Beach Ball

Beach Ball

February 4, 2012. Beach Ball. Orlando, Florida.

A stilted employee of Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville catches a beach ball hit in his direction by a fan at the 2012 Welcome to Finland concert tour stop in Orlando.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/250. f/8.0. ISO 200. LR 2.

Smiles

Smiles

February 4, 2012. Smiles.

Nothing is absolute, but folks in Central Florida tend to be pretty friendly, like this Parrot Head in the Universal Studios parking lot.

My family used to go boating out on the Harris Chain of Lakes northwest of Orlando when I was a little kid. One of the things that I remember most fondly about those trips was that everyone waved hello, from one boat to another, when they would pass in one of the canals. I remember asking my parents why people waved at each other when they were in boats but not when they were in cars.

"It's just the thing you do."

Maybe it's something that everyone should stop and do more often.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/250. f/8.0. ISO 800. LR 2.

Fins to the Right

Fins to the Right

February 4, 2012. Fins to the Right.

If you've ever wondered what became of Gilligan and Captain Morgan, now you know.

A staple of every Jimmy Buffett concert is the song "Fins."

A version of this song is also played when the Miami Dolphins score, which isn't often.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/500. f/8.0. ISO 400. LR 2.

Staring

Staring

February 4, 2012. Staring.

Do you sometimes get the strange feeling that everyone is staring at you?

This guy does.

As you probably guessed, this is a continuation of the Orlando Parrot Heads Jimmy Buffett pre-concert pictures.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/250. f/8.0. ISO 400. LR 2.

Upstream

Upstream

February 4, 2012. Upstream.  A quick photo of a school of Parrot Heads swimming upstream through the crowds at Universal Studios' City Walk for the Margaritaville Jimmy Buffett pre-concert event.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/250. f/8.0. ISO 800. LR 2.

Curious George

Curious George

February 4, 2012. Curious George.

Another in the Jimmy Buffett pre-concert series. Common items at Jimmy Buffett concerts include parrot hats, shark fins, beach balls, flip flops, aloha shirts, and grass skirts.

Inflatable monkeys are a little less common. They are still welcome, though.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/250. f/8.0. ISO 400. LR 2.

The Groove

The Groove

February 4, 2012. The Groove.

The second in my series of shots taken right before the Jimmy Buffett concert in Orlando a few weeks ago. I love the diversity of people and expressions in this shot.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/250. f/8.0. ISO 800. LR 2.

Parrot Head

Parrot Head

February 4, 2012. Parrot Head. Near Margaritaville Orlando.

There are few places on earth better for documenting the strange condition of Floridians than at a Jimmy Buffett concert. The next several blog posts will document the pre-show behavior of a number of these eclectic weekend pirates. I hope you enjoy.

Die hard Jimmy Buffett fans are kind of like Dead Heads, but more beach bum than hippy. Called "Parrot Heads," some of them take the nickname more literally than others.

Jimmy Buffett is to Florida what Celine Dion is to Canada. Most Floridians have at least a little place for him in their hearts, and Mr. Buffett has loved Florida right back. He's been involved in efforts to save the manatees, preserve Florida landmarks, and to clean up the mess caused by BP in the Gulf of Mexico.

Buffett mentions Florida in quite a few of his songs. One of my favorites is "The Bob Roberts Society Band." It reminds me of the Florida that I grew up in and love the best. It still exists in some places, if you look hard enough.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/500. f/8.0. ISO 200. LR 2.