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

Henry David Thoreau

Minor Ritual Modifications

Monday February 18, 2013
Sebastian Inlet State Recreation Area, site 49
Vero Beach, Florida

 

 

In the first few days here I’ve settled into a new routine that is a lot like the old one.

 Sunrise at Sebastian Inlet (33) 

I wonder if like me, you have meaningful routine/ritual with which to begin your day.  The one I had at Flamingo was wonderful so I wanted to continue it if I could.  It hasn’t taken long to make that happen since it is again very easy to get over for sunrise, not over Florida Bay but over the Ocean now.

 

 

 

 Sunrise

 

Then instead of walking over to Eco Pond to see who is fishing, I walk along the Sebastian inlet and do the same.  Many of my Everglades pals are here, the great and snowy egrets, the great blue heron.

 

Sunrise at Sebastian Inlet (72)

Sunrise at Sebastian Inlet (60)

 

Sunrise at Sebastian Inlet (92)

 

Sunrise at Sebastian Inlet (78) 

 

Sunrise at Sebastian Inlet (98)

 

True, there are no roseate spoonbills and several other of the regulars at Eco are missing but there are new additions like brown pelicans and other ocean going birds.   More cormorants, ring billed gulls, royal terns, black skimmers, sanderlings and other ocean goers.

 

Another ritual I love in Florida is oranges for breakfast every morning.  Yum!

Oranges seem to go with every possible breakfast,  oatmeal, scrambles, pancakes, cereal.  That juicy orange globe brightens any plate.  Sometimes I think I could just eat a giant plate of oranges and call that breakfast by itself.

 

oranges

 

Like many places, especially more urban ones, the people are among the most interesting things I find here.

 

Sebastian Inlet 005

Take our neighbors for instance.  Well no you can’t take them since they’ve left but on our first morning here on Sunday, David notices our neighbor’s coach.  I am astounded that they are driving it.  What in the world happened here and why aren’t they fixing it?

 

 

 

 

Sebastian Inlet 003

I go over to introduce myself and chat.  The woman is standing outside with her dog who starts barking, I smile and keep walking.  “Oh no”, she says, “ he is really not friendly” aka “he will bite you”. Well all righty then, what do you say to that?  She said nothing more.  I say “Have a nice day” and leave.  Interesting.

 

Later I bike down to the pier where the yellow flag is flying in the considerable breeze  Medium Hazard they call it.

 

Sebastian Inlet 036

 

Sebastian Inlet 009

I come upon another interesting character.  A young guy is doing what looks like a rap routine that he is filming using a tripod with an itty bitty camera on it.  He first takes shots of himself on one side of the pier facing the inlet and the bridge. I don’t really notice his shirt until I see him change it.

 

 

 

 

Sebastian Inlet 038

 

He then moves over to the ocean side in his new shirt and continues.   When I leave I notice he has yet a third shirt but I don’t stay to see where he is going next.

 

 

 

 

 

Other than me, these folks are his only audience.  The guys at the end of the pier with their rods and reels are paying no attention at all.

Sebastian Inlet 023

Sebastian Inlet 019

Sebastian Inlet 027

 

 

 

This park, and actually this whole area, is all about fishing. 

There is no visitor’s center here but there is a fishing museum.  Nearly everyone in the campground has fishing poles on or around their rig.  There are 4 different pier type places for fishing two in the inlet and two at the mouth of the inlet.  These spots are often shoulder to shoulder.  It seems to lighten up as the day goes on but clearly here fishing is not a solitary activity.    Fishermen are along the ocean front as well. 

 

Sebastian Inlet 024

 

Sunrise fishing
on the pierSunrise at Sebastian Inlet (47) 

on the ocean front

Sunrise at Sebastian Inlet (48)

 

The fishermen thin out if you leave the inlet and ocean area at the campground and go over to the park proper where the beach seems more filled with swimmers, skim boarders, and surfers.

 

 

I like to bring my day all full circle by observing the sun set.

As most people know, I’m a real water lover.  It’s hard to find a water spot where you can watch the sun rise and set both over water and within walking or biking distance of each other. I know, I don’t want much.

At Flamingo the sunrise was wonderful but I couldn’t see the sunset, only some of the reflected color.  There was no western view except through the mangroves.   That was fine.

But barrier islands like this one are a place where you can watch the sunrise over the ocean and set over a bay or an inlet in this case.  Here sunset is even closer to Winnona than sunrise.  So every night around 6:15 (until they do that dumb spring forward crap) you’ll find me out watching the closing of the day over Sebastian Inlet.  

This is what I love most about this place.  I can begin and end my day with the rituals most meaningful to me.

 

Sunset at Sebastian Inlet 029

 

Sunset at Sebastian Inlet 054 

Do you have routines and rituals that you like to take with you wherever you go??

15 comments:

  1. Morning routines... first the one that you don't understand....Coffee... with sunrise and blog reading next while listening to the morning bird chatter.. The East coasters (I always look for your newest update!) provide my morning fix of whats new in blog land. Then the mental list of what I'm going to do that day. By then the anticipation has me hyped and ready for the day!! It is funny how the little things take on such meaning.

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  2. As rituals go, sunrises and sunsets are always at the top of my list. The ones on the water, even more so.

    I think you should take up fishing, Sherry :)

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  3. My ritual isn't quite as nice as yours :) Get up, coffee, computer perusing, shower, go out and workamp. On days off it only changes after that morning ritual when we go and do something. I am trying to get out on my bike everyday or walk.

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  4. Interesting... my ritual sounds a lot like yours... love oranges.. I kept a bag in the front of Homer and would peel and eat one looking at whatever water I was around ~ which I can't go too long without being around....

    I fixed coffee... the night before I figured where east was … ;) ~ love sunrises .... then evening time... where was the best sunset viewing.

    If I were stationary ... I'd ask the camp host the best viewing places ... desert? really no problem … but forests? just a glimpse ... ocean? definitely need to find best viewing places... I find that interesting too ... you'd think the ... well? the Pacific is certainly west ... ! but the sunrises still impart a nifty sky ~ tricky though.

    The Gulf? tricky. The Atlantic? EVErything is tricky but when your main objective for the day is to pursue said sunrise and sunset? with fresh oranges and coffee and oh, man ... just made warm muffins from a little local bakery?

    It's all good. sigh

    and aren't people interesting... seriously. I'm a very friendly kid... I have never understood people who are afraid of being friendly. A smile. Sometimes I'd meet a frowny ol person and I would smile. They would smile back. kinda relieved ~ like jeeez they really would like to smile but someone might think they were perverts or something… who knows

    The ones with constant frowns? ... I have laughed out loud in certain areas where ... I swear! if I saw someone somewhere smile? it was a shock... I'd get tickled at all the frowns... wth

    I tell you I have been where a smile made my day. From a server... to cashiers, etc....

    what was your question?

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  5. There is nothing quite like seeing the sun come up over the ocean. Some strange folks there?!?

    I agree about the oranges....always refreshing. I have enjoyed the California strawberries the past few weeks though.

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  6. Not really, not a coffee/tea person, would love to see sunset over the mountains, but have no view & too lazy to go out of the house at that time of day. Just get up, read paper, shower, dress. Have made a concerted effort to be dressed each day, ready to DO something, rather than laze about in bathrobe. Now Sundays like getting up, in bathrobe, get huge paper, read & watch Sunday Morning on CBS!!! BUT I like your ritual and want to do that in future :)

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  7. About the only real rituals I have, wherever I happen to be, is to get a cup of coffee and sit down in front of my computer to browse blogs and news for an hour each morning before taking Molly and Rylie for a walk.

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  8. I love water too! Gorgeous pictures of the water, sun and birds - love the water's color. And, the rapper - how hilarious is that! At least he's not bothered by what others might think of him... My rituals include writing in my journal and running every other day. :)

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  9. Hi, Sherry!

    Sunrise/sunset near any body of water is a as close to perfect as one can get, I think. I know it's out there when I'm home, but I don't think about it. Rituals occur, for me, dependent upon where I am. When we worked from the RV, my favorite ritual after Rich left for meetings, etc., and when it was still dark was to take Lizzie and a thermos cup of coffee to watch the sunrise. I was in heaven. Even in the middle of winter the lakes were beautiful so I'd bundle up and out to my chair I'd go. We always managed to park by water. Usually, we would find a place to catch the sunsets, together. Fond memories.

    Great post and pictures, as always. I like to people watch, too.

    This is the first comment with my new computer. :)

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  10. On the road or at home, coffee, internet for world news, some blogs and then check to see if the sun again rose in the east! Just a quick response email to my email, we did enjoy the Everglades, stayed at Midway the whole time because the President's Day weekend got in the way. We are not kayakers and not so much on longer (more than 1/2 mile) hikes, so our time there was wonderful but not as adventurous as yours. We are now at Ortona COE park for 3 days as another cancellation appeared on line. The Corps parks (Franklin, St Lucie and Ortona) are all great, quiet, etc. St Lucie is very near Stuart, FL, short ride to the barrier islands and the Atlantic. Our next stop from here is Highland Hammocks so I just re-read your post about your stay there. My late father-in-law was a CCC'r in the west, Nevada I think, so we are looking forward to seeing the museum. Safe travels to you. Dione

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  11. Looks like that motorhome had a ritual experience with a low hanging limb. Seems the slide was damaged, too, it appeared to be sticking out a bit. Big money to fix, certainly. That is one kind of ritual I can do without.

    My morning ritual is to try and drag my sorry bones out of bed at the crack of noon... ;c)

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  12. Sounds like you are lucky those folks left:) I need to develop a routine:)

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  13. Like you, I like to be there for the sunrise and take pictures to share on my blog.

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  14. I am with Gail, Sunrises and sunsets although I must admit I usually don't see both in the same day.

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  15. Our morning ritual certainly changes from location to location. I love being in the Keys and having both a sunrise and sunset over the water. Another good place to do that is Fort Desoto, in St Pete.

    I love Sebastian Inlet. We loved watching all the surfers who were surfing right alongside sharks. Hate the fishermen who are so bad about leaving fishing line laying around. Such slobs.

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