Sanity?

Pembrokeshire southwest Wales; shown on BBC

 No this is not 'my beach,' as you can probably tell from the sand colour and the landscape.  But what an idea for our white sugar sand beach, however, it generally involves early mornings and one's work is lost in the next high tide - so 12 hour maximum display!

oops stung by a stingray
good help is available

Big fish caught from shore

The antics on our  beach keep us amused, so at least I have a window on a small part of the world.  The beach is still busy as very high FL COVID-19 levels mean this is one of the few things people "safely" do. We are 'buzzed' by low flying seaplanes and helicopters. Enterprising kids now trying to sell cold drinks via child's wagon prowling the beach.

The loggerhead nest laid out front on the 17 May hatched overnight the 13/14 July and was inventoried shortly thereafter. Sadly about 50 or half the nest didn't hatch and many that did hatch disoriented and scrambled towards the human lights and not the sea. 2 hatchlings were found trapped in the 'elevator' nest and were released into the sea. And still move nests being laid!  Go turtles!!

disorientation map

Here's some fun with a watermelon slice.

The Post office has been my most exciting outing since February, so am beginning to go a little stir-crazy. Besides the lack of mask wearing (or wearing properly) at the doctor's and post office drives me mental and is more than scary. This of course means I am growing my hair without a hair dresser like Megan Markle!

I've kept busy doing some of our volunteer work by phone and crafting - attached the bed quilt I just finished - wow what a project to do on my domestic machine - my arms ached as I had to hold all that fabric to get it though the machine. This complete, I am now working on gifts - so cannot show you those - hee hee!

Our other amusement is watching the typical summer thunderstorms over the Gulf of Mexico - it is a real treat as often (but not always) the rain drops the temperature a bit, at least to a more bearable level and once brought a rainbow.

And with the clouds come some total wash-outs of sunsets, but other nights real beauty!

Keep on Rolling - " Weary COVID-19 confinement"

A few people are thinking outside the box and trying to cope with our new realities. If only mini me had a boat!

Others are using the beach to get creative - a small kid hid under this blue tarpaulin, the hole was later filled, so hope he crawled out!

Saw this saltwater houseboat - boxy and not as attractive as a UK canal barge!


I must say I am glad to see more diversity on our beach here in recent weeks (closed 20th March, reopened 4th May); the crowds now regularly surpass our biggest beach holiday, 4th of July.

4th - a lack of public fireworks (due to COVID-19 precautions) didn't stop the crowds

personal airborne fireworks illegal here, but that doesn't inhibit anyone!

One of the few 4th fireworks displays still happening is LegoLand's Red, White & Boom which features the unique "brick-tastic" experience of the fireworks bursting into LEGO bricks via specialty viewing glasses!

This guy - a great blue heron - has to eat and caught this fish.  It took some time to get it down ... and it lodged in its throat for awhile, 

but eventually made it to the heron's stomach.  Too many fisherman are feeding our wildlife.

looking at him sideways you can see the shape of the
fish in this throat!

Glossy Ibis - first one I've seen

Another visitor apparently doesn't mind the heat. As of last night (10th June), the 11:00 PM - yes at night - heat index/"feels like" temperature here was over 100 F or about 40 C.

Now to add to our worries, we have a Freshwater Brain Eating Amoeba in the local area - so stay out of lakes, rivers & ponds! And a foreign parasite is infecting/killing a third of native Florida snakes with no known treatment; bizarrely it is like COVID-19 to humans, it impairs the snakes' breathing.

I miss everyone and no one is the sentiment of a friend, which sums up things nicely for me. Don't feel very people friendly at the minute - I am now people averse and cringe at the word "unprecedented."

My hands have turned to lizard skin with so much washing. I won't know how to hold a conversation anymore!  My life is now a Weary Ground Hog Day Repeat.

However, weary is defined as feeling or showing tiredness, especially as a result of excessive exertion or lack of sleep - which of course is not the problem in my case! LOL

Our COVID Headlines:

• 28 June headline - Florida Ends Second Straight Week Of Coronavirus Records

• Still climbing - 4th of July another record day of new COVID-19 cases here in Florida (11,000+ in population of 20 million). This holiday has become publicly controversial due to the history of the USA (slavery, horrible treatment of native Americans, general violence).

• Local ICU Reach Capacity - 6th July, some business shutting down again. 

• 9th July - FL experiences largest one-day spike in coronavirus deaths
• July 10th - Coronavirus causes nationwide coin shortage; not expected to have huge economic impact. First there was a shortage of toilet paper, then meat, always Lysol disinfection wipes and now coins. Causes:  fewer coins being produced by the U.S. Mint during the pandemic, people paying with cash less frequently, and people not able to exchange coins with banks and credit unions as easily have created the shortage.
• July 11 - Trump finally wears a mask in public! Florida running out of ICU beds.

Family history has kept me busy; I compiled old photos with stories from my mom, aunt and some of their 17 cousins (that makes 19 of them in all) -- the grandchildren of my great grandparents married in 1899. Actually there are 3 booklets covering my 4 grandparents. I have now mailed out 75 booklets to relatives; Phew!!