Strolling on Honeymoon Island

Dunedin, Florida U.S.A.  (April, 2011)

On Tuesday, April 26th, Irmi and I drove from our condo in Tarpon Springs south down the coastline about ten miles to

the city of Dunedin where we crossed the causeway and entered Honeymoon Island State Park.  Of all the beaches in

Florida, Honeymoon Island's North Beach is our favorite.  Leaving the car behind, we shuffled through the surf for two

miles, all the way to the end of the peninsula, and then two miles back again, totaling four hours under a broiling sun.

Our take for the day?  Five sand dollars and one perfect conch shell.  I cannot recall exactly when the tradition began,

but after each stroll on the beach, we save the best shells and display them in the condo, primarily in a glass vitrine in

the living room but also throughout the house in jars and baskets.  Each shell represents a special day spent together.

Yours truly, exactly as I like it: alone on the beach, . . . except for that persistent little woman with the camera who follows me everywhere.

If a seed blowing in the wind is lucky enough to land and take root, and against all odds survives, then it is worthy of a photo.

Always watching my posture -- shoulders back, chest out, chin up -- with Irmi and her camera ever lurking behind.

We found the varying colors in the surf fascinating.

A blooming flower in the scrub.  It is amazing how much beauty arises from such sandy soil.

Surf, sand, and a patch of prickly plants.  Mother Nature once again displaying uncommon diversity.

Often, sand dollars come floating in on the surf, and you can pluck them out of the water before they reach the shore.

Lovely Irmi posing for posterity.

She spies something in the distance and walks toward it.  Swiftly, I join her, for I am the man of the house, her great protector and guiding light.

Wait, Darling!   Wait for me!   I'm coming, Dear.