White Ibises

For reasons unbeknownst to Rich and me, a small group of white ibises decided to hang out at our house - I mean dock - today. They were fun to watch frantically feeding in the grass at the water's edge and tutting around enforcing pecking order. Unfortunately they left a bit of a mess behind, although they did pose rather nicely.

The buzzing beach

It is Thanksgiving weekend and the beach is ALIVE with activity. Boats, parasails, sunset watchers....and on my bike ride on the beach this late afternoon I caught young people swimming in the water. Swimming! Brrrrrr. Florida is surely a paradise for many as this sunset can attest.

Sunset eyes

We have discovered a new place to haunt! The Beachcomber Resort has music every night at Jimmy's Beach Bar. It has a lovely wooden deck and a terribly striking view of the beach, which of course you can see reflected both in Rich's laugh and his eyeglasses!

Dolphin for sale

Notice the for sale sign on the top right of the dolphin. Here in Redington Beach beneath the all-white exterior of the place is a bit of economic agony. However, the wildlife are flourishing and perhaps flourishing because of it. And that is the point of this picture. Rich and I have seen dolphins fooling in the water behind the house and today while we were out in the boat. Oh yes, wow.

Our House

Here is a view of our house from the backyard. On your left is the wonderful covered patio where I have spent many a delightful meal and hours upon hours working on my laptop.

Fantasy dock

I still can't get over how beautiful the views are from just about everywhere! So what if I mixed them up a little bit...

Camphorweed

There are these lovely yellow flowers, rather generic I guess, but pretty. They are prolific at the top of the beach so I've gotten to taking a few now and again to add some color to everyday. Kitchens need that you know. Otherwise the everyday begins to seem mundane and then washing dishes wouldn't be fun anymore. Bad situation that would be!

I'm thirsty

Well, not really *thirsty*. Fact is, I got a new camera for Christmas (yes, really, Christmas) and I wanted to test all of the settings immediately and there we were at the table with our cocktails, so I had to snap multiple photos at night of whatever was convenient. I was tickled with the results. Glass is good and reflections are better.

Thunderbird

We've been on the hunt for fun places to have a drink and listen to live bands. When we were turned away from the Tiki Hut at the Thunderbird Resort because the bar closes at 6pm we had to find out what it was all about. So we returned another day and discovered a crowd of resort-goers in vacation mode listening to two guys strumming and singing on the beach at the Tiki Hut. We watched the sun set on fried red skins and sandy babies while nurturing our cocktails. A little odd, really.

Kayaking

I do realize that I am a little off-center, but I don't see why my inflatable kayak should be! But it is. I'll figure it all out eventually. Please post if you've got ideas. I LOVE being out on the water. So when I came home from my conference and the sun was beginning to set, I quickly changed into my bathing suit and plunked the kayak in the water. Oh my. The water was so quiet and smooth (very unusual) and there in front of me was the sunset with the moon on the left. I am so loving this!

Backyard Dinosaurs

Oh my but to find this lovely monster in someone's backyard! This yard had every conceivable option. Especially alligators, pink flamingos and pelicans. But I could not resist this dinosaur. And besides it was found beneath a big sign "Antique Mall".

The Band at St. John's Pass

It only took one bar hop to find the Time-Out bar and grille at St. John's Pass in Madeira Beach. On the second floor of a retail building, it has a fun bit of balcony where the band was set up at the end. The band was very comforable playing together and we had a good time. Far better in fact than the Blues Festival in Dunedin we went to tonight. You see, we had expectations. We were expecting the experience we had in Media at the Blues Ramble. It just wasn't that good. But we'll be back at the Time-Out bar next Friday night!

Flooring it

We have lovely floors in our home. And when the sun comes out they look like they've been painted upon. I feel as though I am surrounded by nature's artwork!

Flash in a pan

I get to see a lot of sunrises here in Florida! It rains, as you can see, but either it pours out of the clouds quickly and stops or it is more like a spray from a swiftly moving cloud. And there does always seem to be a breeze tumbling about. Also, I believe I'm beginning to understand the kitschy style here. The Florida landscape and weather has so much color and vitality that it demands creative expression. Where is my glue and paint...?!

Magnificent Mansions

No, this is not where I live! But wow, the houses that line the gulf beaches. They are spectacular. They have multiple balconies, serene patios and sparkling pools decorated with tasteful and colorful tiles. And of course, they kiss the beach. On the street side you can see just how huge they really are. Some of them must have 10 or more bedrooms -sort of like a mini-hotel ...or spa. Perfectly polished plantings blooming happily surround the concrete or brick driveways and sidewalks. And in the wee morning hours many of them have all the shutters down and they look like armored fortresses awaiting a brutal storming!

Bi-valve Mollusks

I sometimes wish I could simply velcro my camera to my flesh so it would always be available. But alas, no velcro and on the morning after a storm no camera. But here is a picture of the type of "pen shell" mollusk we witnessed on the beach, open and with the foot hanging out like a tongue. The sand was littered with them. They had been flung from the water and then abandoned by the waves. Most of them were completely black, but here you can see the irridescence underneath.

Birding at sunrise

Everywhere there are beautiful birds of marvelous shapes and sizes. On my walk on the beach I came across this fellow. He wasn't a terribly cooperative model however. It was a bit chilly that day.

This is what the beach looks like at low tide while the sun is rising. Growing up near the Jersey and Delaware beaches did not prepare me for the lovely life on these beaches. Early in the morning if you walk slowly and pay attention you can see the sand crabs scuttling away into the safety of their holes.

Pops and Zander

Rich hopped on up to New York earlier this week and took the camera with him. You can see why! He is a proud grandfather of Jonathon Alexander, affectionately referred to as "Zander".