It's been another perfect day here. The traffic is lighter this week and the bike paths are not crowded. The temperature got up to 81 today, sunny and low humidity. It was a little windy, but that is a minor thing.
We went to the beach this afternoon off West Gulf Drive, at resident access 7. There were quite a few people on the beach, but nothing like there was during the past several weeks.
Now that's the 'Good Life'.
Shelling wasn't good while we were there, but that doesn't dampen my spirits any.
Today we went to resident access 7 off of West Gulf Dr. It was pretty cool since it only got up to 65 degrees today but felt colder on the beach because it was windy.
I picked up three nice, small shells here. I just stopped to snap a picture and as I looked down, I spotted them. See if you can find them. :) I'll show them to you, at the end along with one other shell and a few jingles.
This morning was spent helping Daughter #2 and family move all of their things out of one condo to their rented van. Picked up 3 grandsons and delivered them to the Sanibel Recreation Center. Back to help Daughter #2 move things from the van into another condo for this week. Then back to pick up the boys and fix their lunch. Delivered boys to the beach. An early evening dinner with Daughter #3 at the Lazy Flamingo. Made a dash to West Gulf Drive and access #7 to check out the beach there. Later, Daughter #2 brought 3 grandchildren back to me. Made dinner for them. Later tonight, after the Grands got their fill of playing Rock Band, we played several games of pool. We hope to spend more time on the beach tomorrow.
Best viewed in HD on YouTube by clicking on the screen below.
The temperature today reached 86, but the cool SW breeze made it a perfect evening on the beach. Walking out onto the beach at resident access 7, I could see that the water still has that beautiful aquamarine color.
There were shells left at the tide line and the waves were uncovering some shells that had previously been covered in sand. I only picked up a few small shells, but when I found one tiny little horse conch, I was happy.
There were very few people out this evening; just a couple people walked past and a couple people were fishing. Either most people had already gone for the day or it is a sign that season is at the end. Either way, it's very peaceful and almost like having your own island.
From access 7, and walking west for about 1/4 mile you see a huge, beautiful, thatch roof house that is used by most locals as a landmark. If you tell someone you were near the thatch roof house, they know exactly where you were. You can see this house at the beginning of the first video.
Much better viewed in HD on YouTube, by clicking on screen below.
At the beginning of this video you will see another thatch roof house. Could it be illegal housing on a Sanibel beach? :-) Someone built a makeshift lean too on the beach. It was actually much longer than it appears in the video. Normally it wouldn't be a problem but tomorrow is the first day of sea turtle nesting season and all obstructions are supposed to be removed from the beach. This includes beach chairs, umbrellas, garbage of any type which can endanger a sea turtle's life. All sand castles should be leveled and holes filled in by the visitors that created them.
The low temp last night was 61 and the high today, 81. The sun, sand and sea were calling me to the beach, but the wind tied my hair in knots! :-) I'm pretty sure I looked like a mess while I was there, because I scared myself when I got back and passed a mirror. I walked quite a distance, before turning around to go back. Then I got a phone call from daughter #2, who always gets envious when she can hear waves splashing in the background. I listened to all the details of a big project (about 45 minutes) that her two children are involved in, which makes me a very proud grand mother. I may have to share that here, one day soon. Anyway, I totally lost track of time while talking and picking up jingles and kitten paws, and watching Sanderlings scamper back and forth. I did take a few photos and a video. One photo is of a cute mermaid sand sculpture I saw as I left the beach at access 7. It was another peaceful and beautiful day in paradise.
I thought by going to the beach earlier this afternoon there would be less traffic and there was less on the way there. Coming back it was heavy again.
The resident access parking areas were all nearly full, until access 7. Walking out onto the beach, proved that there was a reason all those cars were out there. The water was pretty clear again and a beautiful color. It was windy, but the waves were gentle. It seems like the waves are uncovering shells from beneath the sand and pushing them in. The first thing I saw when I looked down, was another tiny orange scallop. Once again, that was the only shell I carried away. :-)
This was a beautiful day for a walk and the brown pelicans, Royal Terns and sea gulls were very entertaining. When the pelicans crashed into the water for a fish, a whole group of sea gulls would fly all around it, trying to take the fish away. They put on a comical show. I doubt the pelicans thought it was very funny.
Today was super nice, actually got up to 78! This evening I went to access #7 on West Gulf Drive. As I walked the path out to the beach, the cooling evening air made me think of Fall weather in the mid-west. About that time, I smelled something cooking on a grill, that made me really hungry! :-) Seems like that happens to me a lot.
Just before leaving the path, I could see the sun setting through the trees. There were a few people around. One lady was walking in the water, holding a drink in her hand and watching the sunset. Another couple were sitting in their beach chairs, doing the same. One man standing in the water, was fishing, while other people walked past on their evening stroll.
I took a couple of photos, then walked for a while. The pelicans were very entertaining as they were having their dinner. There must have been a lot of fish this evening because the pelicans were diving in, one after the other. I think they are so comical to watch as they crash, head first, into the water. I'm sure they had a good view because the water was pretty clear. Just a few feet out in the water, it was so clear that I could see a slight drop off in the sand, where some small shells had accumulated. There were hardly any on the beach and I went home without picking up even one. The sunset and pelican show was plenty of enjoyment for one evening anyway.
I walked out resident access 7, with hope of seeing a beautiful sunset this evening. There was a slight breeze, some calm waves, and plenty of shells to look at. I picked up the largest modulus or button shell I have seen, about 1/2". After a brief walk, the sun began to go down. The noseeums were thick enough that you could see them flying in front of your face. I kept slapping my arms and legs to get rid of them, but it would only last for a couple seconds and they would start all over again. Ugh! I think this has to be the first time I was hoping that the sun would drop quickly! It was difficult to stand still long enough to get video. That took a joint effort. One person swatting at noseeums while the other held a camera. :-)
After the little cold snap, the temperature today has been great! It is 70 degrees now, at 8 PM. I love it!!
In the background, at the beginning of this video you can see a chair out in the edge of the water. It is right in front of the Blue Dolphin Cottages. A sweet little lady in a long dress, with an apron on and a big ball of yarn in her lap, was sitting there eating an apple. She told me that the noseeums didn't bother her as bad when sitting nearer the water. She just wanted to watch the sunset. :-)
After racing to get out on the beach before the sunset, I only captured the sky just as the sun dipped under :-) the water. The sky really did have a different look to it and a nice cool wind was blowing, so it was a nice evening at resident access #1.
There were few shells and few people, even though it seems there are more tourists on the island this week. I'm attributing that to some of the schools being out on a fall break.
Raindrops were falling off and on today. But this evening the sun was shining again, after a little rain shower. Went to resident beach access 7 to watch the sunset.
There were marks on the sand that raindrops had left and the sand felt kind of crusty when you walked on it. The water was really calm with very small waves and the wind was a little chilly, which was a nice surprise. The wind also kept the noseeums away!
There was only one couple walking in the water looking for shells, a few people further away who were watching the sunset. In the other direction there was only one girl sitting on the sand, looking through a pile of shells. I also saw the usual couple that I see a lot, walking their dogs at sunset.
There was a long pile of shells left at the high tide line, it looked like someone had searched in the pile a little, but some of it hadn’t been disturbed at all.
After walking down the beach a little way and back again, I had a handful of shells to carry home in my pocket. By that time the sun had gone down.
I am a retired, grandmother who is living a dream in this tropical paradise, called Sanibel Island.
My blog was created to share some of the beauty I see around me each day. This tranquil place is a haven for wildlife and the natural beaches are spectacular. I will post pictures now and then, that I snap quickly with my cellphone.
Since I am on 'Island Time' and consider myself to be a 'Slacker', my posts may not be on a regular basis. But,I hope you enjoy my adventures and come back to visit often.
Now that's the 'Good Life'.
Shelling wasn't good while we were there, but that doesn't dampen my spirits any.
