The winter continues

icicles, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

The ice and snow are beginning to melt but at night it all freezes again.
Well, the sun is out today which is good. The trees need the melting snow to slowly absorb as much water as possible to prepare for spring.
It's all good, really.
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Flickr Photos

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I have many more photos on Flickr.

Take a look with Flickriver by clicking on a photo above..........

You can then chose, recent, interesting, random, or more.

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windsurfing on Lac Bay

windsurfing on Lac Bay, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

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No, This is not Long Island, although people do windsurf on Long Island.

No, this is my favorite caribbean getaway- Bonaire. One of the ABC islands of the Netherlands Antilles.

My husband and I scuba dive and this is one of the top rated destinations for scuba.... and snorkeling, windsurfing.

What makes this island so wonderful for these water activities?

There are many reasons!

The weather is arid and warm year round.
The ABC islands are out of the hurricane belt.
The water temperatures are about 80-85 degrees F with little or no current.
The reef is close to shore so divers and snorkelers don't need to take long boat rides to reach their destinations.
(In fact, Bonaire is rated as the premier destination for "shore diving!")
The island is very European with Dutch influence, (currently voting on a referendum to be part of Holland again).
Most people speak 4 or 5 languages with Dutch as the official language. English, German, Spanish and the native language of Papiamentu is also spoken by most locals.
The restaurants are world class, with great food, good variety and great wines, unlike many caribbean islands.

And.......

Well, I can go on and on but I think you get the idea.

Great weather, great people, good food, easy access to water sports.

Every few years my husband and I scuba somewhere else, but we always return to Bonaire!

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Bonaire Shoreline

bonaire shoreline, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Bonaire's shoreline looking north toward Buddy Dive Resort

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Kralendijk's Fort Orange

Kralendijk's Fort Orange, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

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Fort in Bonaire, built in 1639, has 4 cannons from 1808-1812.

For the history of Bonaire, click here!

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Historical Bonaire

bonaire history, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

The lighthouse and abandoned historical buildings are just a few places to see on Bonaire.

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Fish Eye View

under the boat, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

As we enter the water, I wait for my husband.

Is this how we look to the fish?

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Lac Bay, Bonaire

Lac Bay, Bonaire, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Great fun watching the windsurfers in Lac Bay. The area is on the windy side of the island, but the water is protected by the reef. So they have the wind but no waves.


Still no Photoshop, not until I get home. This is from the Canon G9 in its underwater housing.

spotted eagle ray

spotted eagle ray, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

In the shallows of Bonaire. I love how the rays seem to just appear from the sandy bottom. They "fly" like birds, so graceful and free.

divers over sand

divers over sand, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Just playing around underwater....in Bonaire!

Bonaire

From warm and wonderful Bonaire

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Bonaire Flamingo

Bonaire is warm and sunny and best of all, the nature and wildlife is spectacular.

The best sights are underwater and those photos will be posted in a few days.

This photo was posted straight from the camera since I do not have Photoshop on this new little laptop.

The flamingo is a common site on Bonaire and there is even a flamingo sanctuary.

Hope you all are having nice weather on Long Island too!

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Flying to warmer weather

above the clouds, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Yes, it's that time of year again. I just have to get away to some warmer weather!

It's back to sunny, tropical Bonaire, a desert island really,

my favorite scuba-diving location.

Stay tuned for Bonaire photos!

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You can see my previous photos in a slideshow here. Just click!

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I'm not taking a lot of camera equipment this time due to all the airline weight restrictions,

so my photos will have to be more "creative" and less technical.

Hope you enjoy Long Island while I'm gone!

You can still keep in touch by email and comments!

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Ancestry Hair

willard m scott's hair, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

This is my mother-in-laws father, Willard Moore Scott born 1898 in Delaware.
Willard may be about 5 or 6 in this photo. He still had long curls which was the style at that time. A recent visit to my in-laws, discussing the family history, produced this out of the attic.

before the snowplow

before the snowplow, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

More snow!
Long Island usually doesn't get so much snow, this early in the winter.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy 2010.... may the next decade bring peace to our troubled world, and help to all those who need it.............

Last day in 2009

river snow, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Snow on the last day in 2009.
Just north of the bridge in Sayville, the water's surface is beginning to freeze and a light snow covered the branches.

branches

branches, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

last snow

last snow, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!

merry christmas cartoon, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!
May you have a healthy and happy new year for 2010!