Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Sunrise - Sand dollar - Sunset

Friday November 30, 2012
Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina

 

What a morning!!

It’s pretty dark when I go out in the morning to see the sunrise. 
The best colors are 30 or 45 minutes before it rises.

These are the early colors in front of me today in the East.

 

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At one point I turn around and there above me in the west is a nearly full waning moon. I don’t usually have much luck photographing the full moon at night but in this early morning light it is much easier.

 

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Beauty in front of me,

 

 

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Beauty Behind Me.
What a great morning!

 

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Practicing Patience.

 

Now I am not known for my patience with anything other than David and Carrie.  So later this morning I get to practice on something else.

After my early morning on the beach, I get dressed in my running clothes and go out for a run on the beach.


Some days I take a book on tape with me. 
Music sticks in my head and I end up singing the last few songs I listen to over and over all day so I’ve taken to listening to books rather than music as I run.

 
Since I have an ancient walkman and second hand shops give away books on tape these days, it is easy and inexpensive for me to pick them up.

Today I run a mile or two and then push the play button for my latest book to play. 


Nothing, nada, not a sound. 


I take the tape out and look at it. 
Hopelessly jammed.
Great….

This the first tape in a series of 12 tapes for this book.
I am not about to skip the beginning of the book. 
So after my run I set about exercising my patience and take the tape apart, unwind the mess and then wind it all back up cutting out the totally ruined parts and using scotch tape to put the remaining pieces  back together.

 

Tedious work which takes a long time and a lot of grumbling
but success!
I am able to hear the entire tape now.

The face on my sweatshirt pretty much sums up how I felt about it.

 

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Rescuing a Sand Dollar.

 

On an afternoon beach walk I find an unusual sand dollar high up on the beach at nearly low tide.  I can see he is still alive but I don’t think he stands much of a chance to not be “collected” if I leave him where he is.
Every single morning I see people with buckets and bags filling them with shells.   What do they do with so many shells??

 

I am amazed at how many shell collectors take the shells without making sure the occupant is not still in there.  They then put the shells in bleach so they won’t “smell”.   If a shell smells of anything other than the brine of the sea, put it back, Please!

 

In specific, if you ever find a sand dollar that looks like this and has little hair like follicles on its edges and bottom side, it is still alive.  If you click this picture and  enlarge it, you may be able to see the little follicles on the edges.  I wish I’d taken a picture of his underneath side so you could see them there.

 

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Here is a sand dollar I  found last week.
These are the ones you can take.
They are no longer alive.
Very different color.

 

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I take the sand dollar out into the water since it is low tide and put him near some rocks which are well under water in all but low tide in hopes that he can take care of himself and keep himself out of harms way.

 

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I hope I’ve given him a life extension by moving him and perhaps an extension for some of his relatives by putting these pictures on my blog.

 

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It’s another beautiful evening at the marsh.

 

The sunset colors occur in the opposite order from the sunrise.
They will color the sky after sunset.
We go over to the Marsh boardwalk to end the day as I began it, with the sun.

 

 

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This full timing life is the best thing ever!!

(even if you do have to practice patience at times)

16 comments:

  1. SDRL (Sand Dollar Rescue Lady), you did a totally wonderful thing to one of Mother Nature's smaller creatures.

    Just wondering if you gave it a hug before you placed it back in the water? Sometimes you need to give the trees a break. ;c)

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  2. Once again, absolutely fabulous photos!
    Now, I have to say, if that had been my tape, I would have thrown it away. You have WAY more patience than I could ever muster to take that thing apart, repair and rewind!

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  3. Loved the sunrise/sunsets. I've learned not to pray for patience as usually more opportunities for patience follow. The sweat shirt was just perfect!!

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  4. Patience is Not one of my finer qualities and always means just waiting. Your moon shot turned out great and I love the grasses in front of those sunrise colors. Bless you for getting up so early. And for rescuing the sand dollar. Don't think I've ever seen a live one before so thanks for the tip. If I ever back to a beach.

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  5. Gorgeous gorbeous pictures ... love the sand dollar rescue ... I didn't know that ... I don't do much shell collecting anyway but I have seen shellsl move! I don't like to hurt them either ...

    What a fun day you had ... starting with that glorious morning... good good stuff!

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  6. I would NEVER take a shell that is brown home.... it is not pretty. I have jars of shells, buckets/pails, galvanized pans, you name it, it could very well be full of shells. AND i had to BEND over to pick up each & every one!!! Love shells. While in Florida got drenched getting them, just out of reach.... It is an obsession. Someday, an archeologist is going to dig in my home and think there was a sea bed here, or at least wonder, "How did they get here?" And i will be smiling......

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  7. I never get up before sunrise (except to go to the bathroom and then stumble back to bed), so I really enjoyed your pictures.

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  8. I always love when the moon is still up in the morning, and the sun is up too. Magical moment for me.

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  9. S-S-S wonderful photos of all three. I do the same thing with Sand Dollars and any live shell...get them back to the ocean before they get put in the bleach bucket!! It's my way of shelling without taking;o))) I do love to walk and search the beaches, then take photos for my virtual shell collection!!!

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  10. Wow - what beautiful pictures! I notice you are in Flagler Beach. We are in Key West and I am fascinated by the man - Henry Flagler. I am reading a book now about him. Pretty impressive how you ungnarled the cassette tape. Hope the next 11 work well. Liked the sand dollars. We found a bunch in the Northwest last summer but haven't seen any here in Florida yet. Enjoyed your post!

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  11. There is definitely something special about a sunrise over the ocean. I am amazed how many people can't get up early enough to watch a sunrise. It's the best part of the day! Great pictures. I'm anxious for the blog to arrive back in Florida, as I'm anxious to see how you're liking your new digs!

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  12. Great Moon shot, I do not have one yet due to clouds or sleeping in. I am impressed by your can do attitude with a misbehaving tape. Hope it works good for you now. The Sand Dollar education for all is very nice. Many people collect them and do not know live from dead. Great post.

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  13. Thanks for the live sand dollar photo ... this is the first I'm seeing one. You've got more patience than me if you tackled rewinding that tape.

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  14. I had no idea live sand dollars and no longer live sand dollars looked so different - thatnks for the education and saving that one!! Gorgeous pictures of sunrise, full moon and sunset. Makes me want to be there too! And, GREAT job fixing that tape - I'd be proud of that ;)

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