Cold (142 of 366)

Beluga whales are one of my favorite marine mammals.  My chances of seeing them during a dive are slim to none since they reside in Arctic and Sub-Arctic waters.  However, I can see them and interact with them at the Georgia Aquarium.  Not only to they have a program which allows divers to scuba dive in the large Ocean Voyager tank (with species such as Manta Rays, Grouper, Whale Sharks, and more!) but they have a program which allows you to meet and interact with the Belugas.  I must do it!

Glass (182 of 365)

A few weeks ago I visited Ginnie Springs in Florida to complete a cavern diver certification course. This was also the last certification I needed to officially become a Master Diver!

Ginnie Springs is absolutely beautiful! It has gin clear water in all three diveable springs, in addition to, over 33,000 feet of underwater cave passage. Ginnie Springs is one of the top cave diving destinations in the world.

Sky-High (62 of 365)

Long tall pines aren't that pretty on their own. However, grouped together and combined with a bright, blue sky -- they make a pretty sight!

Eyes (61 of 365)

Isolation (60 of 365)

There were hardly any folks on the river. Parts of the swamp were closed due to low water levels. Once our canoes passed the john-boat line, we were the only folks around for miles.

Relaxation (59 of 365)

Soaking up the sun.

Natural Framing (58 of 365)

A shot of some new friends through the cypress trees.

The Letter A (57 of 365)

A is for Alligator.

Doesn't he look sneaky?

The Weekend (56 of 365)

This past weekend I knocked off a bucket list item. I spent the weekend camping at Stephen C. Foster State Park inside the Okefenokee Swamp. It was a lot of fun! We camped at a pioneer camp site in the swamp. Thankfully, we saw no snakes! Saturday was spent on the Suwanee River canoeing a little over 8 miles. We saw lots of gators and birds. The neatest thing we saw was a mama box turtle laying her eggs.

All in all, it was a fun and relaxing weekend!

My Bucket List

Over the past few months I've been slowly putting together a bucket list for myself. It's a pretty good mixture of things from travel, to sports, to cooking and wine.

I'll be linking the list on the menu bar above if you're interested in keeping up. The list will be updated as completed. In fact, one of these is coming off the list next weekend!

1. Earn my open water SCUBA certification. (Completed April 18, 2010)
2. Complete first ocean dive. (Completed June 20, 2010)
3. Learn to knit.
4. Read the Top 100 novels of all time.
5. Listen to the 10 Albums to Hear Before You Die.
6. Go deep sea fishing.
7. Drive (and dive!) the Florida Keys.
8. Run a marathon.
9. Celebrate NYE in NYC.
10. Celebrate July 4th in D.C.
11. Attend an Opening Day game at Fenway Park.
12. Visit all 50 states (28 to go).
13. Visit Paris.
14. Ride a gondola in Venice.
15. Trek to Everest Base Camp.
16. Sell my photographs.
17. Be debt-free.
18. Swim with dolphins.
19. Milk a cow.
20. Go whale watching.
21. Attend a World Series game.
22. Eat caviar.
23. Master panang curry.
24. Have a photograph published. (Completed April 6, 2011)
25. Camp at Okefenokee Swamp. (Completed April 22-24, 2011)
26. Become a wine connoisseur.
27. Gamble in Las Vegas.
28. Go on a blind date.
29. Pack my bags and set off for a random mini-vacation with no itinerary
planned at all.
30. Fly in a helicopter.
31. Go on safari.
32. See the Great Wall of China.
33. Crush grapes at a winery.
34. Raft through the Grand Canyon.
35. Eat at a Five Star restaurant.
36. Have a compost.
37. Stay in a Five Star hotel.
38. Watch the Top 100 Movies.
39. Attend a cooking class.
40. Have a flourishing garden.
41. Cook a meal with a professional chef.
42. Watch a Red Sox game from the Green Monster seats.
43. Attend a Super Bowl game.
44. Visit Napa Valley.
45. Drive Route 66
46. See a concert at Red Rocks. (Completed June 21-23, 2011)
47. Obtain my Master Diver certification. (Completed September 30, 2011)
48. Fly in a hot air balloon.
49. See the Northern Lights
50. Hike to the summit of Mount Lecont.