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Category Archives: Beaches
Sunrise, Sunset
Each day just like clockwork the sun rises and the sun sets.
Okay, technically the sun stays in the same spot and the earth just rotates around on its axis to give the appearance of setting and rising but it is nice to think of a rising and a setting sun as opposed to a spinning wildly earth whipping through the solar system.
Photo R. Anderson
Of course saying that the earth moved around the sun as opposed to the other way around was once cause for severe punishment as it went against the commonly held beliefs of the day.
But thanks to people like Copernicus it was finally determined that we earthlings are in fact moving through space across the solar system dragging our little buddy the moon around the sun.
There were of course the believers in a flat versus round earth as well but those theories were also debunked through science and exploration.
Photo R. Anderson
Despite this lack of actual rising and setting of the sun, people tend to flock around to see the beginning and end of each day.
To help make that even easier to do the weather forecast each day includes a listing of a time for both sunrise and sunset.
Of course the listing of sunrise and sunset times tend to be geared more towards farmers and people who need to know how many hours of daylight they have to tend their field, but you don’t have to be a farmer to appreciate knowing when the sunrise and sunset will occur.
Photo R. Anderson
Truth be told I have seen way more sunsets than sunrises over the course of my life.
If memory serves I have actually seen sunsets on three continents and a few island nations here and there.
I have nothing against sunrises per se, it is just that I am usually either asleep or in the shower when the sun is doing its morning light show each day.
Of course, there are people who are the opposite and for them I do feel their pain for rising so early to be up before the sun.
On the days when I do see a sunrise it is certainly worth seeing but I certainly wouldn’t want to make a habit of it.
Sunsets on the other end are quite a different thing and during the spring and summer months I see the sunset daily on my way home as my commute has me pointed west each evening.
Photo R. Anderson
Of course nothing quite compares to a sunset on the beach and during a recent week on the beaches of Manatee County, FL I was able to see many nice sunsets over the water.
And, take it from me sunsets are best observed over water if one has the option of where to view them.
I knew that there were people who enjoyed watching sunsets over water as I do and I have been on enough beaches through the years to see the people gathered, but my recent week on the water showed a sunset watching club like I had never seen before.
After spending the day battling the rays of the sun under the cover of sunscreen and umbrellas dozens upon dozens of people strolled to the waterline each night to watch the sun fall beneath the water.
Photo R. Anderson
Some of these sunset worshipers bore the telltale pinkness of losing that day’s battle with the sun as they ventured to the shore for the evening viewing.
Perhaps it was sunscreen that wore off, or maybe it was from no sunscreen at all but the signs of what the sun can do to unprotected skin were everywhere along the shore.
The image of the beauty of the sunset paired up with the vicious burn and scent of aloe was quite the combination. It was almost a game of sun roulette with those not yet burned taunting the sun to try and get them another day.
Despite my best efforts of remaining free of the redness of the sun I bore two small marks on my arms from the sun’s rays pushing beyond the sunscreen barrier. The burns will heal and will likely not peel but they certainly do not take away from the beauty of the sunset.
Photo R. Anderson
As the sun is setting the shore comes alive with various creatures of the deep coming to feed. It can also be a good time to look for seashells and also just to unwind from the day and get refreshed for the day to come.
So if you ever find yourself on a western facing beach around sunset by all means take in the show and watch the parade of people watching it along with you.
And of course if you are ever on an eastern facing beach and get the urge to watch a sunrise they are equally impressive.
And for all of those late sleepers and snooze button hitters out there who want to see a sunrise without actually getting up in the predawn hours you can always just take a video of a sunset and then play it backwards to get the full sunrise affect.
Now if you’ll excuse me I have a sunset to catch.
Copyright 2013 R. Anderson
There and Back Again with Some Minor Modifications
Across much of the country school is out for the summer. Or if it is not already out it will be so in the next week or so.
The end of school also marks the start of summer vacation for many families who will head towards the beaches on the Nation’s borders in search of sun and surf.
Photo R. Anderson
For those like myself who grew up along the coast the drive to find summer sun and surf is a relatively short one.
Another benefit of being so close to the coast meant that summer vacation did not need to be a single week on the beach and could truly last all summer long.
As part of the summer long salute to summer, I would often spend time with my grandparents who lived on Anna Maria Island on the west coast of Florida which was about two hours away from where I lived.
Although the distance between Orlando and the island was short, there were worlds of differences as time seemed to slow down the closer to the coast I got.
My mom’s dad died when I was 5 so the only “grandfather” I had was my dad’s mom’s second husband, Ryland. So from the time I was five I did not have a biological grandfather per se but I did have a Ryland, and that was twice as good in many ways.
Photo R. Anderson
Trips to see my grandparents would include fishing and shelling and if I was lucky a trip to Big Olaf’s to get homemade ice cream inside a waffle cone.
One summer I even created my own saltwater aquarium with hermit crabs, shrimp, mollusks and other creatures of the sea that I caught.
Whenever my grandparents would travel up to visit they would bring gallons of saltwater from the Gulf to keep my aquarium going.
It was years later in a pet store that I learned about making one’s own saltwater for aquariums. Still, I am glad that I had the gallons of real Gulf of Mexico water delivered to me.
The bottles always made me laugh since Ryland would write “non potable” on every spare side lest I think that the brownish water contained inside was good for drinking. I never had any desire to drink the water, and the markings were not necessary, but I never thought to tell him that and I am sure even if I did he would still have marked them anyway.
Ryland and Mom Mom lived on various parts of Anna Maria Island for around 30 years and while my visits to see them became harder and harder to accomplish after I moved to Texas I always tried to see them whenever I could.
When I would visit them after I moved to Texas I would wear the same UCF shirt. I don’t know if they ever caught on or thought that I didn’t have enough clothes but to me it was fun to have pictures of us together year after year and me wearing the same thing.
I last saw them and wore my photogenic UCF shirt in 2009. Ryland died about a year and a half after that visit and Mom Mom moved to an assisted living center near Orlando so they are no longer on the beach.
Photo R. Anderson.
Recently I had the opportunity to return to the beach of my youth for a week long vacation in a beach house.
Hurricane Week: In a World Where Trees Have Fallen and They Can
Editor
Hurricane Week: Beware of Those Carpetbaggers From Atlanta
Editor’s Note: As the first week of hurricane season is upon us we at Triple B have decided to dedicate this week to the three phases of the storm, before it arrives, its arrival, and the aftermath following its departure. While this information is mostly geared to residents of coastal states in the path of storms we encourage all of our readers to learn about the three phases of the storm. Today let us turn our attention to what happens once the storm arrives.
During a hurricane there are two types of residents. Those who are riding the storm out in their homes and those that went elsewhere during the brunt of the storm.
As a rule of thumb I tend to ride out any storm lower than a category 3. Storms larger than that and I will be one of the first ones pointing my car to dry land.
For those who stay behind the roads can be hauntingly quiet with the exception of emergency vehicles and others who have to be out on the roads.
Hurricane Week: The Rain Bands are Coming the Rain Bands are Coming
Editor’s Note: As the first week of hurricane season is upon us we at Triple B have decided to dedicate this week to the three phases of the storm, before it arrives, its arrival, and the aftermath following its departure. While this information is mostly geared to residents of coastal states in the path of storms we encourage all of our readers to learn about the three phases of the storm. Today let us turn our attention to what to do before the storm arrives.
As I have mentioned before I would much rather face a hurricane than a tornado any day of the week.
That is not to say that I want to experience either. But given the choice of the two, hurricanes are preferred in that they allow more time to prepare people and property prior to their arrival.
Photo R. Anderson
For the most part residents in the path of a storm will know days in advance of the likelihood of their being impacted by the storm through computer modeling and tracking.
It should be noted that the tracking models from various agencies around the world do not always agree on the path of the storm which leads to models showing a variety of impact zones.
These impact zones are than tabulated to create a cone of uncertainty where the center of the storm is most likely to arrive. Of course depending on the size of the storm, impacts can be felt for hundreds of miles away from that landfall area where the eye touches dry land first.
Once a storm is predicted to hit a certain region the residents spring to action and buy up all of the water and other supplies that they can get their hands on.
Of course, one does not need to wait until a storm is barreling towards them to get their supplies. In fact it is best to get the Hurricane kits made early in the season so that in the event that a storm if approaching time can be used for securing property and planning an evacuation from the path of the storm as needed.
So what should a good hurricane kit include?
While each kit can be tailored to the person making it a general list of items to include in a hurricane kit includes a first aid kit, water, supplies, documents, clothing, and of course food. The general rule is that the kit should allow enough supplies to last three days.
Let’s look a little more into each of the areas, shall we?
Photo R. Anderson
First Aid Kit: A first aid kit for both car and home is a good rule of thumb. The kits should include prescriptions, band-aids, antibiotic ointment, alcohol wipes, bandages, gauze, tape, pain relievers, antihistamines, latex gloves, safety pins, tweezers, aspirin, antacids, a towel, Calamine lotion for insect bites, insect repellent, tissues, and sunscreen. As water is a major component of Hurricanes the kits should be placed in water proof containers to protect them.
Water: The American Red Cross and other agencies recommended having one gallon of water per person per day. Half of the water is used for drinking with the rest being available for hygiene.
Supplies and Tools: A fully charged cell phone and flashlight will be useful in the event of electricity going out. Having a car charger for the cell phone is also worth packing. A battery powered radio with plenty of spare batteries is also a good thing to have in order to hear updates and instructions that may come across the airwaves.
Photo R. Anderson
Do not assume that there will be power and cable service. It is best to hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
North Winds Blow! South Winds Blow! Typhoons… Hurricanes… Earthquakes! SMOG!
Tomorrow, June 1 marks the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season.
Photo R. Anderson
I realize for many people not living near the coast this fact does not hold much water. But, for those people near the shore tomorrow marks the start of a six-month period of keeping their eyes on the skies and hoping for another year free from the devastation that a direct hit by a hurricane can cause.
When I lived in Florida I rode out many hurricanes from about 30 miles inland. That central location meant that by the time the storm reached me it was normally just a wind and rain maker.
Photo R. Anderson
The highlight of those storms being a water spout that picked up a school of catfish and deposited them in my parents’ yard.
A Time for Remembrance and Sunscreen
Today is Memorial Day which is a United States Federal Holiday that occurs every year on the final Monday of May.
It is a day of remembrance and a time to honor the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
Photo R. Anderson
Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the United States Civil War to honor soldiers on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line who lost their lives in battle.
Memorial Day was expanded in the last century to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service.
While dating back to the war between the states, in recent years Memorial Day has also marked the start of the summer vacation season with Labor Day acting as the second bookend in September to signal the end of the summer season.
Over the course of the past weekend families traveled all over to enjoy time in the sun and surf as they officially left winter behind and embraced the feeling of summer.
Photo R. Anderson
As part of the holiday weekend, numerous television networks used the time to air marathons of their most popular shows to capture the attention of those viewers who were not out in the sun catching waves or barbecuing as their way of celebrating the weekend.
As with most other holiday weekends,
To Fly, or Not to Fly?
The other day there was an announcement on a tarmac in Pensacola, FL that got my attention.
Sadly, it was not the announcement that the Blue Angels would once again resume their schedule of air show performances that had been cancelled for the remainder of the year. This tarmac announcement was east of where the Blue Angels fly but it did involve blue planes albeit ones that are a bit larger.
Photo R. Anderson
The announcement in question was that starting in November Southwest Airlines would offer nonstop service from Houston to Pensacola.
Now I realize that this announcement of better flight options will probably only interest a select few Triple B readers. Primarily the interested parties will be those located in Houston with a desire to fly to Pensacola.
Previously if I wanted to fly to Pensacola from the closet airport to my house it would involve flying over my destination, switching planes in Atlanta and then back tracking until I landed where I was wanting to go.
Depending on the layover between flights in Atlanta this option could actually end up taking as long as it would take to just drive there.
Photo R. Anderson
As mentioned before, Pensacola is one of my favorite go to spots when I need a quick fix of Florida sun and sand.
By car it is around nine hours from my doorstep to the sugar sanded shores of Pensacola Beach.
Three Years Later, Trouble Still Bubbling Under the Surface
As I have previously noted the beaches around Pensacola, FL are some of my favorite places to go when I need to get a sand and surf fix.
With miles of sugar sand and clear water there really is not a better place to recharge one
