The Time-release Dose – “We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers.”

A pertinent quote by the late Carl Sagan, astronomer and author of the Cosmos  series.

The “Backbone of Night”.

It is said that the !Kung people of the Kalahari desert consider the Milky Way as the backbone that holds up the sky!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

“The sky is calling!”
ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part III

.

An invitation from the darkness

outside the world of people.

.

Our ancestors have lived in the darkness for many thousands of years. It is only in the last 100 years that people have lost sight of the Milky Way and the stars.

Remote camping under the Milky Way is a beautiful experience

not soon forgotten.

Enjoy the dark Everglades nights!

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/kayakfari-art/art-of-darkness-camping-with-the-stars-part-iii/

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.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – Viewing the Total Lunar Eclipse transitions of May 15-16, 2022.

The celestial show last night was a sight to behold,

only periodically obscured by clouds.

Total lunar eclipse – a supermoon eclipse – on May 15-16, 2022

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Viewing the umbra and penumbra transitions of the total lunar eclipse of May 15-16, 2022.
ART of Eclipses and other Cosmic alignments!

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Umbra and Penumbra

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During the totality of the lunar eclipse, only the light reflected from the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere illuminates the moon.

These are the longest wavelengths of visible light and thereby appear red to our eyes!

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More at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/kayakfari-art/art-of-eclipses-and-other-cosmic-alignments/

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.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – A total Lunar eclipse experience, if not obscured by clouds.

Tune in to the biggest show of all tonight!

Celestial alignments reveal the clockwork our universe at large.

It’s only due to a fortuitous cosmic coincidence that our Sun and the Moon appear about the same size to us on Earth – that’s what makes a total eclipse of the sun possible!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Why do the Sun and the Moon appear to be the same size in the sky?
ART of Eclipses and other Cosmic alignments!

.

Tonight:

Total lunar eclipse – a supermoon eclipse – on May 15-16, 2022

During the totality of the lunar eclipse, only the light reflected from the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere illuminates the moon.

These are the longest wavelengths of visible light and thereby appear red to our eyes!

.

To fully appreciate the experience, paddle out to one of the remote backcountry campsites inside Everglades National Park, the Ten Thousand Islands or Florida Bay.

The western coastline along the Gulf of Mexico is the best to get far away from city light pollution.

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/kayakfari-art/art-of-eclipses-and-other-cosmic-alignments/

.

.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – It’s been a long cold winter in the Everglades!

Presenting the case for alternative facts:

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Ice floes in the cold darkness of Florida Bay with the red lights of the tower at Flamingo, 12 miles away.
ART of alternative facts – the snows of winter on Florida Bay!

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Winter’s last snow on Florida Bay in the frozen Everglades.

As far as we know, there are known facts – the facts that we know we know.

We also know there are facts that we don’t know – the facts that we know we don’t know.

 But there are also unknown unknowns – those facts we don’t know we don’t know.

And finally, these are alternative facts that everyone can know!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/kayakfari-art/art-of-alternative-facts-the-last-snows-of-winter-on-florida-bay/

.

.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – The Banana Boat : February 3rd, 1992.

February 3rd, 1992

There was a kayak on the roof rack

Tell me where were you?

You were sittin’ home watchin’ your TV

While I was participating in some kayaking.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Warranty card for my brand new Seda Glider sea kayak – February 3, 1992.
Winter birthday triad on Florida Bay with the ‘Banana Boat’!

.

It was 30 years ago today, that I brought home my

Seda Glider sea kayak.

This Seda Glider sea kayak was my very first ‘real’ kayak. At the time I just wanted a fast boat to scoot around in. I had no concept at all of going camping out in the wilderness and was just learning about paddling in general. It was a good choice as it’s still my main distance camping and cruising boat thirty years later.

The Seda Glider kayak is still in production today!

I like to name my boats, so the Seda Glider quickly became the ‘Banana Boat‘. That simple name was the start of an ongoing customization campaign that actually continues going forward. For instance I will be upgrading her to tiller steering soon!

Back in 1992 there was no internet to speak of and getting information or reviews required a bit of effort. Mostly it was about reading magazines, going to the library (remember those!) and talking to people and trying out boats if/when available locally. One thing I did pick up on at this early stage was to get the kayak, the paddle and a skirt plus a paddle float all together. I sure was glad to have the inflatable paddle float because I needed it the very first time I took the kayak out in the ocean. I successfully deployed it to re-enter my new boat after capsizing off Ft Lauderdale beach. Later I got a pump and life jacket to complete the setup. I had a lot of fun cruising around South Florida and enjoyed the freedom of being the captain of my own boat!

Fortunately that has not changed!

In our ‘modern’ disposable age, owning a product and getting good use from it for thirty years is a rarity. High quality kayaks have never been cheap, but can indeed deliver long lasting value. I’m pretty sure that I can expect this boat to last me a lifetime, or as long as I am able to paddle it!

🙂

.

 On a previous birthday celebration, I laid out a three day triangular route across about half of Florida Bay for this story.

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/winter-birthday-triad-on-florida-bay-with-the-banana-boat/

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.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – Tune in anytime, however expect to see some reruns!

The show is always free and there

are never any commercials.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

The winter sky over the Everglades is the Portal to the biggest show of all.
Sweet dreams of Everglades winter skies and celestial alignments!

.

Celestial alignments reveal the clockwork our universe at large.

Tune in to the biggest show of all!

 .

To fully appreciate the Everglades winter sky experience, paddle out to one of the remote backcountry campsites inside the Park, the Ten Thousand Islands or Florida Bay.

The western coastline along the Gulf of Mexico is the best to get far away from city light pollution.

Get out there and enjoy the dark Everglades nights.

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/sweet-dreams-of-everglades-winter-skies-and-celestial-alignments/

.

.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – Greeting a great full moon rising over Florida Bay!

Observing sunspots and the full moon

from a tiny island.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Good evening universe!
The super full moon camping experience at Little Rabbit Key, now with Sunspots.

.

The particular full moon in this story was a once or twice in a lifetime experience. The supermoon appeared 14% larger and 30% brighter than usual as it was closest to the Earth since 1948. Moreover, the next really impressive supermoon like this one won’t occur until 2034!

However it doesn’t have to be a supermoon to experience

the magic of a full moon night!

To fully appreciate full moon camping it is worthwhile to paddle out to one of the more remote backcountry campsites in the Everglades. This story starts by paddling out to Little Rabbit Key which is centrally located in Florida Bay.

I find great comfort resting under the moonlight

while watching it ride across the night sky.

“A Trip to the Moon!“

.

The SMC Pentax 1000mm reflex lens really makes photographing the moon and the sun worthwhile, especially with an APS-C sensor cam. Getting focus spot on can be tricky, but the reflex design really shines in this application. Note that a special solar filter must be installed over the lens to prevent permanent damage to eyes and sensors! It’s called a Baader safety film and made of a coated mylar. When paired with the versatile Pentax Q camera, I can image at a 5600mm equivalent reach of the moon or the sun.

See the story for examples!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/the-supermoon-of-2016-and-the-full-moon-camping-experience-at-little-rabbit-key/

Revised and updated for your reading pleasure!

.

.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – Presenting the case for alternative facts.

The Florida sun shall melt no snowflake

before it’s time.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

The Banana Boat parked in some fine powdery snow at Little Rabbit Key.
ART of alternative facts – the snows of winter on Florida Bay!

.

It’s been a long cold winter in

the Everglades!

As far as we know, there are known facts – the facts that we know we know.

We also know there are facts that we don’t know – the facts that we know we don’t know.

 But there are also unknown unknowns – those facts we don’t know we don’t know.

And finally, these are alternative facts that everyone can know!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/kayakfari-art/art-of-alternative-facts-the-last-snows-of-winter-on-florida-bay/

.

.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – The sky is calling!

An invitation from the darkness

outside the world of people.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

“The sky is calling collect”, will you accept the charges?
ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part III

.

Our ancestors have lived in the darkness for many thousands of years. It is only in the last 100 years that people have lost sight of the Milky Way and the stars..

“We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers.”

― Carl Sagan, Cosmos

.

Remote camping under the Milky Way is a beautiful experience

not soon forgotten.

Accept the call and enjoy the dark Everglades nights!

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/kayakfari-art/art-of-darkness-camping-with-the-stars-part-iii/

.

.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – See the Rabbit in the Moon, don’t stop Florida!

Once you see the Rabbit in the Moon,

it can not be unseen.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Don’t stop, don’t stop – The Rabbit in the Moon in Florida.
ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part I

.

Staring at the moon can be a hypnotic experience, yet many creatures are nocturnal. They live and die under the moonlight. I once saw a whole flock of Pelicans gliding in the breezes above me in the moonlight. They flew silently in formations, with only the swoosh of their wings giving them away! The moon’s gravitational pull works ocean tides in an endless cycle. In the Everglades this is particularly apparent, especially in places like the flats of First National Bank in the western part of Florida Bay!

I find great comfort resting under the moonlight

while watching it ride across the night sky.

.

“A Trip to the Moon!“

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/kayakfari-art/art-of-darkness-camping-with-the-stars-part-i/

.

.

.

! Dynamix Bless UP
Rabbit in the Moon

.

.

© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – Tune in to the biggest show of all!

Our universe up in the night sky above.

The show is free and there are no commercials!

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Winter skies in the Everglades are our local Portal to the biggest show of all.
Sweet dreams of Everglades winter skies and celestial alignments!

.

Tune in anytime, however expect to see some reruns.

.

To fully appreciate the Everglades winter sky experience, it is worthwhile to paddle out to one of the remote backcountry campsites inside the Park, the Ten Thousand Islands or Florida Bay.

The western coastline along the Gulf of Mexico is the best to get far away from city light pollution.

Get out there and enjoy the dark nights in Everglades!

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/sweet-dreams-of-everglades-winter-skies-and-celestial-alignments/

.

.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – Camping with the Stars with a side trip to the Moon.

After watching the moon slowly descend and peacefully set over the Gulf of Mexico, there was an eerie stillness in the pre-dawn glow.

.

Moon setting over the lunar-like domes of Cape Romano, October 2008.
ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part I

.

Eerie full moon solo camping next to the “lunar module” looking domes of Cape Romano when they were still on dry land in October 2008. Originally the separate domes were all connected with walkways and made up one unique island home. I woke up in the pre-dawn hours to watch the moon setting over the Gulf of Mexico.

Remote camping under the full moon is a beautiful experience not easily forgotten!

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/kayakfari-art/art-of-darkness-camping-with-the-stars-part-i/

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/kayakfari-art/art-of-cape-romano-the-curious-inhabitants-of-australopithecine-island/

.

.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The simple meaning of Earth Day!

There is only one Earth

and

there are no other Everglades on Earth.

.

(** cue music **)

“There are no other Everglades in the world. They are, they have always been, one of the unique regions of the earth, remote, never wholly known. Nothing anywhere else is like them; their vast glittering openness, wider than the enormous visible round of the horizon, the racing free saltness and sweetness of the their massive winds, under the dazzling blue heights of space. They are unique also in the simplicity, the diversity, the related harmony of the forms of life they enclose. The miracle of the light pours over the green and brown expanse of saw grass and of water, shining and slow-moving below, the grass and water that is the meaning and the central fact of the Everglades of Florida. It is a river of grass.”

Marjory Stoneman Douglas, The Everglades: River of Grass, 1947

.

(click pic)

“Portage to Earth”
Kayakfari ART photography – ART of Darkness series.

.

DIGITAL FANTASY ART kayaking the EVERGLADES, FLORIDA BAY, TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS, BIG CYPRESS and further reaches of SPACE!

.

.

Enjoy!

.

.

.

Bless !

.

.

© 2018 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

Backbone of Night – our Milky Way from the darkness of the Everglades!

The !Kung people of the Kalahari desert consider the Milky Way as the “Backbone of Night” that holds up the sky!

.

(click pic to enter)

“When you wish upon a shooting star!”
ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part III
The Backbone of Night.

.

“We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers.”

― Carl Sagan, Cosmos

.

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/kayakfari-art/art-of-darkness-camping-with-the-stars-part-iii/

.

.

.

! BLESS – get closer

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© 2018 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

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DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

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With that said..
Blessings friends!

Easter Egg hunt for South Florida paddlers!

Happy Easter from the greater Everglades!

Where are all those Easter Eggs?

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(click on pic to find the eggs!)

Where in the world are the Easter Eggs of the Everglades?

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/where-in-the-world-are-the-easter-eggs-of-the-everglades/

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Enjoy!

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© 2018 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

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! Trinity – Bless

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Sweet Dreams are made of Everglades nights like these!

Winter skies in the Everglades are the local

Portal to

the biggest show of all.

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(click pic to enter)

The bigger, brighter and more awesome second Blue Moon of January 2018.
CLICK for more @ Sweet dreams of Everglades winter skies and celestial alignments!

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Get out there and enjoy the dark Everglades night skies!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/sweet-dreams-of-everglades-winter-skies-and-celestial-alignments/

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! BLESS – get closer

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© 2018 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

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With that said..
Blessings friends!

Winter’s last snow on Florida Bay in the frozen Everglades!

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Presenting the ART of alternative facts:

A cold white winter’s day on Florida Bay!

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(click any pic to enter!)

The icy water locks up the mangrove roots together!
The ART of alternative facts – last snows of winter on Florida Bay!

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“Roots walking in a white winter wonderland”
The ART of alternative facts – last snows of winter on Florida Bay!

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Mangroves wrapped in a blanket of snow on a sunny but cool 28° F/ -2° C day!
The ART of alternative facts – last snows of winter on Florida Bay!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/kayakfari-art/art-of-alternative-facts-the-last-snows-of-winter-on-florida-bay/

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Enjoy!

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BLESS!

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© 2017 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / decoratedreality.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:: The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

With that said..
Blessings friends!

Everglades winter skies, celestial alignments and the nicest dreams of 2017!

Winter in the Everglades is the best time to enjoy the biggest show of all.

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“STOP the world – I wanna get off!“
All-sky view of the Milky Way and star trails!

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The universe in the night sky above!

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All-sky star trails in the darkness of the Everglades.

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Stars trailing around Polaris in the northern Florida sky. Light pollution glow at bottom.

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“Galaxyshine“
ART of Darkness – Kayaking the final frontier of imaging and photography!

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To fully appreciate the Everglades winter sky experience, it is worthwhile to paddle out to one of the remote backcountry campsites inside the Park, the Ten Thousand Islands or Florida Bay. The western coastline along the Gulf of Mexico is the best to get farther away from city light pollution.

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The Milky Way with a bright Venus setting in this all-sky 360×180 view from the Everglades.

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Who knows?
Who knows if you happen to get up at 40 minutes to 5am in the Everglades! 😉

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Big Dipper with Polaris at extreme left at Canepatch deep in the Everglades.
CLICK for: Canepatch Indian Mound (Avocado Mound)

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“Silent Night”
Orion and stars reflecting in mirror-like water at Canepatch.
CLICK for story: The Lost Portage – connecting streams in the Everglades!

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“Chickee chilling on Florida Bay under the moon and the stars”
360 spin-around panoramic view in the still of the night from the Johnson Key chickee platform.
Camping on the Johnson Key platform in Florida Bay

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Kayakfari ART photography – “Detonation at Dawn” (extended)
Huge storm system moving over eastern Florida Bay vs orange light pollution glow from Miami.
Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay – Kayaking, Camping and Nice Dreams!

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It’s easy to see why the Everglades has some of the darkest skies – you’re about as far away from all the lights as you can get.

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Florida as seen from the ISS in orbit. You can’t completely get away from all the light pollution, but the Everglades is as dark as it gets!

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“Orbital Maneuvers”
ART of Darkness – Kayaking the final frontier of imaging and photography!

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Sunset afterglow and a nearly whole sky view!
CLICK for story: Winter birthday triad on Florida Bay with the ‘Banana Boat’!

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Celestial alignments show the clockwork of the universe at large.

Of course, the alignments only have meaning to us from our particular vantage point in space!

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Incredible planetary alignment in the southern sky just before dawn last winter in the Everglades!
CLICK for story: Winter birthday triad on Florida Bay with the ‘Banana Boat’!

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“Venus setting over the Gulf of Mexico“
This winter’s featured alignment has been a very bright Venus with Mars above!

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Date: Jan 31, 2017 AD
Observation: Moon, Venus and Mars alignment in the western sky.

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The crescent Moon with Venus and Mars trinity in the sky on January 31, 2017!

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A very bright full moon over Little Rabbit Key in this circular panorama.
The Supermoon of 2016 and the full moon camping experience at Little Rabbit Key.

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Beach camping on Whitehorse Key in the Ten Thousand Islands.
ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part I

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Fire, fire burning .. bonfire spewing burnt atoms up into the sky!
Camping at Camp LuLu in the Ten Thousand Islands.

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“Portage to Earth”
ART of Darkness – Kayaking the final frontier of imaging and photography!

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The half moon is a great time to observe lunar features!

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The bright full moon with Jupiter and four of it’s largest ‘Galilean’ moons!
ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part I

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Nearly full moon in early February 2017.

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The penumbral lunar eclipse of February 10, 2017 generated a lot of interest. However, not being a total eclipse, it was not as impressive as the hype might lead one to believe!

We will have a partial lunar eclipse visible from the Everglades in January 2018 and a total eclipse a year later on January 21, 2019!

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The weak penumbral lunar eclipse of February 10, 2017 only shows a slight darkening. However the reduced brightness helps to get a better image of the otherwise extremely bright “snow” full moon!

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In the meantime, enjoy this total eclipse from 2015! 🙂

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A total lunar eclipse taking a bite out of the moon in the fall of 2015.
Harvest moon, Super moon, Blood moon and High Tides of the final tetrad Eclipse of 2015!

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A total lunar eclipse from 2015. One of four visible in the Everglades during 2014 – 2015.
Harvest moon, Super moon, Blood moon and High Tides of the final tetrad Eclipse of 2015!

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Regardless of it’s phase, the moon is always a powerful force affecting all life on planet Earth!

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“Crushing weight of the Moment”
ART of Darkness – Kayaking the final frontier of imaging and photography!

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Check out more lunar action and sky photography from the darkness at:

NIGHT LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY and DIGITAL ART: CAMPING with the STARS!

ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part I

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Get out there and enjoy the Everglades night sky!

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! BLESS

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© 2017 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

The Supermoon of 2016 is the perigee-syzygy for you and me!

Full moon photography fever, camping and sunspots.

It’s the Supermoon of 2016!

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(click pic)

CLICK for story:
The Supermoon of 2016 and the full moon camping experience at Little Rabbit Key.

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/the-supermoon-of-2016-and-the-full-moon-camping-experience-at-little-rabbit-key/

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Enjoy!

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! Bless

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© 2016 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com / decoratedreality.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:: The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

With that said..
Blessings friends!

 

Everglades Easter Egg hunt!

Happy Easter from the Everglades!

Where are all those Easter Eggs?

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(click pic to find the eggs!)

Where in the world are the Easter Eggs of the Everglades?

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/where-in-the-world-are-the-easter-eggs-of-the-everglades/

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Enjoy!

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© 2016 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

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! Trinity – Bless

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More of ‘Camping with the Stars’ from the Everglades!

This week on ‘Camping with the Stars’.

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Now with even more fantastic imagery from the darkness of the Everglades!

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(click any pic for more!)

Temporary tidal space and Faith in Numbers.
Full moon camping on a sandbar in the lower Keys!

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The bright full moon with Jupiter and four of it’s largest moons, winter 2016.

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Closeup of Jupiter and it’s Galilean moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.

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ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars!

 

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Introducing the 14% larger and 30% brighter supermoon rising over Florida Bay!

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A very cool planetary alignment in the southern sky just before dawn.

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Afterglow of the sunset and a nearly whole sky view as the stars come out to play!

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Bright Venus rising above Johnson Key in the eastern sky before dawn.

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ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars!

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NIGHT LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY and DIGITAL ART from the EVERGLADES, FLORIDA BAY, TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS, BIG CYPRESS & BEYOND!

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Enjoy!

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© 2016 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

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!Moonlight – Bless

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Three’s company – a winter birthday triad on Florida Bay!

A Florida Bay birthday triad cruise on the ‘Banana Boat’ with special guest ‘Hubble Jr.’ and a planetary alignment!

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Winter birthday triad on Florida Bay with the ‘Banana Boat’!
CLICK FOR STORY!

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Winter birthday triad on Florida Bay with the ‘Banana Boat’!
CLICK FOR STORY!

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Winter birthday triad on Florida Bay with the ‘Banana Boat’!
CLICK FOR STORY!

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This one is all about threes. That’s the theme!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/winter-birthday-triad-on-florida-bay-with-the-banana-boat/

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Enjoy!

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© 2016 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

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! Trinity – Bless

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Animated Everglades skies!

“Excuse me while I animate the sky!”

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Whole sky 360 spin around and round – winter in the Everglades.

Do you ever look straight up at the sky and spin yourself around?
This one will really screw your head on right! 🙂

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Give us a wink – the Joker laughing in the sky.

When you look up at the clouds and see a face staring back at you!

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A cold front sends clouds racing in the moonlight.

Full moon time-lapse in the delicious darkness!

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Check out more at the GIFs page!

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Enjoy!

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Round and Round BLESS!

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© 2016 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com / decoratedreality.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:: The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

With that said..
Blessings friends!

Kayakfari Fantasy Art that reaches further into Space!

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Captain’s blog – supplemental. Stardate 69365.4 !

Nice dreams at Cape Romano and a word from Captain

James T. Sprayskirt:

“Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Kayakfari. The continuing mission to create strange new artworks, to seek out new campsites and paddling opportunities, to boldly go where no photographer has gone before.”

(** cue theme music **)

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(click pic to enter gallery)

“Nice dreams in the Ten Thousand Islands”
Kayakfari ART photography – ART of Darkness series.
Cape Romano, Florida.

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DIGITAL FANTASY ART kayaking the EVERGLADES, FLORIDA BAY, TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS, BIG CYPRESS and further reaches of SPACE.

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ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars!

ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars!

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Enjoy!

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! BLESSED DREAMS

The simple meaning of Earth Day..

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There is only one Earth and there are no other Everglades.

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(** cue music **)

“There are no other Everglades in the world. They are, they have always been, one of the unique regions of the earth, remote, never wholly known. Nothing anywhere else is like them; their vast glittering openness, wider than the enormous visible round of the horizon, the racing free saltness and sweetness of the their massive winds, under the dazzling blue heights of space. They are unique also in the simplicity, the diversity, the related harmony of the forms of life they enclose. The miracle of the light pours over the green and brown expanse of saw grass and of water, shining and slow-moving below, the grass and water that is the meaning and the central fact of the Everglades of Florida. It is a river of grass.”

Marjory Stoneman Douglas, The Everglades: River of Grass, 1947

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(click pics)

“Portage to Earth”
Kayakfari ART photography – ART of Darkness series.

DIGITAL FANTASY ART kayaking the EVERGLADES, FLORIDA BAY, TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS, BIG CYPRESS and further reaches of SPACE.

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At the top of the world in the Everglades!
www.AwakentheGrass.com

EVERGLADES hiking with an ALTITUDE – Exploring the Slough and Sawgrass prairies of Shark Valley

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On this day ..
Love the Everglades!

 Love the Everglades Movement

Promoting awareness of Everglades ecosystem restoration efforts and related issues.

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Enjoy!

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Blessed Earth Day!

“Class M water world – a 360 space panorama” Digital Fantasy Art from the further reaches of Space!

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Captain’s blog – supplemental. Stardate 68766.4 !

Another incident of Kayakfari ART and a word from Captain

James T. Sprayskirt:

“Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Kayakfari. The continuing mission to create strange new artworks, to seek out new campsites and paddling adventures, to boldly go where no photographer has gone before.”

(** cue theme music **)

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(click pic to enjoy this interactive fun-o-rama!)

“Class M water world – a 360 space panorama”
Kayakfari ART photography – ART of Darkness series.
CLICK for 360 spin-around panorama!

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DIGITAL FANTASY ART kayaking the EVERGLADES, FLORIDA BAY, TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS, BIG CYPRESS and further reaches of SPACE.

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ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars!

ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars!

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Enjoy!

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! BLESS 420

Camping with the Stars: It’s full of Stars! Part II

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This week on Camping with the Stars.

Part II – It’s full of Stars!

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New-style nightscape imagery from the Everglades.

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(click pic to enter)

ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part II

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Continue on to Part II -> “It’s full of Stars!”

It’s full of Stars!
CLICK for Part II

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NIGHT LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY and DIGITAL ART from the EVERGLADES, FLORIDA BAY, TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS, BIG CYPRESS & BEYOND!

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Enjoy!

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CLICK 4 Overdrive!

 

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