Debbie Did Florida

TS Debbie definitely had an impact on Florida.  Both good and bad.  The flooding continues inland.  The ground is so saturated that it will take awhile to drain.  But, look at these!

On May 22, we were in the powerful grip of a very severe drought over 2/3 of the state -- and the "Sunshine State" was suffering.  Wildfires were a occurring and we had "red flag" conditions.

Then we had a little rain from a cool front and things looked a little better.

Our summer thunder storms kicked in and:

Things were looking a lot better and we were optimistic of getting out of the drought during July and August -- our rainiest months -- before the dry season rolled around again in mid-September.

And then Debbie arrived last weekend and brought us this:

Just a few counties with some drought now and, hopefully, summer storms will take care of their issues.  And, also hopefully, the people who have been displaced by the flooding will be able to return home and return to normal.  These storms are needed.  We just wish they brought rain in moderation.

After the Storm

The days after a bad storm are usually gorgeous and today was exceptionally beautiful.  We walked along the causeway and enjoyed the sunshine and sparkling, glassy waters that reflected the sky above and the land and buildings that skirt the waterway.

The water just offshore of our mainland is called St. Joseph Sound.  On the other side of the barrier islands lies the Gulf of Mexico, but when we refer to this body of water around here we just call it "the Gulf."  The Gulf is actually about two miles from shore.

 So when you look at a photo like that of my favorite palm tree on our island beach, it is impossible to tell where the Sound leaves off and the Gulf begins.  Our colony of cormorants were back in place on their rocks.  I didn't get a great shot of them, but you can tell that they're sitting out there enjoying a return to normalcy.

This fearless fellow seems to be overseeing his flock -- or maybe he just wanted a better view of the lovely scenery.

After I got home from our walk, I checked the tide charts for the southern end of Anclote Key -- the closest location charted.  We were walking along the causeway at exactly high tide: 7:53AM.  This was really a relief because in the following photos you will see NO BEACH.  We had all seen news accounts of beach erosion along the coast and it is a cause for concern.  But these pictures are just a high tide situation, thank goodness.

My favorite picture of the day would have been one that I did not get.  As we were on the return segment along the causeway, a young man on a bike let us know that there was a pod of dolphins searching for breakfast along the shores.  By the time we got there, they had moved beyond camera range but we were able to watch their frantic water splashes as they went after the schools of fish that are prevalent along the mangroves.  I think they may have gotten some red fish. So I'll go with our sea grape arch again.

No matter how may times I peer through that arch, I never tire of the view.  Made me wish I had time, my Kindle DX, a cold drink, and a beach chair to set up under one of the palms on the beach.

Don't forget to click to enlarge for detail!

Changes for the Good

When we first moved to Tarpon Springs in November of 1992, the park was absolutely gorgeous. Azaleas ringed many of the Live Oaks that dripped with Spanish Moss and all the playgrounds were of natural wood that fit right into the landscape.  Not so much today.  The wooden play areas have been replaced by plastic in primary colors.  They say it is safer for the children. I guess.  The azaleas are gone because they are "not a plant native to Florida."  And the grounds that were carefully manicured have grown up and are not as carefully tended because of the budgetary constraints these days.  I really don't mind that part.

The beach is what has changed the most.  It used to be flat.  Very flat. Sand and rock and no dunes or many plants.  Today is a much different story.  We have more palms.

We have a "wall" of sea grapes on the northern end of the island.

And they have grapes right now.  They are edible after maturing and turning to a deep reddish-purple hue.  They can be made into wine, jams and jellies.  I have never attempted it nor have I ever seen any of it for sale.  I haven't even seen many birds attempt to eat them.

You won't see the sea grape in areas that get hard frosts as frost kills the plant.

Most of all, I love the dunes that our ecology-minded park rangers have built over the last few years.  Some are quite tall now but we can still get a nice view of the Gulf.

A friend suggested that this would make a good painting.  I quite agree.  So even taking these pics with my cell phone, we still finished our two mile walk on Thursday a little sooner than we did on Tuesday.  And thoroughly enjoyed it.  It got cloudier as we walked but we were able to finish and get home before the torrential rains that graced us in the afternoon.

Walking with a constantly changing view and good conversation with friends makes the time go so quickly.  I certainly am enjoying our park again. There have been lots of changes.  Changes for the good -- in our park and in our healthier routine.

Early Birds

Ever since I retired, I have tried to avoid scheduling anything that requires an alarm to wake me in the morning.  The very best thing about retirement is going to bed when I feel like it and waking up naturally without the aid of an alarm, usually 7 hours to the minute from when I drop off to sleep.  I am more of a night owl than an early bird.

Well....that changed this week.

Dolores and Trish -- Walking Buddies

It's HER fault.  The gal on the right.  Trish.  Trish, who suggested we start walking on the causeway to Howard Park Beach.  Her partner in crime is Dolores,who eagerly accepted an invitation to join our walk.  So we're meeting several times a week shortly after sunrise to walk the causeway before it gets too hot.  I have to admit that it did feel good to get up and out of the house early enough to enjoy the fresh morning air and cool breezes off the Gulf of Mexico.

One of the ugly pay stations they have added along the causeway and  on the island.

It is a beautiful view along the causeway when it is not being blocked by this monstrosity.  But the alternative would be a hundred parking meters so I guess this is the lesser of two evils.  At least with these, I can get a good shot that doesn't include them in the landscape.

North End of Howard Park Beach

Sea Grapes and Mangroves 

It really is a beautiful place to walk and take in the scenery as we go.  The causeway is a little more than 3/4 of a mile.  The island is .4 of a mile and roundtrip, it is a nice two mile walk.  We didn't see any dolphins or sharks feeding yesterday, but we did see some water fowl.

Egret watching the walkers along the causeway

Mr. Egret was watching us as we passed by.  In the background (click to enlarge) is our resident colony of cormorants. I saw a young blue heron as well but wasn't able to get a good picture of him.

After we finished our walk, we stood in the parking lot and talked for another half hour.  The sun came up above the clouds along the horizon just after I took this photo.  It was fun and I look forward to doing this regularly. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and keep our daily summertime storms to the afternoon hours.

Good Puppy Dog

As nervous as he was around our great-grandchildren yesterday, Beau was a good dog.  But was he ever glad when everyone left!  Children move quickly and make high pitched noises.  Some dogs are good with that but it frightens others.  Beau is one who is frightened by them.  Not sure what happened in the three years before we got him to make him that way.

He's so cute that everyone naturally wants to play with him.  But when he doesn't know or trust you, he doesn't want to play.

Now I have to go get a couple of towels and put them in the bathroom.  Beau is heading straight for his bath when he comes in from his walk!

Our Rainy Season Is Underway

A couple of weeks ago, we were in EXTREME drought conditions here:

(Click to enlarge.)

As of day before yesterday, we were back to the norm for the end of our dry season:  SEVERE drought

We have Tropical Storm Beryl to thank for all the rain she dropped over the worst drought areas.  And now we are experiencing a rainy day here due to a cold front (that's a misnomer -- it is not anywhere close to "cold") that is coming through.  We have had off and on hard rain.

The rain has pushed the humidity so high that our glass doors and windows are all fogged up.  It has been a good day for reading, cooking, and surfing the web.  I used my new food processor to make hummus. And I slice up a bunch of celery stalks and radishes so I'll have them ready for salads.

Glad I didn't have anywhere I had to go today.