Mom, in her 92nd year, enjoys the beach as much as ever!
Another great joy is my daily, early morning walk. Some days I walk on the beach and enjoy the Gulf breeze, the warm temps even at six a.m. and the cool sand between my toes. I love finding "treasures," as my friend, Margo, calls them. Unique shells, pieces of driftwood, starfish, sand dollars. I have quite a collection. Sometimes, I add "memory treasures" to my collection - the friendly fisherman, Bernie, who comes early to the beach and exchanges Good Mornings with me, the herons who carefully watch over his shoulder for bait scraps, the occasional sea turtles, playful dolphins and more - even a scary shark exposed by the curling waves. Other days, I walk through the quaint bay neighborhood on the opposite side of the street. These pastel colored houses have become familiar "friends" over the years; I enjoy seeing the seasonal changes and home improvement projects among the dwellings; and rejoice when no recent hurricane forces repair and rebuilding. Two particular things come to mind.
The Dome house. In 2004, an angry hurricane named Ivan hit the island; we were privileged to arrive two weeks later. The destruction in property damage was horrendous. An unusual, white stucco, one-story house shaped like a dome did not fare well. It, among other less memorable architecture, was eventually torn down. Coming to the condo several times a year has allowed us to watch the rebuilding progress after the destructive storm. Today, there are still a few lots that are empty, but the blue tarps are gone and the island looks back to normal. Except for the Dome house. We have watched it's very slow progress each year. In 2014, it is still not finished. The owner decided to rebuild the exact same house, except for one major difference. Now the original dome sits on the second floor! The outside is complete, but there are still tools and ladders visible through the large upstairs windows as "finishing" work remains. This house deserves the title of Longest Time to Rebuild a Home! or possibly, Owned by Most Patient Man Ever. But one day we'll return, and the forbearing owner (who is doing much of the work himself) will have a light in the window!
The rock collector. One house I love to walk by features a collection of painted rocks on its curb. The rocks are all sizes (think an Irish potato) and are painted to portray an event in the life of the artist. Some are obviously painted by children, some by adults that are more skillfully rendered, but all represent sweet memories: births and birthdays, anniversaries, great accomplishments and other happy days. One year, as I was slowly walking by - reading the rock faces - the owner of the home came out. I learned that her eight grandchildren visit her each year at various times, and that this is their family tradition. During each visit, they celebrate by adding new rocks to the collection. What a wonderful idea! That year I started a painted rock collection for my daughter and son-in-law, giving them the first rock for their family, and they have kept it up. I search for special rocks to paint anytime I'm outdoors. Friends bring me rocks from their travels! This year, the owner added a new twist to her rock collection. She obviously knows it is a great attraction for the early morning walkers. There are small rocks painted with a letter of the alphabet,and walkers are invited to use the rocks to create a short message! What fun! I have enjoyed seeing the "message" change, and I am pondering what message I want to leave before we go back home!
Unique creatures. Each year, it seems, I learn of some new creature. From garbage lid-sized jellyfish to black and white jumping sting rays, to Satan's Purse pods (sting ray babies), to unusual shells (Penn). This year it was the cannonball jellyfish. The pictures were in the newspaper, but were taken locally. Incredible!
This shows a dolphin tossing the cannonball jellyfish as if it were a beach ball!
Among my greatest joys during my time at the beach are the beautiful sunrises and sunsets on the Gulf. Owning an iPhone means never having to say you didn't have a camera with you. I snap pictures nearly every day. Other, more skillful, photographers will achieve greater quality photos, but I rarely miss the opportunity to record a memory! I'm not alone. Though I meet fewer early risers, many gather on the sand at sunset to get a photo. I'm always struck by the different location of the sun over sand or waves between our spring, summer and fall visits.
Sunrise on Okaloosa 2014
My faithful, early-morning companion!
Sunset on Okaloosa 2014
I love the sunlight reflected on the water.
I can't take credit for these, but they are also my views.
Through the dune grass.
A zoom view of the pier.
Our 2014 visit is now at its midway point. I am looking forward to a visit from Ron (!) and Courtney this week. Courtney wrote much of Faking Normal sitting on a beach chair outside our condo. Her second book, The Lies About Truth, which comes out in the fall of 2015, is actually set right here on Okaloosa Island!
More to come! I'll add to this post in the coming days.
