Wednesday 13 January 2016

Wave Therapy

 

On January 11, we headed north and west out of rural Florida towards the Panhandle and the Gulf. Our day’s drive was sunny and uneventful ending with rewarding glimpses of fishing boats, sailboats and pelicans.

P1090964

P1090963

P1090965

P1090967

P1090969

P1090972

P1090971

P1090975

St. Andrews State Park stretches across a peninsula flanked by Grand Lagoon on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other.  We arrived during a cold snap and the high winds and near freezing temperatures had campers wearing down coats, toques and gloves.  The sites are well treed and carpeted in sand and pine needles.  We were glad to have our large mat to keep from tracking too much dirt inside.  With four feet and four paws, the motor home floor can get dirty fairly quickly.  We faced the Lagoon and could see huge mansions and their personal yachts parked outside , a few sailboats were anchored just offshore, kayakers and various Marine boats from the Navy training Base passed regularly.  Pelicans, Herons, Terns, Gulls, Ducks and Osprey went about their hunting and gliding, unaware of the campers below.  The Tyndall Air Force Base is close so we often heard and watched the jets scream by.  The park is also home to many deer that walk about the campsites and sand dunes, tame and unafraid of humans.

P1100151

P1100156

P1100149

P1090993

P1090990          P1090995

P1100051

P1100018

Within the park is Gator Lake, a refuge for water birds and alligators.   A hiking trail follows the water to a few small ponds alive with brilliant green algae and small fish.  It was too cold for the alligators to be out but we did enjoy watching the many Great Blue Herons on their small Rookery island.

P1100251

                                                The drawing on the sign is the only alligator we saw!

P1100262

P1090985

P1090996

P1100252

                      The small gray blobs are the herons on rookery island. We could see about twenty.

P1100248

                                                  There are occassions, when I wish I had a long lens.

P1100275

P1100282

P1100231

P1100244

P1100246

P1100243

The park roads are great for biking and we road daily to the beach to walk its long shoreline.  Various ships passed through the channel to and from the dockyards and the Gulf.  There was always someone fishing along the rocky ledge and often scuba divers setting out to study the sea bottom.  The high winds created a great surf and the yellow caution or red danger flags were always flying.  Protected sand dunes frame the beach with piercing white sand and striking grasses.  There is a natural sand wall along a good stretch of the beach loaded with shells and many folks dig for hours in search of a treasure.  People also carve relief sculptures like dolphin and turtles into the densely packed sand.

P1090978

P1100177

P1090977

P1100164

P1100178

P1100183

P1100187

P1100188

P1100207

P1100170

P1090982

P1100165

P1100168

P1100288

P1100285

P1100036

P1100209

P1100212

P1100046

P1100224

P1090983

P1090998

P1090984

P1100007

P1100009

P1100003

P1100006

P1100100

P1100008

           The grass fronds paint delicate patterns in the sand as the wind whisks them back and forth.

P1100005

P1100094

                                                    We found a dog beach where Dixie enjoys the surf.

P1100092

P1100095

P1100103

P1100195

One gray morning, we were wakened by the haunting command of a fog horn.  The homes across the lagoon were shrouded from view.   Puddles from the night’s big rains revealed the only clear images in the fog.  Eventually the sun ate up the fog and the beach and waves beckoned us again.   We went out for our first seafood feast at Uncle Ernies (for those who do not know me well, Ernie was my Dad and seafood was his favourite) and sat looking out at the harbour.  Our timing was perfect to catch the sunset and watch the deep blue of the sky and waters turn navy and twinkle with the lights of boats snug at the docks.

P1100048

P1100053

P1100055

P1100054

                                                                  View from Uncle Ernie’s (Google shot)

Watching the progression of waves is hypnotic and relaxing.  Waves are the quintessential balance of rhythm and power.   One particularly blustery day, we walked out on a pier where the gigantic waves pounded the abutments and shook the entire structure.   We looked down as the deep green waves rolled in, folded over and crashed against the pier, over and over and over again.  Pure, Wave Therapy! 

P1100210

P1100200

P1100213

P1100026

P1100027

P1100023

P1100127

P1100284

P1100104

                                   Words float atop each wave and smash poetry upon the beach….

P1100093

P1100298

P1100296

P1100301

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.