Life is a beach (bitch?)

Starting Point
This is a spot on the top of the sand dune with a sand leading from the parking lot I find especially beautiful.  Each day I stop and try to put the view in my brain's vault. 



While walking on Jensen  Beach today I had the beach almost to myself
It was 75 degrees but very windy.
We have lived here 9 years but this winter I walk more on the beach than ever before.
Alzheimers patients like to pace.
I try to walk 10,000 steps a day.
I reach that goal if I take two walks a day.

Now I pay much closer attention to the beach

The Wind

I realized the wind is either from the North or the South.  I rarely notice a strong west or east wind.
The south wind brings warmer temperatures while the north wind brings colder temperatures.

Not mind blowing but I have slowed down enough with Alzheimer's to pay attention more.

The Tide
"Time and Tide Wait for no man"


This is a reminder that whether you are King or Pope, and especially if you have Alzheimers, we have time constraints due to our life in the physical world.  
For Alzheimers the time left is the time you have left for fun.  
Don't worry be happy.  
The beach helps me with that. 

Low tide and high tide now that I walk everyday on the beach the tide is very important to the quality of the walk. 
It now is the first thing I notice. 

The best walking is with very low tide on a clean beach. 
My bare feet don't sink into the sand.  
I love the soft sand with my feet sinking into the warmth and I kick the sand up a little as a child might. This is too difficult to walk far and fast. 
I get down to the edge of the tide and try not to get caught in the wave which is rare. 
With high tide I am walking more on a slant. 
Not too bad, just not optimal for walking.



The Sand
It's amazing when it disappears. 
Over the years so much of the beach disappeared we needed a rope to get us up to the stairs leading from the beach to the pool.
Not after a hurricane either. 
We were assessed $10,000 to have sand pumped from the Ocean to our beach.  Very interesting. 
A month later after a storm we lost much of it. 
However over the years the beach has come back.  
I am told we get sand shifted down to us from the north?



The Full Moon
This is more beautiful than the sunrises we see. 
The white refection on the ocean, clouds and the waves are eerie to see, much as a El Greco painting. 

 

Hurricanes
This is when the beach can be a bitch. 
We have never been stuck down here during a hurricane. 
The condo has major damage to the vegetation on the sand dunes between the condo and the Atlantic Ocean.
That often means we as owners are assessed to repair the damage

Pelicans
Love the flocks of Pods of Pelicans that fly right by our window.  They just returned to our beach this March.

I remember this limerick.

"A rare old bird is the Pelican 
His beak can hold more than his belly can
Though I"m damned if I know 
How the hellican""

I guess this is the original version below?




Sharks
This year I watched a teenager pull in a shark with his rod and reel.
His grandpa was giving him tips. 
I watch about 20 minutes as he struggled mightily. 
It was about 3 feet. First time I saw this up close. 
I have noticed a team of men lately who catch sharks and release them.  They have posted a podcast of them catching a 12 foot hammerhead shark.  
I could only find the photo below from the West coast of Florida. 



Thousands of Sharks migrating off Florida coast



I have not seen this but other condo owners with floors on higher rooms have seen it.




Fishermen
Many fishermen outside our 4th floor window on nicer days catching fish .  It's a joy to watch and talk to them.  They are very industrious. 

Turtles 
We have 3 types of turtles that lay eggs a couple of weeks apart from each other. 
Last year I saw them up close. 
Seemed like a bumper crop.
Unfortunately many of the late nests died due a storm.
What a bitch!
Baby turtle rescued outside my condo link




Best time of year Summer or Winter
No question it is the summer.
Longer days. 
Hot in middle of day but on beach with usual breeze it is lovely.
Much better than Kansas in summer. 
Much less traffic and crowds in stores and restaurants. 
Weather better for pool and hot tub at our 3 o'clock hot tub men's meeting.  Less men however.
Many of the condos not occupied this time of year.

Life is what you make it.
With Alzheimers it can be more challenging. 
I get much more walking on the beach than at Kansas during the winter holidays. 
On the beach there is peace and quiet and socialization with the other owners. 
The beach is a good place to be with a couple of exceptions.