There were many people biking, many walking with or without their dogs, some sunbathing, a family burying a daughter's legs in the sand, some running, many chatting in groups, and three people walking barefoot. It was definitely a day to be out on the beach! For the first time this trip, I saw two large cargo ships in the distance. I tried to snap a photo but they didn't show up.
Usually before this long, when I'm vacationing at a beach, I start getting ideas, weighing the pros and cons of moving there! With property so expensive, how close to the beach could I actually live? Would I be so fascinated by nature at the beach I wouldn't get any work done at all? And, before I retired, could I earn a living here? It all boils down to family: I'd miss my Kentucky family too much, and to money: I couldn't afford to move all my belongings anywhere. Plus, what if I get bored with the beach?
Years ago, I was talking with a colleague about moving to a beach. He advised, "You think you would like it but you wouldn't. The wind is always there and the sand is everywhere." On the flight home from Italy last November, I was sitting with a woman from the Outer Banks, North Carolina, USA. I told her how much I loved that area, would love to move there, but knew it was just too expensive to consider. She countered me, "Oh, no, it's not that expensive. There's all price houses. You can do it." I don't know, I might try it - renting - one of these years!
Soft waves today on Hilton Head Island (2/10/14).
The Island of Hilton Head is shaped like a foot. Today I walked for an hour and a half south, toward the 'toe,' then turned around and walked the same hour and a half to get home to Peggy's condo. My goal was a piece of land shaped like Diamond Head, Hawaii, only smaller. I renamed my goal, "Itty Bitty Diamond Head." I never quite reached it, but totally enjoyed the long walk.
Itty Bitty Diamond Head (south end of beach, Hilton Head Island).
The birds give a never-ending show on the beach. The most numerous are the seagulls, quite large. Sometimes they appear to be drag racing, just above the surface of the water. Sometimes they just float in the water, sometimes they paddle along with their orange webbed feet, sometimes they just loiter. I thought there was just one pelican flying about. I've never seen one on the beach although I've seen many on boat docks. This one lumbered around slowly, gliding, then would dive beak-first into the water. Further down the shore, I saw the Godzilla of all pelicans! It was so large, I first thought it was a buoy that floated too close to shore. Then it spread its ginormous wings and rose into the air! At that site, Godzilla made the other pelicans look like youngsters. I tried and tried to photograph a pelican today. Some would tease me and appear to fly directly toward me, flying low, then turn at the last minute where the white of their undersides blended into the white of the sky. No photos of pelicans today!
The sandpipers cooperated with my camera. At first I saw just one, then, farther along the beach, quadruplets!
The Lone Sandpiper.
Quadruplet Sandpipers, two with heads underwater!
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This is how far south I strolled. I wanted to prove it to Peggy!
These beach markers are a great safety feature!
The gentleman flying the wavy blue kite entertained the whole beach for quite some time.
Close-up of blue kite.
Last bird photo of the day: a bright Cardinal in the bushes beside the walkway leading off the beach.
Tonight Peggy and I will settle into watching our BBC series after dinner. Peggy was impressed with how far I walked and has set Beach Marker 33A as her goal. I told her she'd have to take a photo of it!
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