Ruffled feathers

Never has the phrase about ruffled feathers struck such a vivid chord as when I saw this gull on the beach today. He was funny and looked really put out at having the wind muss up his otherwise sleek look. 

Even more important than this bird's dignity is the personal lesson it triggered. Perhaps this was nature's way of reminding me it's not a pretty sight when I let people or things ruffle my feathers. Though as I grow in age and wisdom this happens less often than it used to, it still happens. Happily I now have the image of this gull's wind-blown look to remind me that it is definitely not an attractive characteristic. 

Be that as it may, when I got home I also noticed the wind hadn't done much for the look of my hair either. 

Here Comes The Sun

It's funny how often the things I see bring song lyrics into my brain and then (often unfortunately) the song keeps running on a loop in my head for days. I was enjoying a day on the beach and the sun kept hiding behind big ol' puffy clouds then emerging brilliantly once again. Being a Beatles lover (and yes, I did see the Fab Four live in concert in February 1964 — joy!) I started singing "Here comes the sun, doo da doo doo, here comes the sun, and I say it's alright."

Yeah, it was all right and of course, another happy day... doo da doo doo little darling. ;-)

Portuguese Man-of-War

When I was a kid my Mom and Dad told me that if I saw what looked like a deflated blue balloon on the beach I should NOT TOUCH it. I of course obeyed without question and went on my merry way. To this day I heed that warning and try to let unsuspecting tourists (especially those with curious children) know the dangers of the Portuguese Man-of-War. They have a very painful sting in their long tentacles.

Commonly called a "blue bottle" it is both lovely and bizarre looking. I used to think it was a jellyfish but thanks to National Geographic I've learned it is actually a siphonophore — an animal made up of a colony of organisms working and living in unity. Its upper part is a gas-filled bladder about 12 inches long which floats on the water. The tentacles can extend 30 feet below the surface (some even get to be 165 feet long) and are covered with venom that paralyzes small fish, and can give an excruciating sting for humans even when they are dead and washed up on shore like the ones above. There is an interesting video of a Portuguese Man-of-War on YouTube where you can see how the tentacles attract their prey. Check it out at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut9XX96Xs4c&NR=1

I saw several on my walk this morning and as wary as I am of touching them, I was happily reminded of my childhood on this beach with my parents when life was simple and very good indeed. 

Mirror image

A cute Little Blue Heron was fishing in the creek by the golf course as I walked by. He had his head stuck in the water and was really strange looking... a bunch of feathers stuck up in the air! When he looked up I noticed the mirror image. Glad my camera could capture it too.

Front moving in

I love to see the weather fronts move in. They are almost as well defined as the graphics the weather people use on TV. This was a cold front and though it looked warm and inviting, the cold air behind it sent all us Floridians out to cover our plants with sheets. Quite a funny sight to see laundry in the yard if you aren't expecting it.

One friend who was from England via Washington D.C., at her first experience with an upcoming frost, thought that someone's laundry had blown off the line. Then as she traveled farther wondered why everyone had thrown their laundry out into their yards. It does make for some spectacular looking sheet statues!

Frowning defender

When I was a kid we used to build sand castles and drip castles on the beach and one pretty much looked like any other. What a smile I got when I came upon this frowning sand face and all that surrounded it.  It reminded me of some ancient Aztec archeological find. The frowning face with its seaweed hair and sea oats headdress reminded me of a fierce and angry deity. The square buildings with seashell toppings, the trees, bridges and adornments all within the surrounding parapets could take one with imagination back in time. I wouldn't have been a bit surprised to see an Aztec warrior emerge from one of the sand buildings, shaking his spear at me.

Though the defender of the village was frowning, he certainly did put a smile on my face, and joy in my heart at the creativity of the builder who left his work of art for us to see.