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

Henry David Thoreau

Sunday at the Beach

Sunday December 9, 2012
Site 4 Gamble Rogers State Park
Flagler Beach Florida

 

We’re still socked in fog and cool breezes.  The sun breaks through every once in a while and we get our stuff and go out to the water only to have it retreat in the next 15 minutes or less.  So no sitting on the beach today.  Too cool and breezy.

 

Here it is, the big news. For the first time in his life, David has outdoor lights.  It’s so foggy and dark that my picture of them leaves a lot to be desired.  But you get the gist.  He’s very happy with them.  Always remembers to turn them on at dark and off before he goes to bed.  I find that to be a miracle. :-)

 

Davidf's lights 039

 

Otherwise, things are pretty routine.  We’re still waiting for beach weather. 

I go out for sunrise today and here’s what it looks like.  Beautiful skies, just no sun.

 

Dec 9 Sunday

 

In spite of the fog and the mist and the wind and temperatures in the 60’s, we take a walk down the beach and  of course find very interesting things.

 

These folks are seriously determined.  I am dressed in a sweatshirt and long pants.  They are pretty much the only folks sun bathing.  But more power to them.

 

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Well there are these guys.  I guess they are sunbathing too.

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We find several composite rocks with embedded shells being brought ashore by the tides.  I think they are very pretty but don’t know the story behind them.  The campground site markers are all of this sort of rock in much larger sizes.

 

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Anyone from Florida (or anywhere else for that matter) know its story?

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Or know what this is?  It is moving its ?nose? so it is apparently alive.  I manage to put it back in the water without touching it but the strong tide keeps bringing it ashore.

 

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Since it is Sunday, I figure this must be some sort of camp meeting.

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There are those fishermen who are not at the meeting.   You couldn’t keep up with their diving.  Splash…splash….one right after another.  Wonderful to watch.   Taking close pictures of their zooming down, not so easy.

 

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Fishermen on shore.

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Remember those power kites that flew past the day we arrived?
Well they are back again.  Showing off as people grab their cameras.  Including me of course.

You can see from these pictures examples of the sun going behind the clouds and reemerging within minutes. 

 

 

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Looks like somebody is wishing he could do this too.

 

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And that’s about it for this day.  But then any cloudy, misty, windy day at the beach beats any sunny day at the office.

 

With thanks to the SUN for its brief appearance for this picture.Dec 9 Sunday (28)

22 comments:

  1. Oh i ran into those 'blue' things on the Florida Gulf Coast and they are jellyfish, man-of-war. did a blog on them at the time, look them up on Google!!! Poison-poison...glad i did not nudge it with my bare foot. At 1st thought the dried up ones were part of the oil spill, shows what i know!!! :)

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    1. Wow Loree I've heard of these but with as much time as I've spent at the beach I've never seen one until now. If I'd known who he was and the danger he can cause I would not have tried to put him back in the water. Thanks for the ID.

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  2. Another wonderful day at the beach... while the sun didn't warm you today, it was still a day to celebrate!

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    1. That's the ticket Karen. Every day is a day to celebrate!

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  3. Yup, jellyfish and/or man o' war...got stung by one one time and it was the most painful thing I remember about being in my teens! Purple flags flying on beaches mean stingrays or poisonous jelly fish or "dangerous marine life" spotted. Just wanted to add my two cents today, in case people didn't know what the purple flag designates! :-)

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    1. Your two cents is always welcome Jeannie!

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    2. I'm missing the beach. California beaches (at least Northern) are so much different than the warmer southern gulf beaches :)

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  4. I love the moods of the ocean, I've seen so many different ones, I never tire of watching them. Always something beautiful to see.

    Amazing those fly boys did all right with the winds that were blowing.You can almost see the wheels turning in David's mind as he watched them.

    Loved your pictures of the "gull choir". Interesting to see a few gulls, like some people, skip Sunday morning "church" to go fishing... ;c)

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  5. You got that right...I'd trade places any time, any place :O)
    Teehee on the campout....

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  6. Those are Portuguese Man o War and they sting. Be careful.

    The kite things are called Powered Para-Motors. We almost bought one several years ago but they were too expensive and we figured we needed two.

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  7. Wow, Winnona looks so festive...Nice job David!!

    My guess was a Man of War jellyfish...oh my am I glad you didn't get stung;o((

    My favorite photo is David with his wet pant legs. He just looks kinda Huck Finnish;o))

    Hope the sun comes out tomorrow for you two:o)))

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  8. Oh, I was told to stay away from those blue things, like others said, they can sting. Glad it didn't sting you. The lights are nice and festive.

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  9. Loved the Gull Camp Meeting. I have sweet memories of Camp meetings from child to adulthood.

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  10. I think David did a fabulous job on his first ever outside Christmas lights! Winnona looks positively sparkly :)

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  11. Nice Christmas lights. I haven't even dug my mini-tree out yet. Do you think the composite could be coral or ancient sea bed? Even foggy, it's a nice beach.

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  12. Nice lights, David. They brighten up the night and spread cheer during the holidays. What is it with this fog.. still here in Maryland too. However, today I see a little bit of sunshine peeking out... maybe the tides are turning. Sounds like traveling "south" is good... warmer weather hopefully. After the holidays (when I like cold weather) - I am ready for warm days and more sunshine. Love the beach photos.... love the beach... David looks good with the water lapping at his jeans legs.... life is better....

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  13. A festive home for the holidays definitely adds cheer on a dreary day. After a day at home, we're hoping for at least a partially dry day here to go out and explore the area a bit more.

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  14. Good job on the Christmas lighting - looks terrific.

    Nice shots of the beach and seashells - love those hang glider pics too even though I don't think I'd ever try that.

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  15. I enjoy those shadow pictures :) The ocean pictures are so pretty - birds and shells and water and sky - even if the sun isn't there... And, the Christmas lights - they look good...if you can't have a full tree or candles in the windows...why not lights? ;) I like them. Can't wait to be there!! A Man-Of-War - well, well...I am so glad you didn't investigate that too closely!

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  16. The rocks are coquina. The strong currents pulverize shells and stone and cause them to adhere together with various sediment. This is the same rock used to create the Castillo de San Marcos up in St. Augustine, and it's found from Central Florida beaches up the coast. If you get a chance, visit Washington Oaks Gardens State Park in Palm Coast to see some beautiful coquina boulders on the beach.

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  17. Oh, I meant to add: right outside Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine is a coquina quarry once used for the Castillo. It's free to wander through, and very interesting as well!

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  18. We had those Portuguese Man-O-War in South Africa too! We called them Blue Bottles. They have long tentacles that sting if they wrap around your legs or arms. I remember there was a remedy, but I cannot remember what it was.

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