Springtime

   There's a beach I like to go to that's about twenty miles east of here, called Indian Pass. It's a beautiful beach. And for the most part, there's very few people ever on it. But it has one characteristic that I don't like.    
    People are allowed to use the beach as they would a regular street. No kidding. It's not unusual to be out there enjoying this beautiful place and have a Honda Accord pass by. It's very strange. And originally this post was going to be about Indian Pass. But when I walked down the short path to the beach and saw all these flowers blooming along the way, I couldn't help but stop, to take a closer look at them.

Yellow Button

   St. George Island, along with the entire panhandle of Florida, is far enough north that it has a springtime. The only difference is that the flowers that bloom in the spring. will be around for most of the summer. At least until either a storm surge, or the colder temperatures of winter get them.
   They won't necessarily bloom constantly,  but they'll bloom on and off through the whole summer. So seeing all of these flowers blooming at the same time,  made me take notice.

Beach Morning Glory

  There's no doubt I can identify shells a lot better than I can the flowers in this area. Living in Kentucky for so many years, I'm not familiar with "beach flowers" at all.
   But seeing all of these in such a small area, peaked my interest in the flora here. So, I plan on learning a lot more and I'll be sure to share what I see, and what I learn.
   One of the newest flowers I've discovered is the  Florida Pitcher Plant. It doesn't grow on the beach, but I saw it when I went kayaking at Owl Creek, which is not far from here. There was  this large clump of yellow trumpets in a marsh that really stood out. Because of their color, and the large size of the flower,they're easy to see. Unfortunately, at the time, I didn't know I was going to be writing about the flowers in the area, so I didn't take a picture of them. What makes them so unique is that they don't so much need water to survive, but bugs. On the same lines as a Venus Fly Trap. 
     The leaves are very slippery with a sugary substance. The bugs are attracted to the scent on the leaves and can't get off of them. They then slide into the trumpet part of the plant where they're digested. The more bugs, the healthier the plant. Next time I run across them I'll take a picture.
    All the plants pictured here grow out of the sand, and mostly by the beach. And there's many more.. But to have all of these, blooming  at the same time, on such a short path, was wonderful.


"Spider Lily

                                From now on I'll take more time to stop and see the flowers! 
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Happy 4th of July, on the 6th!

   With summer being here, there's plenty of things I want to write about. And I will, very soon. But before any more time passes, I want to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July. The eagle landing in the pine tree, by my house, seemed very appropriate.


"The Eagle has landed"

   Without a doubt, the 4th of July is the most celebrated holiday on the island. The only thing that brings more people here is the "Chili Cookoff". But, this year, the weather was not on our side. Needless to say, with the loss of revenue, the merchants were not celebrating.     

   The parade on the island was put off until the next day, due to adverse weather. It seemed a little ironic, that they'd cancel it because of rain, since the whole theme of the parade is "how wet can we get". It's the biggest water fight you've ever seen in your life! (I later found out, it wasn't the rain that caused them to postpone it, so much as the wind. The  decorations on all the golf carts wouldn't have stood a chance). 


    I was lucky enough, last year, to be invited to ride on a friend's "Gator" in the parade. People come early to get a good place in line for this abuse. The parade's only about a mile long, going around the center of the island. And the line of vehicles vying for a spot in the parade is every bit that long. The first one in line has finished the parade before the last one in line even gets started.
   I had no idea what I was in for. People on the sidelines bring tubs of ice water to refill their monster sized water guns. And the water balloons are brutal. But the people  that are in the parade are just as well armed . Had I known, I would have at least worn a rain coat, and maybe a suit of armor. And the fire department isn't going to miss the chance to use their hoses. So you really have to pick your enemies wisely!
   The fireworks, on the island, were also cancelled. Apalachicola shot theirs off on the 3rd, which turned out to be a good idea. Ray, my dog, and I went to the end of the street and had a perfect view of the fireworks over the bay. They were beautiful. It's nice to have a dog that actually enjoys them, instead of being afraid of them. Maybe he can tell his friends what they're missing!

  
     So I hope everyone had a good holiday. The summer has just begun! God bless America.