s finest carillons with 60 bells that ring every half hour and during daily concerts.” It can be seen for miles around. As you drive up to the grounds, which are surrounded by orange groves, the spires make it look like something out of a Tolkien book.

Again, the 10-22mm. Closer shots make the tower look like it is falling over due to the perspective.

Some of the stone carving at the level of the red door (Canon 70-300mm)

The tower has a moat with koi. For a few cents you can get fish food from a dispenser. The fish are well trained, and swarm the edge of the pool when someone stands nearby.

Mike, with the 100mm L:

There is a display at the entrance to the gardens with what is currently bloomig. This flower was identified as Chinese Hats (Mike’s):

We didn’t catch the name of these flowers. 10-22mm cropped:

Mike on the same plants (The rest are also his, using the 100mm L):

A closeup of a skipper:

This red admiral seemed not quite able to fly right

A man said these berries look like currants, which his mother used to make jelly with. They are beauty berry.