1 Year in: Our Giant Living TV Screen

Me & Neighbour Bobbing at Sea

We arrived in Mad Beach a year ago today!  

Our resident great blue heron has returned to help celebrate our anniversary.  He seems to be a 'reverse snowbird' or is that a sunbird?

Little did we know that the view from our condo balcony is like having a giant TV screen in front of us; always on, sometimes more active & interesting than others, but never not broadcasting even in the dead of night.  It is fascinating to watch the wind, wave and sand action as well as all the critter (including human) activity.  It all helps to make Florida a more enjoyable place; some things are easier to explain in a blog than others (see blog posts of 17 & 22 November 2014). For those who have followed this blog, I hope you have had a little sense of our beach.

View of our our giant TV screen!

The dolphins have been out frolicking - not sure if the leaps, tail slaps, and splashes (visible 1/2 mile away as well as near shore) are playful, fighting or mating!! Walking along the beach at sunset on the 25th March we were treated to a real delight, playful cormorants body surfing whilst fishing for dinner.

Water only up to knees out there

Now out to the sandbar that has formed just offshore to feel live sand dollars under our feet and see what shells might be lurking there.  Some shells that should be on our beach apparently get hung-up on the sandbar.

Local friends say I am tanning a nice brown and my hair is being bleached by the sun; so all those beach clean-ups have a side benefit!

Comfort Zone indicator

The purchase of the month is a magnetic doorstop which holds the [condo] regulation metal front door firmly open.  Now this might not sound exciting to you . . . but to mini me who enjoys a breeze but doesn't want to get decapitated in the door, this is pretty thrilling stuff.  We get a wonderful cross breezed from the ocean right through the flat and out the front door - very cooling, but also blows all our papers about and our front door slams shut.  So you get the picture -- and why a magnetic door stop might bring joy.

We also have a new barometer/thermometer/hygrometer (humidity) and mini me must laugh that at the top of the 'comfortable scale' (ie 24C/74F degrees and up to 70% humidity) life size me feels chilly!

Meanwhile, we are hanging wall decorations and finally making progress on that dahlia quilt! Not to mention all the volunteering which has resulted in 6 volunteer T-shirts (what else in Florida on the beach) in 12 months! The day-glow yellow one is especially useful as are the new high visibility suspenders (lots of vehicle-pedestrian accidents here).

Trying to stay visible & safe!

Smiles Required, Shoes Optional!  We have just signed up to be 'Sand Ambassadors' and have been promised a 'Sandtastic' time volunteering in April. Yup, some ideas don't translate well off the beach . . . C'est la vie and here comes another (#7) free shirt!

We're off to a Turtle Nesting Workshop - yes you heard correctly.  It is Easter weekend, Happy Easter everyone!

Look like fun?  He flies out of the water and through the air, but usually crash lands!

Close to shore . . . 

. . . and into the air