Vacation fun

Sometimes it's easy to spot the out-of-towners. Like those in the ocean on this chilly day. It was beautifully sunny but I was bundled up in coat and hat and still not what I'd call warm. These intrepid folk were either brave, foolish or just plain determined to hit the waves no matter what just so they could say they went in the ocean on December 27th. Good for them. I'll just watch, thank you.

Someone was also feeding leftover bread to the gulls, which always calls for a riot of noise and flapping wings. Too reminiscent of the old Hitchcock movie The Birds to make me feel comfortable though the bread thrower was enjoying the attention and having a great time.

Hurrah for vacations where you get to do things the natives would rarely do. Hurrah for us natives who will enjoy the beach and the bright sunshine long after you've gone.

Rosy spectacle

After several days in a row of gray clouds and rain or drizzle, it was such a welcome sight to see this spectacular rosy dawn. Cold though it was (well, for Florida at 50º) it was so exhilarating to be touched by the sun that I didn't mind the chill one bit.

The pleasure at seeing the sun again also reawakened my awareness of how important sunshine is in my life, both literally and figuratively. I suppose on those days with no sun, I'll have to work harder to bring small bits of joy into my life in other forms.

Um-m-m-m, well that's what this blog started out being... a grateful log, acknowledging the little things in life that I'm grateful for. Guess I've come full circle with that thought and I'll have to get back to basics. Thank you sun for this gentle reminder.

Dreaming of flying

Have you ever dreamed that you can fly... all on your own, no help from a plane or manmade wings? I used to dream about flying, soaring over the landscape like a bird. I haven't flown in my dreams in years, but have lately been having a flying-dream discussion with a friend who has been enjoying her nocturnal soaring.

It was beautiful today on the beach, though chilly, the skies were a striking blue, a few scattered clouds just seemed to be there for decoration, and my osprey was enjoying a tranquil flight. Kind of like an afternoon stroll in the park. She was not searching for food, just enjoying a peaceful soar as I was enjoying my walk. (And I barely got her in the frame of my second photo.) Watching her flight made me once again envy her ability to take wing at will. Ah well, maybe in my dreams.

Lens smudge

If you were wondering if there was something wrong with my camera, let me assure the camera is just fine... the fog however was really making its presence known. This photo was taken about 10:30 a.m. long after the fog should have burned off. What is missing in the photo is the 17-story building which stands at the edge of the beach. It appears to be gone, just gone.

Enjoying the misty hues set off many foggy memories of living on the coast of Maine. There were times when you literally couldn't see the hand in front of your face. Driving up our long driveway at night was often done at the pace of a walk. The best memory is one that no one in my group of friends will ever forget. One evening we rented a lobster boat to take us for a picnic on some islands not far offshore. Before we could get back the fog rolled in, we got lost, the ship-to-shore radios went out and a rowdy bunch of teenagers with plenty of beer to drink spent the night wandering around the ocean with no idea of where we were. There were plenty of worried parents ashore, I'm sure but I remember it as being one of the BEST parties of my youth.

Here 40+ years later a little Florida fog can conjure up some pretty powerful old memories and how nice that a long walk on the beach lets me relive each and every one.

Canaveral finale

Finishing up our day at Canaveral we went to a house that was built in the early 1920s and is the only remaining structure of what was then the Eldora community. It was pouring rain again thus I have no photos to show you of this lovely old home that has been restored by the National Parks Service. It wasn't supposed to be open but to our delight one of the Park Service Rangers was there getting ready for their open house so she invited us to come in out of the rain. We cheerfully accepted. If you are ever in the area this is an interesting visit on the edge of the Mosquito Lagoon and provides a look at what it must have been like at the turn of the century without the creature comforts we so easily take for granted. The top photo was of a pond behind the house followed by a shot of the clouds skirting the Mosquito Lagoon.

Our last stop was at the end of the park with a lovely look at the lagoon, the ocean and miles and miles of pristine shoreline. There was a large group of vultures (buzzards) nearby and one of my friends said..."go away, we're not ready yet!" We all had to laugh. The last photo is one of the vultures waiting for a boater to bring him his lunch. Wonder if he can read or if he's just going to park there anyway.

Canaveral continued...

For a while we sat in the car waiting for the pouring rain to stop while letting our soaked clothes dry out. Yeah well... we decided to go get something to eat as the rain ran its course. Whoever said "it only rains for five minutes in Florida" wasn't where we were that day.

Finally it DID stop raining and we headed out to Castle Windy another shell midden right on the edge of the sprawling and beautiful Mosquito Lagoon. Did I mention aptly-named Mosquito Lagoon? The trek there was stunning, like stepping back in time. The trail lead through lush primeval woods with saw palmetto, palms, cedar and stunning live oak. We were intrigued by the way the gnarled old oak limbs twisted and turned creating great serpentine paths between palms, old (wild) orange trees and other vegetation. I was most fascinated by the ferns that were growing right on the tree limbs. I can't grow a fern to save my life, yet here they were growing on a tree limb. What's with that? Stunning to say the least.

We finally emerged into the clearing on the edge of the Mosquito Lagoon, glimpsed the tall shell midden and before I could point my camera we were engulfed in greedy, blood-sucking mosquitos. I have never seen anything like it. The air was thick with them, they found every square inch of uncovered skin and landed for a feast. Picture if you will three adults swatting, screaming and running back into the woods. Needless to say, you will not see a picture of the Castle Windy shell midden. Phew!

Better with friends

For weeks, some friends and I had a planned outing to the Canaveral National Seashore. The closer we got the worse the forecast was... we decided to go anyway. It was cold (for Florida) and we got soaked with intermittent rain, but we had fun. First stop was the Turtle Mound. A shell midden started by the Timucuan Indians more than 1200 years ago. This ancient garbage dump stands 60 feet tall and was even noted on Spanish maps of the 1600s as a navigational aid. It was called Turtle Mound because it is shaped like a turtle.

The National Park Service has provided a walkway so we can climb to the top without disturbing the shells below. The sights from the top would have been more spectacular had it not been raining, but I have included two gray photos to share with you. Living on a flat barrier island it is amazing to be that high above the ground (without being in a building of course) and the views were breathtaking. Even the raindrop on the right side of the camera lens helps to share our damp day with you.

The best part of the whole day was sharing it with my longtime, though soggy, friends. We oohed and aahed and laughed through the day cold and wet though we were.

Next time I'll share some photos of the aptly named Mosquito Lagoon, some of a spectacular nature walk to another midden called Castle Windy, and some fond remembrances of the Eldora House. What a day. It's so nice that memories last a long time.

Ain't no sunshine...

Over the past five days we have had only a few brief glimmers of sunshine. This morning again was cloudy and damp as I left the house. Being a sunshine lover I was lamenting the lack of sun and of course a song ran through my mind. With all due respects to Bill Withers I had to change the lyrics to match my scenario — "Ain't no sunshine when it's gone... "

Headed North on my walk there was nothing but gloomy grey clouds, it wasn't until I headed back that I saw in the East a stunning sight of the sun and the sun's rays breaking through the heavy cloud layer. (See top photo.) A little farther along there was a flock of seabirds also celebrating the sun. Thank goodness, the sun helped me quit singing that song as well as helped put a smile on my face.

Hover gull

Finally... back to the beach after a day and a half of rain. We needed the rain so I won't object, plus it gave me the opportunity to do some chores inside the house that were neglected because I so enjoy being outside.

The sun came out late this afternoon but the winds were strong and even this gull was held almost stationary right in front of me by the wind. Amazing that these aviators were even trying to buck this kind of headwind. However, it gave me a great chance to be up-close and personal to a bird in flight and to take a photo of it. Now, how often does that happen? Cool!

Decisions, decisions

Until this day, I had always thought that one of the most uncomfortable things is taking a long beach walk wearing wet shoes and socks. What changed my mind was this unusual day. It was hot enough to wear shorts but it was also very windy — 20 mph winds gusting to 35. Thus was the problem created. It was blowing so hard that the sand being whipped at the back of my bare legs made it feel like I was being sand blasted. The simple solution was to walk in the edge of the water. No blowing sand... but wet shoes. What should I do?

Why not just take off my shoes and walk barefooted in the water, you ask? I thought about it but there is my currently broken little toe that is having a hard time healing, and a formerly broken foot caused by taking long walks barefooted in the sand... I just didn't want to go there again and opting out of my walk was not something I even considered.

Besides taking the above photo of this strange and interesting day with its huge contrasting puddles of sun and shadow, puffy fast-moving clouds and roaring sea (too bad I didn't have video to show you the blowing sand), I trudged along enjoying the time outside in squishy wet shoes and socks.

Return of the terns

Wintertime and it's time for the terns to return to our coast. I love these elegant looking Royal Terns and their colonies are full of sounds and antics that are sure to amuse. There are courting rituals that rival the roses, poetry and candy common to us humans. Though the males do bribe their sweethearts with fresh fish during courting... kind of like dinner at nice restaurant, the bobbing, weaving and head ducking is something I hope to never see on the dance floor from a date.

Nonetheless, the terns are back and I enjoy having them add an interesting element to my beach walks. They also tempt me to break into song appropriately from The Byrds... To everything, turn, turn, turn; There is a season, tern, tern, tern...

Chilly day, bright clouds

Since it is November 28th I suppose I shouldn't complain, but I had to turn the heat on in my house for the first time this year. Dang! I also waited until 11 a.m. for my walk because of the chill in the air. Not only was it warmer, a pleasant 60º at that time, but the sun was high in the sky and the clouds were stunning. Streaky, crisp white clouds against a rich blue were indeed lovely to look at.

The best part I suppose is that this clear blue sky signaled a very pleasant lower humidity — also evident because I didn't come home from my walk with frizzy hair (a major drawback of Florida living.) All in all a chilly start turned into a lovely day, one so pleasant that I also enjoyed lunch and a nap outside in the backyard. Life good indeed!

Thank you Nike...

Here it was Thanksgiving morning, it was damp, cold, windy and not a ray of sunshine outside. My bed was warm, cozy and comfortable and the thought of going for my morning walk was not at all appealing. I was close to talking myself into staying right where I was. My rationale was bordering on brilliant... but that marketing genius from Nike crept into my brain. Just do it!

So, I just did it! I just got up from that warm place, put on some cozy, comfortable clothes and headed to the beach. After bucking headwinds for a while, I began to feel exhilarated. The early walkers were cheerful, a few Happy Thanksgiving greetings were exchanged, and those intrepid surfers were out in force. Gloomy as the skies were, the surfers were having a wonderful ride.

What a pleasure to be outside enjoying the beach. Thank you Nike pitchman. You have brought me lots of joy with your Just do it mantra.

Promise of blue skies

It was cloudy this morning, big heavy clouds wiped out any hope of a bright and sunny day. But as the sun rose higher in the sky, those weighty clouds began to break up. We got a glimpse or two of the sun and a peek at blue skies high above. Ah, maybe it will be a sunny day after all.

Since I was wrestling with a problem, I decided maybe I'd use this as an omen. There may be gray clouds but blue skies aren't far away if you look beyond the gloom. This photo will help me remember that there is always a promise of blue skies. That's my moral story of the day, and I'm sticking to it.

Horseshoe crab memories

There were two horseshoe crabs on the beach this morning, one right side up, the other upside down (why don't we say right side down or upside up?) That's a question for another day, but today these two crabs brought back summer memories from when I was 12 years old. Those memories flooded back like a tidal wave.

I don't think I have seen a horseshoe crab since that summer, but I had nightmares then about these army tanks of the sea. I was at a sailing camp on the north shore of Cape Cod, there was swimming, sailing, clamming and horseshoe crabs everywhere. They were always bumping your feet when you were standing in the water. You had to be careful when you stepped off a dock or a boat so that you wouldn't step on one and have its barbed tail rake your foot. I was terrified and have never really gotten over it. Though I learned later that they are basically harmless the thoughts generated in childhood are tough to dislodge.

This viewing, however, and the intervening 50+ years found me more fascinated than fearful... plus they were very dead. They were about 20 inches long overall. The fascinating part came from the upside down one, the intricacies of its mouth, gills, and other parts I can't identify was amazing for a creature that looks so prehistoric. I've included a close up to share with you. Nothing I found on the Internet helps me explain some of its parts, but fascinating nonetheless.

With a shiver at old memories, I continued on my way happy that I didn't encounter these guys while wading in the waves.

Wet feet

I was so engrossed in taking this stunning photo of the sun streaming through a narrow gap in the clouds that I neglected to keep an eye on the incoming tide. Oops! What a shock at having wet feet! It was funny when I got home and looked at this photo. You can definitely see the wave coming toward where I was standing. Oblivious seems like the appropriate description here.

Shuttle thrills, again

No matter where we are, whenever a shuttle takes off many Floridians run outside to see it. At 2:28 this afternoon Atlantis headed to the space station. I was at the gym and had forgotten about the launch. I mentally kicked myself for not having my camera with me.

The takeoff was televised and everyone in the gym ran outside to see it firsthand. It was spectacular. The sky was a brilliant blue and the fiery rocket was easy to see, its contrail a brilliant white. As I lamented aloud my lack of camera, someone said "I've got my cell phone." I left the scene long enough to get my cell phone and managed to take two photos that I am sharing with you. I apologize for the quality, but found the photos of the contrail juxtaposed with the American flag very poignant. The shuttle was long gone, but its contrails were evidence of its power.

Like many, I still get goosebumps and a lump in my throat whenever the shuttle takes off and again when it lands. All of us gym goers admitted that we were certainly lucky to be able to witness this wonderful event.

Fall colors

Thankfully I have lived in New England, Washington D.C. and North Carolina which has given me the opportunity to see the changing colors of the leaves in autumn. One of the sad things about living in Florida is that we miss this rite of passage in the fall. We simply don't have many deciduous trees and those we do, it seem the leaves just dry out and fall off. No brilliant reds, oranges and yellows adorn our landscapes.

We do however get to revel in the colors of our golden rain trees. We see snippets of color in the landscape from these trees in October and November. The leaves do not turn color, but the trees put forth seed pods that from a distance look like bright salmon colored flowers. Some species are yellow, some a deep pink but all are lovely and a rare treat whenever you see one adorning the countryside.

Oh, I've just had a thought... since I recently lost an oak tree in my yard, maybe I should replace it with a golden rain tree! Wonderful idea! Next year I'll share pictures of my own tree with you. In the meantime, enjoy Florida's fall color above.

What a difference a day makes...

Those words from an old song certainly were true today. Yesterday morning it was 75º this morning 55º and dreary. Winds of 12 mph were out of the Northwest so not quite as chilly as if they had been out of the Northeast but brisk nonetheless. Even my osprey, which I see every day by the way, looked cold this morning. She probably enjoyed diving for her breakfast since the ocean temperatures were warmer than the air. It wasn't raining but the mist in the air was so heavy that my coat was wet by the time I got home. Despite all that I totally enjoyed my walk and even found myself whistling the lyrics... what a difference a day makes.

Fleeing Ida

Here it is November 9 and all the weather people are abuzz with talk of Hurricane Ida. Though they must of course prepare people for the possibility of some treacherous weather, I sometimes think they like to over hype tropical storm events in order to justify their job. Ordinary weather is just that... ordinary.

Actually, I happen to think our weather here is Florida is quite extraordinary. Like the weather at the beach this morning. Though in no way associated with Ida, it was very blustery with winds out of the ESE. I loved this image of a solo pelican heading north with just a touch of the fiery sun on the edge of the horizon. Grey clouds portending the advancement of some tropical weather for the first time this hurricane season. Happy fall! Never a dull weather moment here along the East coast of Florida.

Mother Nature's EPA

It was quite windy this morning and few people braved our seaweed-littered beach. There were however many birds soaring on those strong East winds. I thrilled in the flight of several osprey, many large flocks of pelicans zoomed high overhead and then I saw this big guy with a face only its mother could love.

I first noticed him flying and swooping over and over around one particular area of beach and scrub at the high tide line. His wingspread was probably 6 feet and when I was close enough to see his rather small naked red head I knew it was a turkey vulture. Bleckh! I must admit to having negative feelings about vultures but they just keep our environment clean and are truly magnificent in flight. Fortunately I didn't have to witness his frenzied table manners today.

Renewed vigor

I haven't been on the beach at dawn for the past several days... I didn't realize how much I really enjoy the early morning. What with high tide, morning obligations, and some dreary weather I relegated my beach walks to midday or like yesterday not at all! This morning however, the sun was expected and even though a full moon made for an extra-high tide... dawn on the beach was invigorating. There were layers of different kinds clouds, jet contrails and shore birds searching for their sustenance. I was invigorated to say the least.

So what's the lesson here? As hard as I try to relish each little bit of my wonderful life, I too get complacent. So when I stop to "smell the roses..." I'll be sure to take in all the subtleties of the scent. I'll also enjoy my walks, morning, noon or night... but morning most of all.

Beach-O-Lantern

Yesterday was halloween and though this year I didn't celebrate, I took the time for some reminiscence about carving pumpkins. It used to be one of my favorite halloween traditions and though I was not a terribly creative carver, I enjoyed it tremendously and had a good time sharing the event with friends.

This morning on the beach I noticed that some beach goer had their own pumpkin party. This one was made of sand! The red-tinted sand we have here is the ideal color for a beach pumpkin and I thought this was a very clever way to create a jack-o-lantern, and no carving pieces to clean up. Hum-m-m! Happy Halloween, beach style.

Long-billed gull?

From a distance I saw what was certainly a gull, but it had an extra long bill. Huh? Not gull-like at all. What in the world is that? Since I am used to coming across new critters on the beach, I was sorting through my brain but got stumped on this one.

I approached the long-billed gull and realized this bird was struggling with something... something in his mouth. Ha! I finally realized what it was. This greedy gull was trying, without success at first, to swallow a whole fish. The fish was so long and so big that the gull couldn't get all of it in his mouth and down his throat. He spit it out and grabbed it up again several times. I watched from a distance not wanting to scare him away from his hard-won catch but fascinated to see what the outcome would be.

Never one to be deterred this gull finally managed, after several somewhat gruesome attempts, to swallow the thing whole and keep it down. Yuck! Though I must say it was fascinating and another reminder of the incredible things I get to witness if I but keep my eyes and mind open.

Sunset...

It is not often that I get to see a sunset. Sunrises are easy from the beach, but my house is surrounded by so many trees, and faces in the wrong direction that I rarely get to enjoy a sunset. Fortunately I have friends who occasionally send me pictures of lovely sunsets. Such is the case with the colorful clouds you see here. My friend Ed lives just a couple of blocks away and this was taken from his second story deck. Great picture. Thanks Ed!

Laws of attraction... humpf.

A friend and I were having an email discussion of the Laws of Attraction. The Law of Attraction simply says that you attract into your life whatever you think about. Your dominant thoughts will find a way to manifest themselves. In other words, if you really want something and truly believe it's possible, you'll get it. Good, I thought, let's give this a try.

That evening I concentrated on my wish to be able to "put my hands on all the dollars I'll ever need." That was my exact thought... put my hands on all the dollars I need. The next morning I awoke and headed to the beach as usual.

Guess what I found there... that the laws of attraction really work. That morning I found something rare and extraordinary on the beach, dollars, sand dollars. Two of them! The extraordinary part comes because in the eleven years I've been walking this beach I have only seen one whole sand dollar. I rarely even see the little bits and pieces of broken sand dollars. The morning after wishing to put my hands on dollars... I did just that, I had two whole sand dollars in my hands!

Do you suppose Law of Attraction works and I wasn't specific enough? Maybe, maybe not. Anyway, I now have two lovely sand dollars. One (see close-up above) even has a tiny barnacle growing on it. What a bonus.

Radiance

If a picture is worth a thousand words, without doubt this photo's image of radiance is a perfect description of the word. This sunrise was truly luminous, plus the weather was cooperating with cool temperatures and a nice breeze. Doesn't get much better than that!

Different time, different beach

Going to the beach at midday was like going to a different beach. With Florida's summer and humidity, it is imperative to be outside before the sun gets too high and before temperatures rise to the 90s and above. Having spent the past several months being sure to get to the beach before dawn, I found quite a difference in the beach at noon. Very few people, very little humidity, strong breezes and stunning surf. It was like being somewhere new.

Not only was it refreshing with our latest taste of fall, the winds out of the East made perfect conditions for kite boarders. The ocean temperatures were still warm and the kite boarders were in heaven. I even talked to a couple of them about the thrill of flying over the surf at breakneck speeds and being lifted up to 20 feet in the air before settling back to the surf. Oh to be young and strong. Guess I'll have to get my thrills vicariously but that's okay, I enjoyed watching them and enjoyed a new beach feeling.

Surprise beachgoer

Huddled inside my coat this morning due to Florida's record low temperatures, I was trudging along the beach right at the high tide mark. Even though it was about two hours from high tide, the nor'easter was pushing waves ashore right up to the vegetation that lines the beach. I was looking down but glanced up for a second and was almost eye to eye with a great blue heron. Surprised, I stopped, grabbed my camera and he was still just staring at me not a bit frightened, I guess because he was about my height. He let me take his picture, then turned and led me down the beach.

I should have guessed that he would walk as fast as I do with his long legs, but I got a really good chuckle as he walked in front of me for quite a distance. He finally went into the waterline to find his breakfast and I continued on my walk.

It is not often that I have company on my walks. Though not talkative, I really enjoyed walking with this big guy this morning. Made me entirely forget that I was cold!

Great start...

Every sunrise is different... this one I particularly liked. It is astounding that with just a little change in humidity, temperature, and cloud layer we get a different vista to enjoy each day.

These colors and the little cock's comb of clouds certainly make it a great start today. I'll take every bit of glory from this sunrise and enjoy it all day long. Thank you Mr. Sun.

Big ol' cloud

Don't you just love the juxtaposition of the fiery rising sun and this big towering cloud? I thought it was quite a sight especially the way the cloud picks up various colors from the sun. Surprisingly enough I didn't get rained on and it wasn't long before the sun chased the clouds away.

Once again... what a lovely way to start the day and I'm so very thankful that I'm able to live this close to the beach. Lucky me!

Barnacles...

Thank you Edward. In the Coral Condo post I asked if anyone knew what the thing was. My friend Edward said it looked like a barnacle to him. Yep, these are called Pink Barnacles. Imagine that.

Coral Condo

Dead low tide this morning and there are always unusual finds along the beach. I saw this bright pink object and thought it must be manmade since the color was so vivid. It looked like something that you'd put in a small aquarium as entertainment for the fish. When I picked it up I realized that it was not plastic... it was a coral condominium for little sea creatures. I can't find anything like it on the Internet and I'm not positive what it is. I do know that some sort of critter lived there and it was apparently attached to a reef at one point in its life. Interesting. If you know what it is, let me know.

With all the beach-front condominiums here in Florida, well along any coastline actually... I wonder if this is where the original idea came from. Mother Nature beat us to it with this cute and colorful little coral condo.

Crab for breakfast

Yawn... I overslept this morning and found an entirely different beach waiting for me. Many more people, much more activity and of course more sun... which means more heat. Our first hints of Fall last week were certainly short lived, this week we've been looking at record high temperatures. Ah well, at least there is no snow like many in the country are experiencing. I won't complain.

Since it was past time for breakfast, I enjoyed watching this yellow crowned night heron capture and eat a crab. Yum! Not my breakfast choice but I enjoyed watching the stealth and cunning of this wonderful bird. Mother Nature certainly endows her critters with unique talents, this is one of my favorites.