Is spring finally here?

It's our second day of gorgeous, sunny weather, and what luck that they're both on a weekend! Today a girl does yoga to the south, while to the north, men stand by the water's edge in shorts with no shirts on, others walk barefoot, and a group of teenagers play catch with a large ball, a plastic ring, and an oversized Frisbee. A few jellyfish have washed up on shore. The shells are mostly broken, which seems to be the case most of the time in Neptune Beach. The surf is too flat to attract any surfers, and the water temperature is still a little too cool for swimmers to venture out. I and the other Floridians mostly keep our shoes and jackets on, however, as the breeze coming from the northeast is still a little chilly. The walk back home, with my back to the wind, is much more enjoyable. Were the benches on the walkway at the foot of my street not filled upon my return, I would pause to drink it all in a little longer. Rain and colder temps are set to move in tomorrow, so this is but a taste of what's to come shortly.

Alone on the Beach

Even on a winter's day, I don't think I've ever seen the beach this deserted! On my first look to the north, there was not a soul in sight. A cold northerly wind kept me from walking my usual distance. Even my wind-blocking jacket wasn't much help in fending it off. The same wind obviously kept most walkers and joggers at home, as I only saw a few others in my shortened walk. These days are as close as we get to a "northern" style winter, with the clouds looking as if it could snow...and the weather feeling like it. We didn't get any snow with our winter freezes this year, but they did just to the north and west of us. Thank you, gulf stream, for keeping us a little warmer!