Rainy, Cloudy Warm, Windy–It’s the Beach

Sunday November 23st & Monday November 24nd, 2014
Fort Clinch State Park Campground
Fernandina Beach, Florida

 

SUNDAY

 

Boy did it ever rain after we returned from our day at Historic Fernandina Beach on Saturday.  We tried out another no oil popcorn idea since my stainless steel pan didn’t work.  You can see that fiasco here.  But look at the pan after 3 days of cleaning.  You’d never know it happened and believe me, it won’t happen again. 

 

And look at this major popcorn with no oil success.  The secret?  A well seasoned cast iron skilled.

1/4 cup popcorn on medium high and shaking enough that the camera can’t focus on the pan.

 

 

 

 

This morning it was still raining lightly in the early morning.  There is a lake in front of our neighbor’s driveway.  He jokingly said he thought they’d have to use our kayaks to get around.

 

 

When rain stops we go out to see if the ocean is still angry and it sure is.  The sky is white with clouds.  You can’t see down the beach but we walk along toward the ocean around the bend.

This is the Cumberland Sound

 

 

Nothing deters these two.

 

 

I can barely see the fishing pier through the clouds.

 

 

 

 

The ocean is beyond the fishing pier which has one side on the sound and one on the Ocean.

 

 

Just beyond the pier the land curves around to the ocean but we’ve run out of beach.

 

 

The tide looks regular enough and the beach deep enough that I think I can make a run for it through the water.   I know that around the bend the beach is very very wide.  I consider it.

 

 

I take off my shoes and socks, roll up my pant legs, ’m ready!

 

Off I go.

 

 

 

As I leave, David’s comment is “You are really going to do that?”  So I don’t expect to see him on the other side.  But he is much more cheeky than I am, he walks through the water with his shoes on and takes a picture of what we find.  The birds are all hanging out on the beach.  Mostly gulls and terns but a lot of them.

 

 

 

 

These ocean waves are definitely even bigger than the sound.  Still pretty dark and ominous out there.

 

 

 

 

They are a bit cautious about my trying to walk on down the beach behind them.

 

 

 

Except for these two who don’t care at all.  I think they are Willets but Judy will let me know.  I watched them hang out together for a while.  Eventually they tired of me and flew back behind me.

 

 

 

 

 

David is strolling along behind me and gets this great picture of a 5” ghost crab.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I decide to walk out into the water.  Just at the edge mind you.  

 

 

 

 

The sun burns a hole through the clouds for just a minute or two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And that’s the last picture I take before a wave bigger than any I’ve seen yet today smacks me.

 

 

 

Looks like it’s time to turn back for breakfast and to get some dry clothes.  .

 

In the afternoon we bike around the park and stop at the Visitor Center which is all about the Fort and in my opinion not all that well done.  Some of the information panels even contradict each other.  I was hoping for at least some natural history but there is none.  There is a film but it isn’t working and there is no one around to fix the problem.

 

 

 

The two most interesting things there I thought were the old map which shows Fort Clinch, the Amelia River, Cumberland Sound and Cumberland Island.  It also shows an Indian Mound just south of the Lighthouse on the Fort Clinch property.  I wonder where that is or if any of it remains.   The Lighthouse is still there but it’s only available for viewing by tour at 10AM on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday’s of the month which of course are the day we got here and the day we have to leave.  Next time!

 

 

 

Just to the right of the map is a very nice wooden replica of the fort.  Taking a close look I can see the guns pointing out to sea that I walked by on Thursday.

 

 

 

After leaving the Visitor Center we bike through the River campground which David has not seen.  He gets a picture of the Camp host’s decorated golf cart and a rather droopy Turkey in another campsite.

 

 

 

MONDAY

 

Today is our last day with Nancy and Bill.  They leave tomorrow morning after 3 weeks here.  We are so busy enjoying their company that we have very few pictures of the day. 

In the morning Nancy and I have too many laughs in her kitchen.  We’re making popcorn and potato chips in the microwave without any oil.  They both work perfectly but take forever since we are having such a good time.  It’s the demonstration kitchen we tell David as he comes over to find out why I’ve been gone so long.

 

 

After lunch we all head down to the beach where we have the entire place to ourselves.  The waves in the sound are calm and the temperatures are warm.  It hits 80, the warmest since we’ve been here.  Unfortunately the wind is from the land side and the flies are biting.  To ward them off, Nancy and I go for a walk down the beach and while we are gone, the guys give it up and go back to the rigs.

 

 

 

They join us for dinner at our place and we continue with the stories of kids, former homes, earlier lives and current travels.  We are really going to miss having them here.  But we’ll see them again later in the winter at Myakka River State Park where we’ll do another hike to Deep Hole site of a former expedition.  We’re already looking forward to it.