The temperatures are still in the 80s but the days are getting shorter. One of the very few indications of the change of season down here.
Happy Fall, Y’all!
Archive for ‘Observations’
Sea Money
While Hurricane Sally spared this area, she did churn up the water in the Gulf. Low tide yielded some fun surprises this past week, including these sand dollars (and one oxidized quarter for scale).
Happy Friday, Y’all!
Mystery Photo Revealed
I only noticed the three “swamp puppies” on the small hummock on my return trip down the trail. Once I spotted them it was relatively easy to find the other three floating nearby. I thought this view would make for a good challenge.
I felt comfortable being that close and spending time capturing their portraits as I was on a raised boardwalk. I did keep an eye out for momma, as I know she had to have been close by, though I never did spot her.
Doze-y 
Shade-y 
Nap-py 
Dream-y 
Sass-y 
Dragon-y
Mystery Photo*
There are creatures in this swampy soup. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to identify the species and count the number of individuals. Trust me, it isn’t as easy as you think. Post your guess in the comments and I’ll reveal the answer in a few days.
*Thanks to Karen who reminded me of this game that I used to offer regularly on a previous website, fautrever.com.
Found It!
This was tucked up in the sea oats near my favorite spot on the beach yesterday. It was a bit waterlogged, so I presume it blew away from someone during the storm the previous afternoon. As I was packing up to leave, I discovered another folded $20 bill nearby.
Believe you me, I spent a few extra minutes scanning the greenery looking for more cash. Thank you, Treasure Island for living up to your name! 🙂
That’s the Spot!
Hope your week has been as satisfying thus far as a good ear scratching! If not, hang in there, it’s halfway over…
Trail Treats
While walking the back loop at Sawgrass Lake Park a couple weeks ago something bright and shiny caught my eye. I’m not sure why these toys were placed along the path but it was fun finding them. Kind of like an Easter egg hunt.
If those toys remained overnight, I imagine the resident raccoons would have had a field day with them! Now that I think about it, that’s a video I’d love to see…
Happy Weekend!
Hope your weekend is as relaxing as this view…
Joule’s “Last Glimpse”
Green Flash, Treasure Island, Florida – Photo by Robert McCoy
The first part of last month I finally saw my first green flash. As an avid sunset watcher I have been on the lookout for this optical phenomenon for years. So you can imagine how excited I was to actually see one. My only lament was that I didn’t get a photo of it.
Thankfully, my fellow jetty bum, Robert, caught a shot of it which he graciously agreed to let me share with you. Though there are different instances when these can be witnessed, all of them are the result of the refraction of light through the earth’s atmosphere (which acts like a prism).
The flattened oval in the photo above is known as an interior-mirage flash which occurs when the surface is warmer than the air above it (usually at sea level). In 1869, James Prescott Joules (a physicist) described it thusly; “at the moment of the departure of the sun below the horizon, the last glimpse is coloured bluish green.”
