Right now...

It is late.  The kids are sleeping, the house is quiet, and...I can't sleep.  Nothing new there, though...

But you know...it's ok. 

I am sitting here in our vacation rental at the beach.  At the beach :)!  I have so much to be thankful for...

In case you didn't already know...I love being at the beach.  It has always been one of my most favorite places. 

a ghost crab's hole, those are his tracks all around it...

...busy little things, aren't they?

Not crazy-busy-full-of-people beaches.  No.  I like the out of the way, quiet, natural beaches.  The ones out in the middle of nowhere that only draw those like minded souls who prefer the sounds of the waves and the wind.  They are becoming harder and harder to find (it seems), but when you do...it's so worth the journey to get there.

Like right now.  It's Friday night at the beach.  Most of the homes around here are just like ours:  vacation rentals.  What do I hear?  A whippoorwill.  He's outside "whippoorwill-ing" his little heart out :).

People don't come down here to party, they come for the solitude. 

This part of Florida is often called the Forgotten Coast.  It's a little slice of what Florida used to be...long, long ago.

I grew up around here...did you know that?  Yep, I've been coming to this beach my entire life.  It feels more like home to me than pretty much anywhere.

bits of washed up coral

These pictures are some that we took right after we got back to Florida.  On one of our beach walks...

that was a seriously LARGE bird, look how deep the tracks are!

the kids say it was a do-do bird...would you agree ;)?

It amazes me how much the beach changes every single day, and all throughout the day.  It is enchanting...

Always a surprise as to what will be waiting for you when your feet hit the sand...