Floridiana Gloriana

'Stand Firm' by Ralph Orona | Miami | Used by Permission

The photographer wrote:  "This guy was battling the wind all day!"  I love the petals blowing in the wind like hair, and I don't think I really need to say anything about the effect of that brilliant yellow against that celestial cloud-streaked blue, do I?

'Stand Firm' by Ralph Orona | To see other photographs in his Flickr photostream, click here | Website:  Ralph Orona Photography | To see the largest version of this photograph at Flickr, click here

This photograph is used with the express written permission of its owner.  Please do not save or download it without first obtaining his permission.  You can write to him here.

'I'm so hungry I can eat a tree' by Ralph Orona | Miami | Used by Permission

"Num, num, num.....What?"

This little cutie has his little black claws wrapped around that nice, juicy leaf.   Isn't he so ferocious with his tiger stripes and his fierce black horns?  This is one of my favorites of all the wildlife photographs I've posted so far. 

The photographer took this adorable portrait at Miami's Fairchild Gardens. 

'I'm so hungry I can eat a tree' by Ralph Orona | To see other photographs in his Flickr photostream, click here | Website:  Ralph Orona Photography | To see the largest version of this photograph at Flickr, click here

This photograph is used with the express written permission of its owner.  Please do not save or download it without first obtaining his permission.  You can write to him here.

'Blue Heron' by Judy Malley | Tampa | Creative Commons

I've posted several photographs of Blue Herons---my favorite Florida bird since a couple of them adopted my family back when I lived in Kissimmee---but this one by Judy Malley shows in perfect detail the beautiful silvery blue of its plumage and the no-nonsense tint of its navy racing stripe.  Is he not precious?   

"Blue Heron" originally uploaded by Judy Malley | To see her other Flickr photographs, click here |  | To see the largest version of this photograph on Flickr, click here

I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it pursuant to a restricted Creative Commons license.  Do not save or download it without first consulting the terms of the license.  The  link to the applicable license is shown here.