baldylox Posted June 19, 2019 After many many years of being under reconstruction and repair due to storms and flooding, one of our really neat local parks/gardens had reopened! We had been there once before a few years ago during the fall but we decided to hit it again during Spring to see how it looked. They have lots of cool things out there including wildlife exhibits. Here's one of the local alligators! He was a small one at only about 5 feet long. DSC_0287 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Then we saw the BIG boy. He was like 12 feet long and super wide! DSC_0426 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr There were lots of interesting plants and flowers around too. DSC_0290 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0291 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr There were some exotic birds there too. This is an Amazon Grey. DSC_0293 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr And this guy is a cockatoo. He was very lively and talked quite a lot! DSC_0295 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Inside the gift shop. DSC_0296 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr And here's the swamp! Why do we keep having doll meets in swamps? LOL DSC_0298 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0299 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Inbetween the cypress knees there's a little gator hiding! DSC_0300 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr I brought my Kiyoko along. DSC_0302 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr She's a gorgeous little thing. DSC_0303 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr She found some pretty flowers. DSC_0306 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Back to the swamp. We took the outer ring trail and had a nice walk. DSC_0308 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Our lovely group that showed up! It was quite the assemblage. 😄 DSC_0310 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0311 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0312 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0313 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0314 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Look! We spotted a wild Valiant! 😄 She was so pretty in person! DSC_0315 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0316 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr All the walking made us take frequent breaks to rest. Kiyoko looked best while doing it tho. 😉 DSC_0319 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0321 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0324 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0328 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Later down the trail we found a large glade with this bat hotel near the edge. DSC_0329 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr There were also lots of pitcher plants in wet areas in the glade. DSC_0330 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Kiyoko wasn't too keen on them tho. DSC_0331 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0332 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0334 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Her future's so bright... she's gotta wear shades. 😄 DSC_0337 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Giant stump conquered! DSC_0340 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0341 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0343 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr One of the other ladies that came to the meet, she is a custom 06 girl on a DDdy body. DSC_0344 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr It got quite warm so Kiyoko stretched out in the shade for a nap. DSC_0345 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr While she napped, I think there was some type of ritual going on... DSC_0350 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr After our break we headed back down the trail. This big open area was close to the original homestead grounds. DSC_0351 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Bee hives! DSC_0352 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr An old fireplace just off the large pasture area. DSC_0354 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0356 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Enjoying the sun on big tree that fell near the path. DSC_0358 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr "Let's go Papa!" DSC_0362 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr The old family cemetery was just down the way from the large field and fireplace. DSC_0365 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr That cross was like 25 feet tall! DSC_0366 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr "There better not be any ghosts in here! I don't like ghosts!" DSC_0367 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Don't worry dear, I think they've all gone. "Okay then." DSC_0369 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0370 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Little Jolene posing for pics. DSC_0375 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0376 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Hollow made an appearance! Does he count as a ghost? 😉 DSC_0377 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0379 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Back to the swamp area! DSC_0382 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0383 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0386 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Ahh yes, the Old Camellia Garden.... protected by dinosaurs. XD DSC_0389 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Break time again! DSC_0392 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0395 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr The boats at the docks could be taken out for free if you wanted. There were also guided tours you paid for. DSC_0398 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Before we left, we hot the butterfly house, it was really neat! There were so many butterflies inside. DSC_0400 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0402 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Caterpillars! DSC_0405 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr There were loads of flowers for the butterflies to use. DSC_0407 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr' DSC_0408 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Kiyoko likes flowers. DSC_0411 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr There was a wood duck hiding by the goldfish pond, he was super colorful. DSC_0415 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0417 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr This was her favorite flower. DSC_0419 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0421 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Jolene wanted a butterfly to land on her hand so she stood perfectly still for close to ten minutes. DSC_0422 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr DSC_0423 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr And her vigilance paid off! She got one! DSC_0424 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr She had a flower in her hand so we kinda cheated. LOL DSC_0425 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr Anyways, we all had a great time and we will be going back again soon! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Billy 2 I gave up counting the girls I own, they keep multiplying and won't stop. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tierparkzone Posted June 20, 2019 What a nice landscape park. That cypress swamp looks really impressive. Thanks for sharing all those pictures. Your Kiyoko is a cutie! (To be honest, the others are cute as well.) Photo Story - Photo Thread - make your own signature like this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nocturne Posted June 20, 2019 Very nice pictures. Thanks for taking the time to tell and share. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nemu Posted June 20, 2019 Oh, those pictures are gorgeous. Kiyoko looks like she had such fun! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheWhiteRabbit Posted June 20, 2019 Looks like a beautiful spot! Kiyoko is adorable, lots of sweet pictures of her. I enjoy all the random wildlife! 🐊🐊 Follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/WhiteRabbit887 Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/whiterabbitdolls?igsh=czQyZzRweG9hZDM2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baldylox Posted June 20, 2019 10 hours ago, Tierparkzone said: What a nice landscape park. That cypress swamp looks really impressive. Thanks for sharing all those pictures. Your Kiyoko is a cutie! (To be honest, the others are cute as well.) Thank you! We really love the park so when it was closed with no reopening date years ago, everyone was sad. So we were all very happy that it opened back up! And thanks about Kiyoko, she's a fun girl to take out places. 😉 7 hours ago, nocturne said: Very nice pictures. Thanks for taking the time to tell and share. Thank you! 2 hours ago, Nemu said: Oh, those pictures are gorgeous. Kiyoko looks like she had such fun! Thanks so much! She definitely did have fun out there. 😄 11 minutes ago, TheWhiteRabbit said: Looks like a beautiful spot! Kiyoko is adorable, lots of sweet pictures of her. I enjoy all the random wildlife! 🐊🐊 It's an amazing spot that we all really enjoy going to. Thank you for the compliments! I like taking wildlife photos as well as DD pics so this worked out well for us all. XD Billy 1 I gave up counting the girls I own, they keep multiplying and won't stop. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
suigintou Posted June 21, 2019 I love these pictures, everyone looks like they're having a blast 💕 I especially love the ones showcasing all the flora and creatures... What lens do you use? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baldylox Posted June 21, 2019 6 hours ago, suigintou said: I love these pictures, everyone looks like they're having a blast 💕 I especially love the ones showcasing all the flora and creatures... What lens do you use? Thank you! We usually have a good time at our meets. As for lenses, I use a Nikon D5300 or D60 with either the kit lens, an 18-55, or a telescopic 55-300 with macro. Both are Nikon brand lenses with image stability. I used to have a Sigma 70-200 that I really liked but my camera took a dive off the table and the lens broke. 😛 Billy I gave up counting the girls I own, they keep multiplying and won't stop. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
suigintou Posted June 22, 2019 (edited) 3 hours ago, baldylox said: Thank you! We usually have a good time at our meets. As for lenses, I use a Nikon D5300 or D60 with either the kit lens, an 18-55, or a telescopic 55-300 with macro. Both are Nikon brand lenses with image stability. I used to have a Sigma 70-200 that I really liked but my camera took a dive off the table and the lens broke. 😛 Billy I have a Sigma 150-600 I got as a hand-me-down from my grandpa right now, but I've been wanting to opt to something more... portable lol. I will check those out, thanks! Edited June 22, 2019 by suigintou Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
K-2 Posted June 23, 2019 Fantastic Shoot! Thanks for sharing! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baldylox Posted June 23, 2019 1 hour ago, K-2 said: Fantastic Shoot! Thanks for sharing! Thank you sir! You need to come and visit sometime so you and your girls can go out with us! Billy I gave up counting the girls I own, they keep multiplying and won't stop. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
creamyfluffybunny Posted April 12, 2020 gorgeous photos! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
