Winter Walk

One of my favorite things about the beach is the number of surprises you can discover, both with and without tourists. Of course the surprises WITH tourists are always interesting and sometimes challenging – traffic, parking, finding a good place to set up, sand kicked by careless feet, thumping music, forbidden glass containers and trash.

On the upside, it’s fun to meet strangers and get acquainted, fun to share the wonder, and fun to help them find ways to enhance their visit with local advice, sharing know-how and, of course, good ol’ Southern hospitality. People always seem grateful to meet folks who have vinegar on hand for jellyfish stings or who know how to embellish sand castles. We always make a point to broaden our horizons with trips to the public beaches a few times during tourist season so as not to isolate ourselves on our favorite, more deserted beaches.

It’s been a fairly warm winter, and January left its mark on me with a couple of mild sunburns. Here are some of the highlights of these winter walks:

Twin tide pools, one stagnating and one crystal blue, separated by a narrow natural bridge:

Locals get first dibs on the big shells in the winter, even if we don’t get out there until high noon:

Big, fat jelly fish washed up:

Fun with homemade blow darts/gun:

No tourists were hurt in the making of this blog:

Shells-eye!

Castles under the boardwalk:

Winter sparkles:

Treasures in the waves and on the shore…and a mini-rip tide:

…and a mermaid with a shelly-belly button?

Next time, I’ll cover the part of the beach walks that cover me…