Sunday

 

We finally made it to the beach for our leisure day! After our morning walk with Toby, we hopped on our bikes and rode to Honeymoon Island Bath House #3, locked our bikes and went for a long walk on the beach. It looks like we’ve been wearing our flip flops a lot from the tan lines on our feet!

We walked a little past the blue dot 🔵 on the map above. St. Joseph Sound is on the right and the Gulf of Mexico is on the left. The island is connected to the mainland via the Dunedin Causeway. It’s almost six miles from our house to Bath House #3, the furthest BH. The island itself is four miles from our house.

It was between 75 and 80 degrees while we were out. The wind was blowing 13 mph and there was fairly good cloud cover.

The beach erosion creates some beautiful scenes.

This year is the 💯 th anniversary of the hurricane that split Hog Island into Honeymoon and Caladesi Islands.

 

There’s something transporting about walking on the beach for me. I feel I have landed on another planet and left all my worries behind. The landscape and sounds seem foreign.

John got these photos of the mangrove trees growing in an inlet on the sound side of Honeymoon Island.

At one time mangrove trees were considered a nuisance, even though they are native to Florida. Now they are prized for their ability to thrive along the coastline helping to prevent erosion and encroachment of the seas. They convert salt water to fresh water. They also create shade and hiding places for young water creatures.

An inlet on the Island’s sound side. Because of erosion and global warming, the water from the gulf washes over the thin strip of sand at high tide.

I got this one of the photographer contemplating the scene.

 

 

 

 

 I read that Honeymoon Island is due for beach nourishment this year. I’d say it certainly has suffered a great deal of erosion.

 

A vision in aqua. 

 

 I like the dappled sea grape tree. Fall and spring coexisting.

A watermelon rind appeared out of place, but the color contrast was interesting.  

John fixed a pot of beans for our beans and rice dinner. I made a salad to go with it. Toby supervised. He watches us cook from the same place Dee Dee used to watch us cook.

Just as I was getting ready to rake leaves again, our Amazon Adirondack chairs arrived.

I raked leaves and then set about putting them together.

They are made out of recycled milk jugs, so they should last a while and not need much maintenance. They went together easily.

John tested one and approved.

We talked about getting some white crushed shells to go at our feet to resemble sand without the mess.

While John was getting dinner together, I washed the car and vacuumed it.

Today’s route out to Honeymoon Island 

 

Miles walked: 7.5

Miles biked: 11.67