Beach Life - Oct 20 - Walking in the Wind

In response to Connie Jordan Green's poem, "Turning the Corner,"  http://crr.trevecca.edu/article/turning-the-corner

Words sculpted away

"Til only the essential

Remains - Poetry.

Walking on a Windy Morning

Leaned hard into it,

Rushing past my ear

Deafening.

Persistent push at my back

Helping me along,

Roar quietened.

Nothing changed but

My direction.

Beach Life - Oct 19

October 19

Sand smoothed by the wind

Waves built up and breaking hard

By the same strong wind.

Empty beach

4-6 ft waves breaking over the sand bar

First Red Flag day

This day was too windy for beach sitting or fishing, but just right for the deck, reading, laundry. Ended with supper at Deborah and George Clifford's beautiful house.

Beach Life with Matzeks - Oct 10 - 18

October 16-18
Matzeks left early Sunday morning. Friday and Saturday were primarily beach days. Bill and I got in a little fishing on Friday.

Moon taken through the scope using iPhone

Another one landed in the dark. Not as big as he looks.

October 15
A busy day began with a sunrise walk on the beach with Claire and Amanda. The gulf was as flat as it gets, so we took a boat ride beyond the jetties and in front of the condo. The was was crystal clear and we could see schools of fish as well as many skates and rays. On the way back, Bill dropped off the rest of us on Hermit Crab Island for couple of hours of exploration and fun. Later, we rode in the boat to Tacky Jack's for supper.

October 14
Beach day, snorkeling, Claire fishing with us, successful dolphin hunt at sunset.

October 12:
Began like most days with an early beach walk, then tennis for Laura, Mike, Amanda and Bill. Claire collected hermit crabs at the dock and played with them for a while. Matzeks spent part of the day on Hermit Crab Island (known locally as Robinson Island).

October 11

Matzeks arrived on Saturday about 5 pm so they had a little time for the beach before dark. On Sunday, they rented a paddleboard for the afternoon and enjoyed the mild surf in front of the condo.

Beach Life - Between families - Oct 9

October 9
A day sandwiched between David's family and Laura's family. We got in a morning fishing trip and another at sunset. Hooked up a sting-ray in the am. At about sunset we hooked two redfish at the same time and got tangled. We managed to land both.

Big sting ray at the jetty in the morning.

28 pounder

A little smaller

Beach Life with Whitakers - Oct 3-8

October 8
Whitaker's enjoyed the beach and surf-fishing until lunch time and left shortly after lunch. It was a short but excitingly full week.

Allison Clark Whitaker

Owen Robert Whitaker

October 7
Beach, surf-fishing, playground with Owen

October 6
Bill and I took Owen and Allison to the Naval Aviation Museum. Owen remembered it from last year and wanted to see the "shark plane." Allison loved climbing into the cockpits and pretending to drive.

October 5
A fun beach day building sand castles and sea turtles. Allison would not touch the sand.

October 3-4
Owen found a feather, stuck in in his cap and we called him Mr. Macaroni.

Beach Life - Arrival Oct 1-2

Oct 2
We arrived late on Thursday and by the time we were in Unit 308SW of Wind Drift, we had been gone from Tennessee 12 hours.  We left behind a cool morning and a flock of turkeys grazing where the barn used to be.  Woke up Friday to a blustery day. The beach was full of birds feeding on huge schools of minnows in the surf between the beach and sandbar. There must have been 50 pelicans and more than 100 gulls and terns. The day was spent getting ready.