A gorgeous morning greeted us. The wind laid down overnight and the cloud cover moved out. We hopped in the dinghy and made our way into the harbor. We were prepared to take a nice long walk and started out as we had yesterday. Several large iguanas were sunning on the rip rap just above the lapping water. The large green one on the palm tree grabbed our attention. We headed back to the lighthouse, but did not climb to the top. Our attention was on the ground as a way-too-domesticated raccoon appeared at our feet. I have a ton of ear scratches saved up for the right animal, but the country girl in me said to keep my distance and avoid any contact. These guys should not be out during the day.
As we made our way to the beach access, another masked creature approached. I don't believe these guys were rabid as we recalled seeing several raccoons in trash cans here last year. The trash bins are now covered and they are probably just looking for food. We hit the packed sand left by a falling tide and began walking north along the Atlantic coast. The sand was covered with washed up sea grass which held other items of interest. There was, of course, a ton of plastic waste. We also discovered a disturbing amount of washed up coral of many varieties. Our eyes had to stay on the sand looking out for the dozens of Portuguese Man-O-War along the way. Their gas-filled bubbles sat on the sand like little balloons while their still-active tentacles trailed beside them. Their primary predators are sea turtles which explains why turtles often mistakenly eat wayward balloons. (Don't release your balloons.) Overall, life was good today as our toes were in the water, ...
... it was warm, and the sun was shining. We walked all the way up to the resort area hoping to get a good lunch at the Ritz Carlton's outdoor restaurant. It was closed until evening, but we walked through their complex and marveled at their highly manicured landscapes and clientele. We stopped for a quick photo in front of their fountain before making our way down the palm-lined drive and out to the main road. We enjoyed a great lunch and then headed back to the harbor. I got a photo of another town clock and was disappointed that it was not keeping proper time. We made a quick stop into Winn-Dixie to pick up some grouper and broccoli for dinner and then walked back through Bill Baggs State Park admiring the butterflies, honeybees and trees.
We walked just over nine miles today and relaxed for a few hours before grilling the fish on the deck. This anchorage has filled up and there are now 19 of us on the outside to go along with a similar number inside. Everyone is waiting for a good weather window. There will be quite a flotilla departing on Friday.
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