We have lake side property

Saturday March 29, 2014
St George Island State Park
Eastpoint, FLorida

 

 

We are side lined by the rain.

 

 

The rains started Thursday, the night of the party, after we got home.  It rained all Thursday night and then all of Friday  and into Friday night. Friday the rains were at times torrential or at least that’s how it sounded on the roof and looked out the window.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s a wrap!

 

David worked on the camera problem for 3 days and finally threw in the towel.  A very unusual thing for him to do but it just didn’t seem to be worth the time it was taking.  I’ve ordered a new camera to be delivered on Monday so until then, pictures are few and far between. 

 

 

After over 24 hours the rain finally stops for good and the sun actually comes out.

 

 

 

On Saturday the rain finally stopped about 1:00 so we ventured out to find that we now have lake front property.  Well  lake side actually.   Not sure you can see the water over the mats and under the kayaks.  The trees are reflecting in the water.  It’s about 4” or so deep.  My kayak can float but David’s is upside down.  Luckily the water did not come clear up to the door.  The duckies come out for a turn around the pond.

 

 

 

 

Duckies swim, we go for a walk to see where else all this rain went.

 

 

While they are swimming, we walk down to the beach to see how things are after the storm.  On the way we stop by the ponds and see this guy in one of the far off trees on the other side.  I think he’s a cattle egret – Page? Eric?  Judy?  I love his light caramel coloring.   No cattle around here and he seems to be alone.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is also a couple of Pied Billed Grebes and one female bufflehead on the pond.  Everybody looks pretty happy with all this water.  It really is wonderful having the pond habitat, the gulf beach habitat and the wetlands habitat all right here within walking distance.

 

 

 

 

 

If wishes were horses then………….

All day Friday was pretty heavy wind and rain.  I wish I had gotten off my duff and put on my rain gear to go out and see the storm at its height over the gulf.  I used to do this all the time when I lived a block from the water in Virginia Beach. 

 

 

The waves are stronger than usual and so is the wind but the sun is brightly shining and folks are out.  The red flags are flying warning people to stay out of the water but the kids are playing in the shallows.  So we head down the beach toward the farthest tip knowing we will be walking into the wind on our return.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a day this is, so fresh and clean, crisp and clear.

 

 

 

It’s a beautiful blue sky puffy cloud day.  The dunes look gorgeous against the sky.

All along the beach there are sections roped off with signs asking that you not go beyond them due to the nesting birds.  These are put up when a nesting site is documented.  I love this and appreciate the parks for their efforts at giving other creatures a chance at a normal life.

 

 

 

David turns back before I do. 

 

He gives me his camera but I simply cannot see in these LCD only screens so most of my pictures do not turn out and get tossed.

 

I walk about another half an hour after he leaves and I can clearly see the end of the island when I stop to turn around and check the power of the wind at my back. 

It’s been a very pleasant walk down the beach and very different without a camera I can use easily.  There were one or two things, especially an unusual bird that I wish I could have gotten a picture of since I couldn’t identify it by memory once I got back.   But the picture I took sure that I was pointing right at the posing bird showed no bird at all when I got it back to my laptop.  Very frustrating.  I don’t know how you guys with LCD only cameras do it.

Anyway, now when I turn around I realize the wind is much stronger than I thought.   15-18 mph is my guess.   So even though I really really really wanted to see the water crossing along the front edge of the island, and it isn’t that far away, clearly visible; I think better of adding any more distance to what I have to walk back.   And I’m very glad I did.   I was leaning into the wind to make my way. 

 

 

The winds convince me to change my course at the very end.

 

I walk off the beach at the public beach area perhaps 1/8 mile before the campground road to get out the strongest forces of the wind and walk up the road. 

On both sides of the road are lakes in front of and behind the dunes.  I wonder how long it will take the sands to absorb this water.

The entire walk was 6.75 miles so I did over 3 walking into the wind.  I am tired when I get back but it was wonderful to be out on such a lovely day at this fabulous natural beach.

 

 

Thanks to Carrie for a GREAT play by play these last few days.

Saturday evening Carrie and I do a partial chat/play by play of the game between my original hometown basketball team, the Dayton Flyers and the Florida State Gators from nearby Gainesville.   Here on the island we can pick up all the networks from Tallahassee but one.  And of course that’s the one carrying the game.   I probably should have gone to a local sports bar and been the only one in the entire state cheering for Dayton.  The Flyers are the only Cinderella team left in the Elite Eight and at a #11 ranking they have made an amazing run.   They do a pretty good show fighting all the way to the end but the final score is 52/62 Florida. 

I had no idea that two times I root for would be in the NCAA or I would have made sure my late March was in a more TV accessible area. But who can know that 11 months in advance which is when you have to make reservations if you want to be in Florida in the winter.

Many thanks to my basketball loving and playing daughter for her great written play by play of the Dayton and UVa Games for her mother without TV.