Vacation at the Beach

Jacksonville, FL is a great place for a vacation! There are so many things to do - St. Augustine and Amelia Island are great one-day trips less than an hour away, there are wonderful restaurants and of course there is the ocean which is only ten minutes away! My sister and I spent one morning traversing the beach at low tide.

Ships of all types and sizes are constantly on the horizon of the Atlantic Ocean.
A beautiful morning awaits us and we're heading for the peer...
The ocean provides many photo ops...
A little erosion, which will change and have a totally different look in another 24-hours
I love the patterns found in the sand...


Especially when the sun strikes it in just the right way...


And of course, what would a beach excursion be without shells.
This was a new one to us.

I thought this shell looked like a fish - cool!

Birds of a feather...
Seeking breakfast...
Beach pigeons? Who woulda thought?
My future retirement community:) Imagine getting up at dawn, fixing a cup of tea and sitting on your balcony overlooking the ocean!

A restored building.

The lifeguard is on duty protecting you and yours!
Morning fishermen...
Finally, we reach the pier!
Made of massive concrete to resist the weather and erosion...
A cool photo as the tide begins to come in.
And more birds, sunning and waiting - or perhaps they were watching us watch them?
Of course the sand dunes offer protection.

What a great way to spend a morning! Salt air, the sounds of the tide as it ebbs and flows, people relaxing and enjoying the sights... what more could you ask for!

Happy Halloween!

"Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,

Voices whisper in the trees, 'Tonight is Halloween!'" (Dexter Kozen)

On my recent trip to Jacksonville, I walked through my sister's neighborhood to take some pictures of their Halloween decorations.

A vulture sits on a bench waiting for the tricker treaters. What's that he's sitting on - a skull?
Tarantulas greet visitors at this home!
Several tombstones dotted the area...
This yard will be especially appealing to children with its larger than life Halloween decorations. A giant spider awaits...
Frankenstein stands guard (he seems to have an inflated personality!)
A cauldron for boiling....
And a kitty making it's appearance. Look out Max!
Pumpkin lights dot the landscape.
I would hate to run into this when answering the door!
Have a safe and bootiful Halloween!!!

A new cat in town!

Move over boys, there's a new cat in town! This is Max, my sister's cat. About two years ago, my great niece rescued Max from certain death. He was dodging in between moving cars in a busy parking lot and she scooped him up and took him to my sister who adopted him. He was so tiny and they thought him only six weeks old but he turned out to be four months. Tough beginning, but nearly two years later he weighs in at 16 pounds! He's all boy and keeps my sister hopping.Max is a tuxedo cat, nearly all black but with white paws, chest and tummy. It was difficult photographing him since most times the black just all merged together.
Max loves to play and I mean LOVES to play. If he can't find a toy, he'll entertain himself with whatever is available.


Yes, I'm dangling a toy and snapping a pic at the same time.
Max is beautiful against anything red...

Hmmm, red rug - spelled backwards, that's gurder. Oops, sorry that was red rum, wasn't it... flashbacks to the Shining.
My sister has stools at most windows and he loves to lay on them and watch people passing by or the occasional lizard or bird.
Max eyes something there...
"Oooh, what's that? Kids going to school on bicycles..."
The back of the house backs up to marshland and Max enjoys the serenity.
Max has many places to perch. Here he is on the bar between the kitchen and family room.
"Well, what are you waiting for... take the picture!"
"Hmmm, where did I leave that blue ball..."
Not the same, but this ball never gets lost.
"Ummm, dried flowers, how tasty!"
My sister likes jigsaw puzzles, but quickly found that Max likes to play with the pieces too. She keeps it covered and of course Max takes that as an invitation.
One of the most amazing things that I saw Max do was to chase his tail. The Victorian Parlor states that their cat, Kramer, is actually a dog, so maybe there's some truth in that...
He did finally catch it but the picture was too blurry to post...
Finally, at the end of the day, there's nothing like relaxing in a comfy chair.