Between the Storms

 

Looking over the Atlantic
Jupiter Island, FL
April 26, 2023

I made it out for a bike ride yesterday. I rode my base 15.5 mile circuit around Tequesta and Jupiter. The weather was beautiful in the morning, but it soon clouded over.

Chris and I managed a quick trip to the beach for a walk with Finnegan as the day wore on, but even as we walked along the beach the storms were gathering from the south and west. Looking over the ocean, everything seemed fine--but back along the land the gathering storms caused us to cut short our sojourn. 

Looking West from the Beach
Jupiter Island, FL
April 26, 2023

We made it home before the afternoon rains began. We enjoyed sitting on the patio listening to the thunder and watching the torrents of rain pelt the trees and ground. We still need rain, but I am sure that these recent storms have to be easing the region from drought conditions into a more normal rain pattern. I know that these afternoon thunderstorms are a pattern that seems normal for this time of year in South Florida.

More of the same is expected for today.

In the image looking west, the sargassum gathering on the beach can be clearly seen. It is not nearly as deep as some predicted, but the smell of the decaying sea grasses is somewhat off-putting. The dune rises about 10 feet from the base of the high tide line (the darker area) to the mangroves. It is a steep wall of sand and I still wonder if the sea turtles will be able to lay eggs this year. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL