#53 - Last Post of 2008 Clock

And a sundown it is! I hope to start the new year out with a sunrise. Out with the old in with the new. Here's to 2009 being a much better year for business than 2008. I was about to complain about 2008 when I remembered my #1 ingredient for coming up with a better recipe for 2009 - NO MORE COMPLAINING! LOL

Thank you all for being a part of 2008, which, in truth, made it a GREAT YEAR! Happy New Year!!

#52 - Five O'Clock Clock

Taken on Christmas Day at approximately five p.m.. p.m. is the abbreviation of the Latin post meridium, and means between noon and midnight, just in case you were wondering. In a future post I will explain a.m., which is the abbreviation of the Latin ante meridium, meaning between midnight and noon. Oh, I just explained it! Forget the future post.

I felt it was appropriate to talk about time things since this is a blog about a clock. LOL

#51 - Another Sunset Shot

Look!! The cars have no respect for this photographer! LOL

#50 - Sundown, Sunup

Last shot last night, first shot this morning. Notice the convertible driving by the sunset clock. I totally forgot about this being THE busiest week of the year in the Orlando area. The snowbirds have arrived and the Christmas season vacationers are here, traffic is horrendous, and I'm p****d, lol. These could be 'locals' driving the convertible, but it is more likely that they are here on vacation - a favorite thing for northerners to do when their home states are in a deep freeze and buried under a pile of snow.

#49 - Good Morning Clock

Guess where I was at 7:13 AM today.

Right.

#48 - 12/24/08, Noon Thirty Clock Tower

Christmas Eve day, around 12:30 in the afternoon, north face, also known as John Lennon's face. What a glorious day.

#47 - Christmas Day Sunset

#46 - Sundown Today

I don't think I've ever shot the Clock Tower at sundown before.

#45 - Sunrise 12/21/08

#44 - Moon Over Tower

It was just a sliver, but it was bright, and the sky was more than awesome for me yesterday morning.

#43 - 6:57 AM Clock

This was the first shot I took with my digital camera this morning.

#42 - Birds and Palms

#41 - Behind The Fence

Just in case I fall down on my personal commitment to post daily, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas now.

#40 - From The Intersection

I shot this on my way out of Champions Gate this morning. It was a miserable morning - I had a flatter than flat flat - but the day was wonderful otherwise. Not because I did anything special or had any major breakthrough with my ongoing problem, but the weather was glorious, hitting about 78F with a nice breeze. That's enough to turn an otherwise crappy day into something special.

#39 - Fiery Sky

I shot this back on September 7th. It was a glorious morning.

#38 - Tall Antenna

I shot this at 8:23:57 this morning while speeding by on my way to town.

#37 - Through The Tall Grass

This was one of the shots I got yesterday morning during my exciting ChampionsGate photo shoot. Something I try to do every day, by the way, but am not always successful at. I spotted a couple of hot air balloons way up in the clouds when I was looking out my living room window getting the weather forecast for myself. I was immediately encouraged to go chasing the balloons, which turned out to be not all that fruitful, because they were quite a way off. But I did get to shoot my favorite hawk, and the Clock Tower, and some Ring Necked Doves, and the sun and the moon. Oh, what adventure! LOL

#36 - Ring Necked Dove

The dove didn't like me! What's up with that? When he sensed me a little too close he took off and joined his buddies down the fence a fer piece. I saw them a few minutes later sitting on top of the Clock Tower, but I was already driving away so I didn't stop to shoot them.

#35 - Behind The Lamppost

#34 - Bright & Cloudy

#33 - Floating By

I shot this on September 16, 2008. I haven't seen many balloons around lately, probably none in a week or so, and the ones I have seen haven't been very close to the Clock Tower. Good thing for me that I took a lot of photos in the past.

#32 - Little Tower, Big Palm

I took this back in October, and I'm so happy I did, because I failed to shoot the tower today.

#31 - 8:40 am Clock

"Say, Champ, can you tell me what the skies were like over the Clock Tower in Champions Gate at 8:40am on December 9, 2008?"

"Not really, my camera says I took this shot at 8:16."

#30 - Half A Clock

Half a clock is better than no clock at all. Not really. How 'ya gonna tell the time?

#29 - Bigger Than Life

Arnold Palmer was the reason for the famous golfers being here this weekend, that's him hanging on the lamppost (well, a photo of him). The DelWebb Father Son Challenge at ChampionsGate is held every year to benefit the Arnold Palmer Hospital, and the golfers can't wait to get here to participate and enjoy one another's company. They say it's a real family affair and everyone is in a good mood. Sounds like my trips to Sweet Old Ma's house, lol.

#28 - Looking Up From The Base

Water, water, everywhere. The base of the tower has a fountain on each side. There's something soothing about running water, except when it is dripping out of your kitchen faucet and driving you crazy when you are trying to sleep. LOL

#27 - The Plaza Today

It was another one of those magnificent sky days here in beautiful Champions Gate. I think this could be the first time I've shot the clock around 4PM. By the time I'm done I'll have a clock for every minute of the day!

#26 - Hiding In The Palms

I shot this on the way home this afternoon. I had to stop by the gate and get a few pictures because the sky was looking so awesome, although, you can't really tell by this photo of the Clock Tower.

This photo of the fountain reveals the sky's beauty.

#25 - Noon 20 Clock

Ever have one of those days? You know, when things just don't seem to go right no matter what you do? I haven't. Everything is always perfect in my world. LOL

#24 - Pretty Morning

I shot this a few days ago when the sky was looking so pretty. I've been a bad boy, haven't shot the clock in two days! But don't worry, I have hundreds in reserve, lol.

#23 - 7:17 am Clock

Hey, I'm running out of titles! LOL

#22 - Sunrise Today

It was very windy and a little chilly this morning, and as the day progressed things got a lot worse. The sun went away, the clouds rolled in, and by noontime there were Tornado Warnings being broadcast as torrential rains fell.

However, I did manage to get a few shots in Celebration and Downtown Disney before things fell apart.

When I was sitting in the Coco Moka Cafe, having my Sunday morning coffee, there was an English family to my right and a Chinese family behind me. If you walk through Downtown Disney, and Disney Parks in general, you see and hear people from all over the world. Mickey draws them all in. Obama should consider making Mickey Mouse Secretary Of State, he knows how to make the world happy. Obama should also consider changing the title of Secretary Of Defense to Secretary Of Offense, and Secretary Of Homeland Security to Secretary Of Defense. Think Football Team, with a Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator, and Defensive Coordinator. Words have power, and I think these words would make the positions much more understandable to the office holders, the country, and the world. I'm through rambling.

#21 - The Price Of Gas Today

I shot this early today, and I know the 7-11 directly opposite this station was exactly the same. That's about a penny higher than the 'national average' today. Of course, these two gas stations are right at the gate and are the only two stations when cars get off I-4. I-4 is the very heavily traveled road that runs through Orlando, starting in Tampa and ending at Daytona Beach. Lots of tourists stop at these stations.

I saw gas for $1.729 in Kissimmee yesterday. That's much much better.

__________________________________________________________

The wonderful Coca Cutie, a/k/a Uma Por Dia of Lisboa366, has resumed posting her marvelous blog: LiSbon daiLy pHoTO. I know everyone missed her. Let's hope she finds her way back into Blogland. I know what blogger burn-out is like and I think that's what she was experiencing.

#20 - Today's 'On The Run' Clock

I made a quick stop near the Clock Tower so I could record the conditions in the sky around 10:30 this morning. I didn't have time to make a comprehensive photographic study today, because my truck wasn't feeling well and I had to get it to the hospital. (Funny, I used to have a customer that called himself Auto Doc.) Oh well, $201 plus change later, I'm happy to say truck is well, but sad to say I'm depressed. LOL

#19 - Thanksgiving Day Clock Tower

The one and only shot I took today of the Clock Tower with my digital camera. I did take one with my cell phone also, and that is posted on the Mobile blog.

This is the first time I have encountered a live person at the Clock Tower Plaza. Other than ballooners, that is. I've never encountered a dead person, if you're wondering. The gentleman was nice enough to allow me to shoot his dog, but I failed to get the dog's name as I was in a hurry to get to my mother's for Thanksgiving Day dinner. She lives about one hundred miles from me.

#18 - Looks Like A Giant Clock Tower

That's Walgreens in the background on the left. Looked so big earlier in the week, didn't it? LOL

The sign at the base of the clock reads: No Skateboards Rollerblades Bicycles Allowed. It doesn't work. The edges of all of the fountains are marked by skateboards sliding across them. Rollerblades, I don't know, maybe they leave black marks on the pavement. But bicycles? Why not?

Of course, Champions Gate isn't really bicycle friendly anyway, unless you use the sidewalks, and I don't think that's allowed either. When I first moved to Florida I was riding my bicycle down the sidewalk and a cop told me it was illegal. "Get in the street," he said. As soon as he wasn't looking, I got back on the sidewalk.

So once in every year we throng
Upon a day apart,
To praise the Lord with feast and song
In thankfulness of heart.

~Arthur Guiterman, The First Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

#17 - Sun Shine Bright

#16 - Leaning Tower Of Clock

Silly, I know, but aren't the colors kind of nice?

#15 - Big Golf Weekend On The Way

The banners line the streets announcing the Del Webb Father Son Challenge at the ChampionsGate Golf Club. A lot of BIG names will be there. I don't have tickets, but I might try to sneak a peek from the areas I normally shoot photos at, as they are open to the public.

#14 - Reaching For The Sky

Yes, you guessed it, this is a view of the Paul McCartney face (south), and the George Harrison face (east). It's appropriate that the jet is passing Ringo Starr (west), proving that he's not all that fast anyway.

I hope the two remaining Beatles approve of this face naming "we've" come up with. It is meant as an honor. So, Ringo, Paul, leave a comment, if you happen to stumble upon this blog, and let us know what you think. I know you surf.

LOL

#13 - Tall and Strong

The Clock Tower is taller than Walgreens, but not taller than the Omni.

#12 - Beyond Walgreens

I got a late start this morning, left the house after ten. Good thing I'm the boss, I'd have been fired a long time ago.

Have you seen those blogs that are essentially diaries of the person writing them? You know, the ones where they talk about everything that happened to them during the day, what's going on in their lives, how things are going with the psychologist, hair dresser, nail tech, coach, blah blah blah? Every once in a while I think about writing that kind of stuff on my blogs, but my days are so boring, no one would want to hear about them. Example: left home, drove to Kissimmee, saw some customers, went for workout, drove home, had food, went back out, failed at selling a stupid ad, went home, downloaded photos, wrote this. I mean .. who cares?

Oh, I left out the important part: took photos. Awesome photos. Gonna post them somewhere. Hang on!

I'm not knocking those bloggers that lay their lives out for everyone to comment on, I'm just injecting a little self-deprecating humor here.

LOL

#11 - Water Falls at Three

I shot this view of the Clock Tower yesterday. What a gorgeous day it was, even though it was a little chilly by Florida's standards.

#10 - Eleven Eleven Eleven

This is the Clock Tower on eleven eleven o'eight at eleven in the morning. I didn't plan it, just happened that way. When I started doing this post I realized that if I saved it till tomorrow it would be the eleventh post on this blog, but I don't want to appear to be too much of a genius, or whatever you would call that. LOL