Dog Day at the Beach

On our way back from Corvair College #32 in Austin TX, we broke up the 1,100 mile drive with a stop at Grayston Beach on the Florida panhandle. It was cool and overcast, without a single other person for miles in either direction. No phones, electronics, nor distractions. Just a moment and a beautify quiet day.

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When ScoobE first got to the beach he was cold and a bit scared. When you are 12″ tall, every shin high wave looks like a Tsunami. I wrapped him in my jacket, and he was warm and happy looking out one sleeve.

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ScoobE comes to every College, warm or cold. He has hair, not fur and near zero body fat, so we always have a collection of blankets on hand, which he makes into an igloo.  At College #32 Katrina became his new best friend when she put 2 hand warmers in the bottom of his nest. He was toasty even though the hangar was about 35 degrees.

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The beach was 30 degrees warmer than Texas the day before, and in a little while ScoobE was acclimated to the setting.

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Just inland of the dune line is a continuous forest of tangled, moss covered trees. The photo doesn’t begin to do it justice, was walking through it on the foggy day was surreal.

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Joking with Grace I said, ‘sure glad we are not riding bicycles and that our dog isn’t a Scottie, apparently neither  is allowed.’  This is the edge of the state park, Dogs are allowed on the county side.

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Looking west, no one in sight. No one came by for hours.

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Selfie, dog not cooperating…. I have lived in Florida for nearly 30 years. Few people who visit the state have an appreciation for the size or diversity of the place. Pensacola to Key west is a longer drive than Washington DC to St. Louis MO., Further than LA to El Paso TX.  Florida has many residents, but few of them live north of Orlando. I have not sat in a traffic jam in years. The densely populated areas have changed rapidly, but off the beaten path you can visit any timeless period you wish. The great percentage of Americans live in places that have long been homogenized by very strong corporate-consumer forces. Florida has those areas also, but it also has countless areas of character, where people and places have retained what made them unique, and those are the places I am attached to in the Sunshine state. -ww.