Marineland...

I'm trying to upload a couple of the other dolphin videos but I think they might be a bit too big but at least you can enjoy this one!

A1A BEACH FRONT AVE!

Time...

When we were on vacation last week one of the things I did was unplug the clock in our room...
I DID NOT WANT to be reminded of how fast our time there was passing...

It was so nice to just fly by the seat of my pants...there was no rushing...I got up when I wanted...ate when I was hungry [even if we were eatin our lunch at 4:30pm]...stayed out as late as I wanted and at the end of the day...closed my eyes on "my time"...

And for the first time in a very very long time I was actually able to fully and completely relax [I know the ocean played a big part in that!!] One of the mornings I took a long walk by myself down the beach and for a good stretch of it I just cried...they were tears for many things but mostly they were tears of happiness!

I know I can't control how fast the hands of time move but what I can and will do
is make the very most out of what time God allows me here...

Day 5

RETURN DAY...

Day 4

Today we visited Marineland they're the World First Oceanarium...

and if I had the extra money I would have paid to swim with them!!

I have videos and Brittani took about 200+ pics so we'll upload them soon :0]

We then ate at my new favorite beach restaurant...
MANGO MANGOS

THE BEST CHIPS AND SALSA EVER!!
Made with fresh Mangos...YUM YUM!!


Then after catchin some more sun we did a lil more
touring around downtown St Augustine...

sadly...

my last walk out to the ocean :[

We had such a great time...

...but we're sooo sad to go!!!

Day 3

Today was a lazy layin on the beach day

[please look past my fried foot]

...the end :0]

Day 2

I missed getting up early enough to catch the beginning of the sunrise

so this is what I caught outside our window...

I went out for a really really long walk this morning...
here's the "beach chair guy"

I love to walk through the water and was continually hit with the huge waves [hitting mid thigh] ...but what amazes me as I braced for freezing water is how surprisingly warm it was...it was like bath water!

abandoned castle


As I made my way down the beach there were 5 lifeguards at this stand...2 then took off in their truck and the other 2 took off their shirts and started running down the beach [to their stands]
LOL...it was just like Bay Watch!!

I stopped and talked with this guard for a bit and asked him about the jellyfish I had just found...he reassured me that these particular ones were not harmful...still...can you imagine the sting from one of these!

of course these guys are pretty much NOT alive...
how would I know this? cause I poked em!

...but this lil guy is :0]

Brittani spotted this lil guy...
I bent down to grab him by his tail but he was too quick for me!

The beauty of Day 1...

My slice of Heaven
...it truly touches me to my core!!

Brittani found this amazing Starfish...
she was going to bring it home but once we realized it was still alive she gently placed it back in the ocean

Now it's hit me that I'm on vacation!!

It's been 8 years in the making...

I'M GOING ON VACATION!!!

I JUST BOOKED THE FLIGHTS LAST NIGHT
AND THIS IS WHERE I'M GOIN...

ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH BABY!!!

WOO-HOO!!!

Brittani has a wedding to shoot here at the
Serenata Beach Club

So I will be flying down on Memorial Day
so we can spend the rest of the week doin pretty much this...

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..........

Can you tell I'm a lil excited ;0]

The last vacation I had (meaning any time off) was Memorial Day week of 2000 when we closed the shop for the first time and all went to Disney. The family time was great but what a fun week that was...me being rolled around in a wheel chair because I had just gotten out of my cast...it was "snowing ashes" from all of the fires around Orlando...not to mention it was Gay Pride Week at Disney...oh and I can't forget the part when 10 minutes after we took off I saw flames shoot from the planes engine and we had to make an emergency landing!

So this time...
No Cast
No Disney
And...
I pray No Fires
(either on the ground or in the air)

87 days and counting...