Renewed passion

In a previous post I mentioned Nike's slogan and said that we should all "... just do it." Pondering that I realized I was spewing advice and not heeding my own words. So instead of finding excuses for not taking up the game of golf again, I went out and just did it! Ha! I'm having a blast.

What a surprise to find out that what I learned as a teenager and young adult playing the game had not entirely disappeared. This old body isn't as flexible as it was but the basics of my swing are still there, kind of like riding a bicycle I suppose. I have now spent several hours on the driving range and putting green and I feel that I'm ready to go out there and play a round without embarrassing myself. I'll let you know how it goes.

Not only is it fun, a way to enjoy the great outdoors but I'm feeling a great sense of accomplishment. So again I highly recommend that if there is something you want to do... just do it!

Terns Return

Back in September, 2008 I mentioned Least Terns on this blog. They are an endangered species of tiny terns that make their home on beaches. We had a colony of about 100 of these darling little birds on the beach and I enjoyed their antics, raucous calls, playful spirit and of course their precious faces with a white triangle on the forehead. When they migrated away I missed seeing them and wondered if they would return. I'm happy to say that yes, they are back!

Last week I saw three of them about a half mile north of where they were last year. Yesterday I saw five... today I counted 14! So small and slender and just so cute you can imagine why they almost became extinct when in the 1930s women would wear these precious birds adorning their hats! The pair in the photo above was definitely courting. Chatting to each other, walking around in circles, sidling up to each other in preparation for the tiny nest they will scoop out of the sand. There they will both care of the one to two young. 

Ah-h-h life goes on. 

Unusual beachscapes

Recently we have had some strong and steady winds out of the East which create rip currents. A danger for swimmers who are unaware that these currents can rapidly take you out to sea. Rip currents are relatively easy to manage if you swim parallel to shore until the pulling lets up and you are free to head back to the beach with no problems. Scary for the unwary for sure. 

However, these rip currents also create some unusual sand formations that are particularly evident at low tide. Today at the beach I saw sandbars and little tidal pools everywhere. Kids love tidal pools because it is like having a sun-warmed swimming pool right at the ocean's edge. Some of them are knee deep, some only a few inches deep but they are a source of interest for sea birds looking for tasty morsels to eat, a sooting bath for tired feet, a refreshing place to stand and chat with friends, and a calm and relaxing splash pool for raft floating.

Nothing beats being there in person and the photos don't really do justice to the unique variety of beachscapes that are visible to the naked eye. I just know that it must be enjoyed because with shifting tides, shifting winds and sands, the vista of the beach is always changing... always amazing.

Big bird

Though not of Sesame Street fame, this big bird — a great heron — was still a sight to behold, especially being able to get this close. Indeed it was a very big bird and I'd guess about 4 feet tall. Since I'm just a smidgen over 5 feet I was certainly impressed to be standing this close to a bird almost as tall as I am. He was so intent on what he was doing that I was able to take several photos, though the one above is the best, and I did so without disturbing him. When I returned home to my bird book, I confirmed my thoughts that this was a young bird since his feathering hadn't as yet developed fully. 

No matter the tall or the short of it, this was another joyful experience that just simply made my day.

Gray day

Easter Sunday the beach was filled with families, students on spring break, surfers, fishermen (and fisher-women if I must be PC) and there was lots of sunshine. Picnics abounded, children's shrieks and giggles mingled with the gull's cries and it was like a slice of summer fun. 

One day later and the beach was deserted -- almost desolate. The sun was hidden by thick clouds and the gray skies made the beach seem almost monochromatic. The distinction between sand, surf and sky was blurred. A very strange day indeed. I saw only one other person on my two mile trek and if it had been cold that may be understandable, but it was 76 degrees, a little breezy but not bad. The difference between the two days was as if someone had flipped a switch. I have heard that while in Florida, if you don't like the weather... just wait five minutes. Well, change it did. I must say I like it both ways. This gray day was peaceful and solitary... it was good.

Eye opener!

What a great way to start the day. Again, it has been a few days since I've been to the beach and sunrises like the one in the photo make me realize what great pleasure I get just from being here. Makes me grateful too that I can so easily witness such glory... if I'd just put my feet on the floor and start moving each morning, that is. Well, it has been unseasonably cold the past few days so that's my excuse... and I'm sticking to it. ;-) Plus, life's obligations seem to throw obstacles in my way all the time, and I'm really good at making excuses. Perhaps that is one skill I should unlearn. 

It really doesn't take much to carve out an hour each day to soak up some of nature's refreshments. Tomorrow my feet will hit the floor again, running... no excuses.

Red-eared slider

What's a red-eared slider you ask? I didn't know until this morning and it all started with a near accident while on my way to the beach. Out of the corner of my eye scoots this dark shape moving quickly across my path and I'm about to run over it with my bicycle. Screeching to a halt I realize it's a turtle. Hey, what about that old tortoise and hare story? These old things were supposed to be slow. Not this guy! Anyway, I snapped a photo and went on my way to the beach, he (or she) went on his way across the 16th hole of the golf course. I wondered if he was one of those famous Florida Gopher Tortoises, a native of Florida and supposedly the only tortoise native to North America. Um-m-m-m.

This musing made me reminisce about of one of my favorite authors, Carl Hiaasen. He too is a native Floridian and writes books that make me shriek aloud with laughter while he delves into the plight of Florida wildlife and habitat. His book Lucky You is about a ruthless land developer and the Gopher Turtle. I also adored one called Skinny Dip, the first Hiaasen I read which made me devour even more. Great reads if you want to be entertained.

Back to my morning's turtle... I've discovered it is NOT a Gopher Turtle but a Red-Eared Slider, evident I guess by the red marking on its head. The poor thing had also been pretty much banged up and was displaying some scars on his shell probably from the many years he has been around. I guessed that he has some years on him from his size which was a good 12 to 15 inches not including his tail. These turtles are the kind that are often sold in pet shops as those cute little 2-3 inch aquarium turtles. From what I read they grow too big and people turn them loose. This lucky guy has found his way to the local golf course and can probably eke out a good and peaceful life there as long as he stays off the road and out of the path of bicyclers like me. 

What a good day, I enjoyed not only a bike ride and a walk on the beach, but I learned something new and got to meet a red-eared slider to boot!