Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Moving to the Ocean Side

Thursday October 29, 2015                                                          Most Recent Post:
Gamble Rogers State Recreation Area                                            Riverside at Gamble Rogers
Oceanside Campground
Flagler Beach, Florida

 

 

 

We fiddle around a bit this morning waiting for the folks in site #11 on the beach side to pack up and leave.  They have until 1:00 but I’m feeling that, unlike the folks in the site we are now in, they won’t wait until the last minute.  So at 10:30 I bike over and find that the site is empty.  We run through our departure list and stop by the ranger station to check out of one site and into the other.   How about this view out our front window??  It’s so fabulous Tigger does his boing boing thing and toppled over.

 

IMG_7901

 

The sun is out the skies are blue and I can’t wait to get out there.  I take this shot looking back at Winnona from the stairs down to the water. 

IMG_7903

IMG_7921

 

I’m just grinning from ear to ear.  YIPEEE!!   It’s a perfect day and at the end of October I’m going to hang out on the beach.  Those who know me understand that I am a incurable oceanoholic.  Water fanatic is probably a better description since I love rivers and wetlands and lakes and streams and swamps and well…..water.  The story of how I came to leave my heaven home 2 blocks from the beach in Virginia Beach and move to the farm is a complicated one.  But suffice it to say, I am the water person, David is the woods person.  Although we each obviously also enjoy the other’s favorite.  If there’s no ocean in heaven, I’m not going.

 

IMG_7904

 

David graciously agrees to allow me to get right on down there and stays back for a bit to pack a picnic lunch since we’re both hungry by this time.  I pretty much have the entire beach to myself.

IMG_7905

 

 

Few things could be finer than an afternoon by the ocean with a good book.

 

 

IMG_7909

 

 

 

 

How about these waves?

IMG_7914

 

 

And the blue skies, and the puffy white clouds.   An absolutely perfect day.  The tide is going out, the beach is wide.

IMG_7915

 

 

David makes it down with lunch.  It’s about 100 steps or so from Winnona.  Thank you David!

IMG_7920

 

 

He wants to make sure you get to see his “local brew” called Big Rod. (no it’s not what you think. there is a long fishing pole on the can).  It claims to be Coconut Ale. Ok you can suck me in with the word Coconut. I am for sure not a beer drinker but coconut, well,  maybe.  I try a sip. If there’s any coconut in there it has to be just some fumes from the air in a coconut milk facility.

 

 

IMG_7918

 

 

 

 

After lunch, David’s reading too.

IMG_7922

 

A balding surfer and a couple of bathing beauties are in the water.

IMG_7933

IMG_7935

 

 

Pretty soon, David nods off.  Pretty soon after that he puts his chair back in fully reclined nap mode. 

 

IMG_7952

 

 

For a while, I watch a feathered group gathered at the water’s edge for some sort of preening conference. There are more than 20 birds.

 

IMG_7961

IMG_7963

 

 

IMG_7948

 

 

Time to take a walk on the beach and get my feet in the water.  In both directions, the clouds are fantastic.

 

IMG_7956

 

IMG_7957

 

 

The waves are far out and fairly gentle. They’ve left shallow pools and designs all along the shore

 

 

 

 

There are so many colors and shades of water and sand.

IMG_7970

 

 

 

IMG_7971

 

 

 

 

David is awake when I return and shortly down the shore comes a paraglider.  It looks like so much fun except for the noise.  At least in a hot air balloon, another thing I’ve always wanted to do, the burner does go silent when you are up high enough and drifting.  Or so I’m told.    I wonder what would happen here if he turned his motor off?  Would the kite keep him aloft?  

 

IMG_7977

 

He flies to the north and out of sight and then we see him coming back down the beach behind us.

 

IMG_7983

 

After a dip in the water to cool his feet off or impress us, he’s off down the beach headed south.

 

IMG_7986

 

Time for us to head in for dinner.  What a great first day back at the beach this has been.  We’ll only be here two days but we’ll be back again in March for TWO WEEKS!  Thank Goodness!!

24 comments:

  1. I anticipate a whole lot of happy blogs from the Florida Beach this winter for you are truly in your element. Birds, water, and an occasional human distraction....it doesn't get much better that that. And beachside on top of that! Hope you are able to snag another beach side site on your return. It is funny how we stock and then move from the assigned sites from the weekends to the better sites as others leave. The RVers dance!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh how I wish I were reading a good book by the seashore! Enjoy every minute of it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Surprised you haven't noticed, but when you are on the beach, you are in Heaven! I was not quite in heaven with the Big Rod Coconut Ale. It might be fine for fishing I suppose (average ABV at 5.2%), and if you want a beer that tastes like your sunscreen smells. For a FL brew, prefer Florida Brewing Company's Swamp Ape DIPA (double IPA 10% ABV) - it has that Florida citrus hops taste & with the higher ABV, it's like two Big Rods in one bottle. Absolutely LOVE the orange sand painting picture you took!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. David,
      Good point about that Heaven. We need to enjoy it while we are here.
      Have fun,
      Bob

      Delete
    2. You have me sold on the Swamp Ape DIPA, but bet I won't find it in AZ.
      Looks like a great site you had there.

      Delete
  4. Nice to be beach front, makes you feel like you are in the 1%. Just love those beach chairs, are they light





























































































































































































































































































































    Living like the 1%, relaxing on the beach with birds. You guys are so lucky.

    I like the beach chairs.

    Paragliding takes skill and it is a show to pick up a beer bottle on the ground or dip in water. I have never done it and have no wish to fly one, but they are gaining in popularity. The 2 stroke chain saw engine makes some noise, but the tiny prop makes a lot of noise. When it shuts down, they glide to the ground soon after, unless they are on a mountain top with up drafts. A fun hobby for some, a irritating noise for many.




















































    ReplyDelete
  5. Totally great view from the new space. You really are in your element. I'd like to hang-glide, no engine noise.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Perfect site, perfect beach, perfect day, perfect clouds, perfect weather—I'd say you're in heaven! And you even got lunch delivered to you! :-))

    ReplyDelete
  7. Now THAT is the way "retired life" SHOULD be!! Good for you!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yep...a FABULOUS day at the beach!!! Your beach and waves are much smaller here at Curry Hammock, but I believe you will still love it;o)) If the winds pick up, you will be entertained by the Kite Boarders on the weekend...they do not make any noise!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I wish we could see you on this trip but definitely in March! We camped there at site 4 about a month ago. Next to your site we saw the cutest thing...a juvenile Eastern spotted skunk.

    ReplyDelete
  10. we thought we saw you in a rest area yesterday near Fort Pierce, checked the tags but they were from Florida, must be your twin...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Our tags are Florida but we weren't near Fort Pierce. We're further north. Wow though. A Winnebago Brave towing a red honda accord on a tow dolly with bikes on the back and kayaks on the roof? That would be amazing. If you see them again, get their contact info. I for sure want to meet them.

      Delete
  11. We find we're missing the beach already but glad we're not in TX with all the rain. Enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great day oceanfront!!! Can't wait for my visit! Only 50 days from today :) Love the sand picture. I bet Dad will get some much needed rest out there and you'll get more smile lines ;) Enjoy!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sigh, love the ocean views. I can tell you from personal experience that a hot air balloon ride is like being weightless and mostly silent. They only 'fire up' when need lift, so the experience is breathtaking :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. have made all kind of notes about this place in my Georgia file. . .wish I could tell which side the hookups are on. . .were they on the correct side when you pulled head in, or did you need to run them under the rig. . .

    I LOVE IT! I LOVE THE BEACH. . .this would make Dave so happy. . .he could sit and look at the beach out the windshield, and not need to go in the sand. . .and I could be on the beach to my heart's content. . .just a beautiful place you found. . .well done!

    ReplyDelete
  15. David looks great sleeping in that chair. We hit the beach today and new chairs are in order. I have one of the very low ones and I had to roll and crawl to get out of it.

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a fantastic day!! The beach is wonderful when it is empty. Love the clouds and those great shallow water shots:) Enjoy your two days:)

    ReplyDelete
  17. I can feel the joy and bliss in your "voice", and know that you are so happy to be back at the ocean! Wonderful clouds, love their reflection in the little pools left behind. The spot by the path looks familiar and I hope this is where you'll get back to in March as well - it is just perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I missed the beach, thanks for taking me to your perfect day at the beach! IF ever we go that way, Ill keep Flagler Beach on our list, your spot is really perfection.

    ReplyDelete

Your comments are the best part of this blog for me.
I LOVE hearing from you!