The power of the Storm

Yesterday I indicated that we would not be going to the beach because of Tropical Storm Bonnie--but as the weather would have it, shortly after I wrote that the skies over Jupiter cleared a bit and we decided to hit the beach and watch the power of the storm.

In a word--it was awesome.

It had been a long time since I was on a beach with the red flags flying.

The waves were powerful and rough.

The boys enjoyed playing in the rough surf--but we did not let them go deeper than their knees.

The power of the storm was magnificent--we watched one dark group of clouds come across the water towards us until it forced us off the beach with wind and waves.

We really had the beach pretty much to ourselves--there were very few other crazies out on the beach enjoying the oncoming storm.

As it was, Tropical Storm Bonnie stayed pretty much south of us--so we missed the true brunt of the storm but were in a great position to have patches of blue sky interspersed with the true power of a tropical storm.

Barnacles--who wants to play?

There always seems to be one of this kind on the playground. The one who is a little crusty--and while he/she may be nice--they are definitely unappreciated.

I took this picture a couple of days ago and remembered it yesterday morning while watching Tropical Storm Bonnie brew over top of us.

The barnacles were on a rock on the beach and provided a good reminder that walking on the rocks without foot protection was something that should not be attempted.

On this sunny day they were basking in the sun at low tide waiting for the life giving waters of the Atlantic to wash over them again soon, covering and protecting them.

They seemed a bit lonely as no one really wanted to play with them on this bright and sunny morning.

But, I guess that's the way they like it.

One Green Turtle Saved

This tired little turtle lay exhausted on the beach the other day.

Baking in the near afternoon sun after probably struggling all night to make it to the ocean, he had given up and was waiting for death to come--either in the form of a predator or in the form of heat stroke and exhaustion.

But guess what--

He was found and rescued by Chris and Ethan. Placed in a cool bed of sand and kept out of the sun to recover a bit. A short time later--after a couple telephone calls he was delivered, alive and somewhat stronger, to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center of Juno Beach.

There they identified this little guy as a green turtle and took him to help him recover until he was strong enough to be motored about 8 miles out to sea and released in the area where the turtles go to grow into big turtles.

This guy is lucky actually. The survival rate to adulthood is about 1 in 1,000 and most are lost right after hatching when they are known, sadly, as the "cheerios of the sea."

We have a deep respect for the sea and our planet. Despite the odds and the probable outcome--we rescue those marine animals we come across who need help. This trip so far has seen us assist one green turtle, ten anchovies (yes strange as it seems), one crab, and three sea urchins to return to their environment and avoid an unpleasant death on the sandy beach.

Conversely, we love watching the pelicans and the osprey hunt for the animals just like the ones we just saved--kinda sick isn't it?

Tropical Storm Bonnie

Experiencing all kinds of things on vacation is what it is all about right?

Well today we are on the northern edge of Tropical Storm Bonnie--sunny right over top of us on occasion and very grim to the south over West Palm Beach and further south to Miami.

The waves are rough--I'm glad we went fishing yesterday, we would all probably get sick today on the boat, even if they go out.

Chris and Nicole have gone to the beach to shoot some shots of the power of the storm as seen in the waves crashing on the beach. The image above was taken from the balcony of our condo looking south to the storm clouds.

So it is likely that i won't be getting any additional sun today--but that is good as I have had two days of sun screen failure and am a bit toasted--not bad, but for someone who prides himself on spending days in the sun and not getting burned it reminded me that I don't like sun burns.

So likely a quiet day--maybe I'll see a movie or something different. Diving is definitely out! I probably would be shaken apart trying to get out of the inlet.

Fishermen return

A moderately successful morning fishing and we are headed in to shore.

Most of the fish were bonitas which are not good to eat but I caught one snapper.

There is something in me that loves being in a small boat on a rough sea. E dawg, however, discovered sea sickness. Sadly. But he is recovering nicely as you can see.

Fishing on the Blue Heron

Seems to be an annual event to spend a morning drift fishing the reefs of the Gulf Stream from the decks of the Blue Heron.

Our intrepid fishermen me, Mike, Fran, and for his inaugural trip Ethan departed port about 8:40 am in search of dinner with about 30 of our new closest friends. We sailed from Rivera Beach because the Jupiter boat failed to get the minimum number of fishermen.

Ay maties. We've set sail for a morning adventure.

What Day is it Again?

It happened this morning. I am totally out of touch with what day of the week it is.

Someone had to tell me it is Wednesday the 21st of July.

Who knew?

Actually, that is what I strive for when I am on vacation. Total ignorance of the day of the week and any comparison to what I would "normally" be doing. And so it only took a week this year.

Of course--I do have to keep a wary eye on the end of the vacation to ensure I don't vacation beyond my allotted time. Wouldn't that be cool--to go off on vacation and never return? If I were perpetually on vacation, would it be a vacation?

Wow, that is way too deep a thought for this morning.

I'm much too shallow a person to entertain those kind of philosophic thoughts while on vacation.

Gators napping

If this is Florida it must be gator country.

They are napping in the noon-time shade.

What a great idea. I think I will soon do the same.

On Safari

This morning we skipped the beach to go on a safari.

The animals were active and fun to watch. Even the lions stopped lying around to give us a show.

And of course the zebras thought they owned the road, and they were right.

Monday Musings - July 19, 2010

1. A bad day on the beach is better than a good day in the office.

2. I wonder what it would be like to be a sea urchin and live on the beach every day. This guy seemed happy to be living in the intertidal zone. It even had some bling on to blend in with the beachcombers.

3. Florida in the summer--some say it's too hot, but it was hotter in Maryland yesterday and I don't live this close to the beach.

4. Went to the beach this morning--one other person was on the entire beach. the tide was low and we had a great time.

5. BP says the oil is seeping somewhere--but they don't know where. As long as it's not into the Gulf of Mexico is it a real problem?

6. Interesting numbers:

16 -- the number of waves that hit the beach in one minute this morning. (I counted)

1 - the number of seconds it takes for the wind to destroy a beach umbrella.

2 - the number of inches a sea urchin moves in one minute.

3 - the number of games the Orioles have lost since the all-star break, unfortunately it also equals the number of games they have played since the break.