165: Dancing on the bar
Posted: March 7, 2011 Filed under: 365 Life in the Bogs Challenge, Adventures in Life, Air, Earth, Fire, goals, nature, Photography, Spirit, travel, Vacation, Walking, water, weather, winter | Tags: birds, Florida, flowers, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, ocean, Parrot, postaday2011, San Francisco, sunrise, water 28 CommentsIt was (and still is) a gorgeous day here in south Florida. Gorgeous! The wind has finally blown itself out, the ocean was amazingly calm this morning, and shortly after sunrise the clouds on the horizon had disappeared and the sky has been nothing but clear and blue. It’s hard to believe that, for calendar purposes, it’s winter.
The difference in colors in the sunrise shots is due to a change in the white balance setting. I took the first photo on the “open shade” setting and the second in “tungsten.”
I promised you some flowers today. Once again, I don’t know what most of them are so we’ll have to enjoy them without their labels. If I was good at that sort of thing, I’d make up my own names for them.
It’s day 165 of my commitment to get outdoors every day for a year. That leaves me only 200 more days to go. To be honest, I find it hard to believe I’ve made it this far, especially through the winter months. Summer will likely bring the next challenge as I am not a fan of hot and humid weather except for this brief visit with it during the winter when we fly away to Florida.
My outdoor time here is so much different from at home. And yet, in some ways, it is very much the same. The differences include the weather (of course), the sand, the ocean, the air (salty, humid), and the people. The similarities include water, seeing something new every time I go out even though I’m walking pretty much the same paths, and the walking itself.
The biggest difference of all right now is the amount of time I spend in the water. We were finally able to spend some quality time in Mother Ocean today. The water was wonderful. I’m not sure what the water temp is but it’s certainly as warm as (if not warmer) than the ocean temps at the Jersey shore in August (which is where I spent a few weeks every summer when I was a child, and M and I have occasionally vacationed there in late summer once or twice in the last decade or so).
We went swimming this morning during high tide, staying out for an hour or so. And then again this afternoon (for a long while) at low tide. The cool thing, during both tides, are the sand bars. I had to do a little dance while I was (way) out there just so I could say I danced on the bar.
I’ve also been in the pool once or twice and had some quality hot tub time twice today, too. I’m turning into a water baby. Or a fish.
The beach was the most crowded I’ve seen it this year or last year. Today was perfect. You couldn’t ask for a better day and if you did, you’d either be greedy or impossible to satisfy.
When we walked over to the square for lunch today we saw a flock of wild parrots. Or parrot-like birds. The only other time I’ve seen wild parrots was in San Francisco. I don’t think I managed to get any good shots of them (or they would be on the blog), but do have this post regarding the movie, The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.
Well, the sun will be setting soon. That means it’s time for M and I to find some dinner. Since we had a big lunch, we’ll probably pick up some salads tonight and eat them here, on the balcony. It’s a great evening for sitting outside and listening to the ocean.
Your sunrise shots are every day more beautiful. We had a nice sunrise here today, too. I just wish I’d had a scenery like yours to shoot!
Thank you, SunsetSeaSoul. Mother Nature has been quite accommodating. 🙂
Goodness, Robin, the photos are stunning! Love them, love them, love them!
Hugs from Haiti,
Kathy
Thanks, Kathy. 🙂
It’s all enticing, but the real siren call for me is when you mention the sound of the ocean. Nothing in the world like it.
I agree, Anhinga. The only thing that comes close for me is ujjayi pranayama breathing, a way of breathing in yoga that makes a sort of ocean wave sound. But I have to consciously work for that. The ocean does it naturally. 🙂
Today sounds wonderful, and I am glad you and m got to enjoy the water. I love swimming in the ocean, going under and hearing the sounds of your own breath. Have you ever done any snorkeling. It is awesome, and you do not have to be a pro at anything to do it. Grab an underwater camera and take some shots. If you want to do this of course:) Anyway, I am glad you are having a good time.
kare
Thank you, K. 🙂
I have not done any snorkeling yet. We were hoping to do it last year but it was too cold and rough. This year we haven’t yet had the chance. This would be a great place for it because the water is so clear.
Oh Robin…I’m so jealous! It’s snowing here again today, but at least I can look at your beautiful photos. Soak up some sun for me, will ya?
If it’s any consolation, SuburbanMisfit, I’ll be returning to snow. Eventually. I’ll soak up some sun for both of us. 🙂
Those flowers are beautiful!
Thanks, SWK. 🙂
I was curious when I read your title..hehe. Love it, and Im jealous!
Even Grandmas can dance on the bar occasionally, Morgan. 😉
Your first flower photo is a bromeliad, Robin. We have some growing in our garden. Pineapples are also a part of the bromeliad family. (I hope the real name for the plant doesn’t clash too much with your made-up name!)
Your parrots are beautiful! We have wild parrots here, in fact we had one in our garden this morning,(a Crimson Rosella) but it was too far away to photograph. So pretty though.
Sounds like you enjoyed your dance on the bar…lol!
Thank you, Joanne. 🙂
I thought that might be what the first flower was, but I wasn’t sure.
the sunrise shots almost took my breath away, Robin…such glorious deep colours.
I can’t swim, although if the choice was between drowning and getting to dry land mayhap I’d find the talent quickly!! 😉
Sandy beaches and the playful waves lapping the shores are for me, just wandering and pondering…
Lovely to view your wonderful holiday photo’s, especially the wild parrots, the deep green with blue and red flashes look fantastic…bye for now…xPenx
Thank you, Pen. 🙂
The beach is the perfect place for wandering and pondering…
Lovely shots. It looks so warm and inviting. Think I’ll join you for dinner!
Thank you, Lynne. 🙂
I love your sunrise shots, but prefer the first one to the second one.
Is the second flower fake?? The last flower shot is really pretty, and the birds look like they’re sharing a secret (or maybe they’re whispering about that crazy lady with the camera? 😉 )
Thanks, Michaela. 🙂
The first sunrise shot is more natural. The flowers are all real. And I’m pretty sure you’re right about the birds whispering about that crazy lady with camera. lol!
You’re a wild one Robin…dancing on the bar.lol!
Once again the sunrise shots are beautiful. The flowers are pretty and the birds funny. You’re right, it looks like the gathering of the council and the parrots, I wonder what they’re up to.
Yeah, that’s me. A wild one. lol!
Thank you, Marianne. 🙂
Wow, loe those flowers. No flowers in Tucson so far, they had a record frost that is fooling with Mother Nature’s clock. 🙂 Enjoy that lovely ocean breeze.
Thanks, Bo. The ocean breeze was, indeed, lovely.
Sorry about your lack of flowers in Tucson, but you do seem to have plenty of photography fodder without them. Gorgeous stuff!
I love your “tungsten” setting, what a pleasing effect! Enjoying the lovely flowers and adore the sea gull gathering! (My husband calls them flying “rats” but I am fond of them and their calls. It means we’re not too far from the sea!) I remember being fascinated with sandbars when we went to Florida as children…
Thank you, Barbara.
My husband (and many other guys I know) refer to the gulls as flying rats, too. I realize they can be pests but I still enjoy watching them. And they are excellent at posing and helping me out with my bird photography skills.
The sandbars were the place to hang out when I was a child. (My parents would rent a house on Long Beach Island in NJ for a couple of weeks every August.) I noticed that hasn’t changed much, even by state. The kids and teens in Florida were spending a lot of time on the sandbars too.