Saturday's Sunday ~ Left Coast Florida

Long ago and far away is a Florida in my head. Even though I grew up on the right coast, a very different place, there was still the riverside. And a feeling, where you could be no where else but Florida. The sky, the light, the trees, the Spanish moss, the home styles. When my friend Chris, who I last saw when I was 16, came and picked me up from the park (state park, that is), we got into his time machine, the roads he chose leading us back there. I think the sentence "This is Florida" came out of our mouths at the same time more than once.

A trip out to an island full of old Florida.

This reminds me of the river road in Melbourne (FL)

Chris catching the clouds

We're not kids anymore, but 4 decades + didn't change much the mattered.

These mangroves get trimmed by a licensed mangrove trimmer!
No harm to the mangroves, they are thick and robust

Coquina!

Painted coquina

Uh huh

Someone had some fun

Pier 22, great sushi, good service and good atmosphere.
I felt like I was at home when we went out for a smoke
and our server brought my my drink

After some time at Chris's home and finally meeting his wife Kay (who is as great as he told me she was), Chris drove me back to the park. We'd seen a rainbow on the way out and it recreated itself again, in one huge bow and then doubled, way beyond the ability of my lens to capture. It stayed brilliant for at least 15 minutes, or until the mosquitos had discovered dinner.

Looking down the lake

Rainbow kayaks

Obviously, I was completely mesmerized, mosquitos be damned. But the glory was fading and I could move again.

Walking back to the Turtle I heard two boys talking about the bald eagle they were looking at. Heading their way, there it was, huge, close and majestic. Of course, I had the wrong lens on my camera and the photos aren't good ones; in fact they are very bad ones. But I'm putting them up anyway. Maybe this afternoon they will come back.

His mate flew in but not for long

Then he took off for parts unknown

The boys were just who you want to run into, telling me they'd come down to the water to see the rainbow but saw the eagle first. Then their Grandma and sister joined us. They live in the area and Grandma brings them out here often. Good for her, lucky them!

There's a saying among some on St. Croix - The West is the Best. Yesterday I could say that too. Joy joy!

Have a serendipitous Sunday. Do something smiling.