Oh, the Ocean

Fabulous, man!
We were rolling at 5:30, hit the beach a little after 7. We would have missed sunrise by about 10 minutes, if there had been any sunrise. This part of the FL coast almost always has a cloud bank on the eastern horizon at that time of day. So we watched an angry sea in a 40 mile wind, and in 20 minutes the sun emerged over the clouds.
This morning there were ripple-like clouds in the sky, and the hidden sun painted them with delicate pastel colors-- for only a few minutes; we were glad we were there.
Comfortably togged out in the big coat sister Joel had given me after Austin died; Ellie had less covering and had to find a protected nook. 15 minutes there in the wind made the whole trip well worth while, but there's more!
The ospreys! ! Oh my! They would hang in that gale like you may sit in your living room. They got back behind the water, luring the fish to the surface (the wind was driving the fish right to the osprey's table!). About 150 feet above the surface they would drift against the wind (really!) until suddenly--wham! Down like a dive bomber' I mean straight down, vertically! They lazily stop an inch above the surface, delicately dip their beat into the water (or is it their claw?) and rise into the air with a good sized fish. High into the air they would rise and go off somewhere to enjoy breakfast, or maybe to feed the babies.
The day progressed with complete satisfaction. We drove up the coast to St. Augustine. This is one of the few places on the East Coast (aside from South Florida) where you can drive along and enjoy the waves, the birds, God's good earth almost like it was in the beginning.