Giving thanks

Over the Thanksgiving weekend we are often reminded of all the things we have to be thankful for. Even if it's just a roof over our head and hot and cold running water, the majority of us are very lucky.

I was silently whining when some of the local farmer's market vendors did not show up on the Friday following Thanksgiving and my favorite vendor was about 30 minutes late. However, if he had been on time I would have missed this spectacular look at the sun (above). The unfortunate part of the whole scenario was that I only had my cell phone camera. So there's a crummy shot of a spectacular sky.

I missed one day at the beach but happened to get there late in the afternoon Saturday. Families were mostly packed up and gone for the day but the few hangers-on were enjoying this peaceful time. 

Everything was winding down, shadows were long but the sun was still making a showing in the clouds above. It feels very different at the beach in the afternoon — somehow more serene. I suppose there is simply less anticipation of the day ahead and more reflection on the day we just traversed.

A late day osprey was searching for its evening meal. Everything was beautiful and serene. I was indeed thankful.

Gold and gray dawning

When I first went to the beach this morning I was sure there would be no sun, in fact I suspected there may be a rain shower or two. Instead I was greeted by a gray day and a golden sun. Here are three levels of gold and gray. Enjoy! I certainly did.

Love the sun's rays, trying to shine through those thick gray clouds...

A full-blown sunrise just the way it should be — shining on the surf. Ten minutes later the clouds swallowed it up completely as if it had never happened.

November dawn

 Surprise, I did manage to see a November dawn over the ocean. I made an early-morning trek to the farmer's market and captured this lovely shot before I captured a load of fresh vegetables and fruit. 

Then on my way back, I stopped for my long walk and literally consumed this lovely crisp, exhilarating day. Mid-November and there I was in shorts and short sleeves enjoying the sun and surf. Doesn't get much better than that!

Beach walker

I almost got to the beach at sunrise this morning but not quite. However, it's a good thing I missed the dawn or I may not have enjoyed seeing this fellow beach walker.

Back to normal... almost

The surf today... clear, calm and not a cloud in the 75º sky. Wow!

The surf two days ago... murky with seaweed from a tropical weather event off the coast.

Yes, finally the seas have calmed and the huge chunks of the Sargasso Sea that have been deposited here lately are subsiding. Huh?
The Sargasso Sea is a huge mass of seaweed that floats in the currents of the Atlantic Ocean starting about 60 miles off our coast. (This map is not mine but thanks to a Google search.) 

The seaweed on the beach and in the tall surf of two days ago, seen above as brown waves, is now gone. Hurrah! The masses of seaweed still on the beach will eventually disappear as the sea reclaims it.
But today, lounging on the sand was an interesting piece of driftwood that reminded me of  a sea monster...

and a house that was here yesterday is gone today! Poof. Eaten by a big yellow monster. 

Even the osprey enjoying this day seems to be producing its own contrail. 

What an interesting and varied day this has turned out to be!

Stinky and more...

Ten days of strong offshore winds have unleashed a few tons of seaweed on our beach and since it has been here for more than a week, it is becoming rather pungent. Stinky.

Yesterday, I walked north in an area with fewer dunes and was amazed by the erosion and seaweed literally knee-high in several places. Mother Nature will eventually clean things up but not until the ocean stops being so turbulent. On the other hand the waves are fabulous and a much more pleasant sight if you keep facing east.

I did notice the harbinger of winter with the return of the cute little Royal Terns. Don't ask why I'm so intrigued with the way they look but to me they are just cute — sort of remind me of a college professor I had. I also noticed several had bands on their legs. Can you see in this group shot that the front two on the left have little silver bands on their right leg? 

 Seaweed and wedding bands. An interesting day at the beach.

Wild and glorious beach

 Finally, the obligations that have been dragging me down for the past 3 weeks are mostly behind me, I'm free and reveling in our wild ride at the beach. Tides have been overly high, waves have been large and choppy, skies are cloudy and the wind has been strong out of the east-northeast. 

But what's not to love, even if the beach is full of seaweed and even if low tide is so high you are almost walking in the dunes. Imperfect as it is I'm so thankful to be here. The osprey are having a bit of trouble finding fish in the choppy waters and the sun is trying hard to scorch its way thought the clouds, but I'm grinning like a mule eating briars.