East Florida Beachside

Rosy dawn

There was a lovely rosy shade to the dawn this morning. Even after the sun snuck behind that little band of clouds, the hue was the perfect pink that you'd find if looking through rose-colored glasses.

However, if you were a little stingray chasing a fish and got two fishing lines tangled up like this little fellow did, I'm sure the early morning wasn't so rosy until the kind fisherman freed you and sent you on your way.

Early to rise...

Lately I've been getting to the beach early and have been treated to a wonderful array of clouds and sun. I decided to share a few photos with you to brighten your day like the real images brightened mine.

A cloud hydra was looming. Menacing looking but no rain, thankfully.

Pinks, blues and various shades of gray with a smattering of seaweed added for visual interest.

Almost brought my umbrella but decided against it. Do you think there was rain in those clouds? There was. Drat!

I just loved the 3-dimensional layers of these clouds with an occasional jet contrail in the clear blue of bring it all back to reality.

My favorite great heron (near his gazebo - see earlier post) waiting for the sun to escape those big heavy clouds.

What could be more striking than a shrimp boat highlighted by a rising sun? Maybe something, but at this particular moment in time, you can't beat this stunning image.

Life is just grand, no matter how you look at it.

Real & Imaginary

I was greeted by two new turtle's nests on the beach this morning. One was made by a loggerhead — though she was long gone by the time I arrived.

The other was made by an abundance of imagination and a lot of hard work. The sand turtle was still in evidence and her tracks leading away from her imaginary nest was simply a brilliant touch.

Both made my day, like a double-dip ice cream cone. Joy!

Great image, bad photo

It was simply breathtaking... As I arrived at the beach, I was greeted by a shrimp boat out to the sea, lights blazing. What was awe inspiring were the magenta hints of sun tucked into the clouds and just along the horizon the first bubbles of sunrise.
It almost looked as if the boat were pulling a fiery dragon's tail.
Alas, to capture the image I had to use the zoom lens and could not hold it still enough to get a sharp clear picture. Hopefully you will get the idea, even if you don't get a great photo.

With a good eye you can see the tiny reflection of the boat's light just at the edge of the surf. Amazing dawn.

Worth the effort

This morning it was threatening to be stormy, my bed was so comfortable and I was debating whether I should go to the beach for my daily walk. Good sense won out over comfort and off I went. It was certainly worth the effort.

Not only was I treated to some gloriously stormy skies and the valiant efforts of the sun to break through, but many folks decided to stay away so it was basically deserted, wonderfully cool and breezy and I was so happy that I made the effort. It was certainly worth every minute of it.

Heron weathervane

Along my stretch of the beach is a cute summer gazebo. Today it had a new adornment... a new weathervane.

Yes, perched atop the gazebo was a great heron. Probably four feet tall, this big bird was taking in the sights until a couple of crows started heckling him. That was a cue to take off. With legs dangling and a wing spread of probably six feet, it was a slow and awkward start but eventually turned graceful and masterful.

How delightful that Big Bird provided a pleasant beach diversion this morning.

Also, two more turtle nests today bringing the total to 28 in the northern part of the county.
All the nests are way up in the dunes. Any old wife with a tale to tell says this behavior means we'll be having a weather occurrence along the shoreline within the next 60 days or so. I'm not an old wife so we'll just have to wait and see if these turtles know something the rest of us don't.