with John W. Howell
Today’s view shows the effect of a high tide on the beach. The water came up to where it looks wet. You can see some residual water out where the kids are playing (don’t know whose kids). The sky is a little overcast and we are expecting more rain. You can see the yellow and purple morning glories to the right on the dune.
Last week’s photo shows where the tide normally stops.
Today I thought I would post a few pictures which I took on three bike rides. These are all beach scenes since that is the place I do my riding. I hope you like these.
The first is a picture of a group of pelicans who were headed away from where I was going. Notice the birds fly in a V formation like geese. This allows the lead bird to fall back and coast once he/she becomes tired.
Here is a rather far away shot of the Coast Guard helicopter that patrols the beach daily. They are on the look out for drug runners and a possible stray soviet submarine. *chuckle* Also you can see Sunday was a beautiful day. The rest of the photos are taken in cloudy conditions.
Early in the week I came across a lonely Portuguese Man o’ War washed up on the beach. When the surf is rough (as it has been for a few days) these guys have no propulsion system and are at the mercy of the current. They usually wash in from far out in the Gulf.
Monday morning saw this sculpture left behind by someone expressing his belief in the Resurrection. I believe the sign read “He has Risen originally and someone came along and changed it to “He Has Fred.” I hope Fred has an iron clad story. He may need it someday.
I can see the tragedy written all over this scene. “Help me make a sandcastle daddy.” “Sure honey. Here I’ll use this shovel to dig the foundation….Damn.”
This was taken yesterday and you can see the effects of the Gulf high surf. There are thousands of Portuguese Man o’ War and assorted pieces of wood and seaweed washed onto the beach.This is a continuous process and by next week things could change dramatically.
Man O’ War are not the only things washed up. I have yet to find treasure but now and then an interesting item will appear. This is some kind of cover which has the instructions, “close before starting engine” on the top. I wonder if someone started the engine with it open and this is all that is left of whatever it is with an engine. I guess we’ll never know.
Happy Easter all. On a walk yesterday I had an idea that is a riff on the Japanese artist Hokusai Katsushika’s One Hundred Views of Fusiyama. (Mt. Fuji). I thought I would take a picture a week of the Gulf from the same location and then add a line or two of whatever pops into my mind. So with the introduction here is the first.
The temperature is in the high sixties and wind is about twenty-five miles an hour. It is overcast, and this picture is almost devoid of color. The white railings are part of the walkway to the beach that goes up and over the dunes.
The wind has been whipping the Gulf of Mexico into frenzy. Gusts have been up to sixty miles an hour which will lift the old toupee. (If you have one) Being outside is not the best; with sand and salt coming at you like it was made in a factory. Our little Silky Terrier did a yeoman’s job of staying on the ground but she did resemble the appearance of what you would imagine a Dallas socialite in a wind tunnel to look like. Her hair was everywhere and I could tell she knew it was not right. The boxer did her best to keep her wet nose downwind so to speak. Since the sand was sticking to anything moist she needed to keep pointing to avoid an eventual clog.
The weather is not the best, but it is sure a good time to get some of those writing chores out-of-the-way. I say chore because sometimes working on a novel day in and day out leads one to a case of the shaking bores. I don’t think this is an actual medical term but for me the symptoms are as follows:
So I guess eventually when I get all the bores out-of-the-way I really do return to writing. This is a very good thing and I’ll bet all of you do the same. Sometimes we need to give ourselves permission to goof off knowing full well that we will return to the thing we love, (Crabmeat..just kidding) WRITING.
So if you must, give yourself a little slack and go kill a frozen pizza. You’ll be better for it.
