Friday, July 29, 2011

Foto Friday - Life really is a beach



I love everything about the beach,
from the salty smell of the air and sand beneath my toes,  to wind blown hair
and that beautiful roar of the ocean where worries are washed away with the tide.
I can't seem to get enough of it and it never, never ceases to amaze me!

Three years ago on August 3rd we moved to the Texas gulf coast and the very first time we
crossed the causeway to get to the island (of Galveston) there was a thrill of anticipation and to watch
the pelicans soaring next to us took my breath away . . . three years later that hasn't changed.

Every minute I spend here is a new adventure with a personality of its own and memories
are made that will last a lifetime. . .
it's the place that when you are still enough you can hear the whispers of your own soul
where time seems to stand still yet everything still moves with its own rhythm. . .
yes, paradise does exist, it's here and it's my reality
. . .  it's where the sun rises and the beach waits.


My heart is full of longing for the secret of the sea,
And the heart of the great ocean sends a thrilling pulse through me.

- Henry Watsworth Longfellow

So this week I didn't experiment with my camera and none of these are ultra spectacular, but
this represents my typical day at the beach and part of who I am.
It's where you find me celebrating the first day of the last year in half a century-mine!
(wait, did I just tell you my age)




You never have to wonder which way the wind blows, it possesses its own weather vane(s).



  The coquina clams - I could watch them for hours migrating up and down the beach!!



And a cute little hermit crab - can you see his eyes sticking out, just waiting for me to leave?




Then I came across this abandoned basket of beach toys, just begging to be photographed.
(Actually, they were begging to be played with but I resisted)



A beautiful Royal Tern that you can usuallly hear before you can see it!




It's shrimping season and they've been getting quite close to the shoreline, which is where I'm standing.




Now, doesn't this umbrella just make you happy!







He doesn't have along beak for nothin'!



On my walk I came across a surfing camp and this was their first day learning - this little girl was such a natural! 





And then as I came back from my walk I found these two getting their gear ready. I told them it looked like they had quite a setup and asked them what they were going to try to catch. Really? Shark? You're going to go out a mile in those and try to catch 5' sharks? Rich, in the picture above, was happy to answer all my questions and showed me the heavy line and hook he uses to catch such a fish. Since they catch and release these big guys they take cameras with them to document it and go back to post it on their Texas kayak fisherman website. So, curious as I am I had to go check it out and you should too - it will only take a second I promise - just scroll down till you see the pictures (click here). I'll wait right here . . . I love how Mike makes light of his 40" shark catch. That's just too much shark to be thrashing by my feet in a kayak!!




Yep, this was my catch! You're impressed, admit it - haha - Actually I caught these with a 10" child's net and they are quite tricky to get as they are very fast! No worries, I released them!


In one of my previous posts I talked about the sargassum (seaweed) that we get from May until
August. Well, the seaweed is a crucial habitat to a wide variety of marine life providing shelter and food.
This is a sargassum shrimp - the smaller ones tend to be more solid colored, even transparent and as they get bigger they use color patterns to camouflage themselves. They are so good at hiding themselves amongst
the plants that in order to find them you have to shake the seaweed. In fact, I have seen the seagulls do the same - they are nuts for these things! Aren't they cute!!




I found this sargassum crab in the seaweed too. They might have small claws, but they sure can pinch!




And my favorite of all, the brown pelican, ahhhh! There is just nothing like watching pelicans
gracefully soar across the sky.

 
To myself I am only a child playing on the beach, while vast oceans of truths lie undiscovered before me.
- Isaac Newton

A few weeks ago, I received one of the nicest compliments when a child about 11 years old asked me
what I wanted to be when I grew up!! (I think it was the pig tails) The truth is, I told him I'm not sure!!
Because all I know, is the day that I cease to be amazed by the wonders of this world
and forget the child inside me will be the day I grew up too much!

Have a wonderful weekend my friends!!

Love, Kim
XO

P.S. You might be interested in this post: Reflection  . . . and the road to acceptance, a little bit about
my journey to loving where I am at.

See what everyone else has been up to this week at the hollie rogue

and here for more Sundays in my city  at unkown mami


Unknown Mami
 
 

and sweet shot Tuesdays with my3boybarians

Sweet Shot Day

19 comments:

andi {the hollie rogue} said...

oh so many great pictures as per usual--my favorites are the umbrella and the boat. thanks for linking up today!

Rosemary Aubut said...

Absolutely beautiful post! Thank you for your wise words and the beautiful journey that you captured with your lens!

Shirley said...

My favs have to be the little girl surfing, and that bird, butt up! Love all the wonderful shots!

Unknown said...

Well, I think they're pretty spectacular. I love the sky in your first shot.

TesoriTrovati said...

Since I am not blessed with a beach vacation very often, this was a perfect escape. Thank you for taking us on this most inspiring tour!
Enjoy the day.
Erin

Kathryn Dyche said...

Wow great shots, makes me want to be there.

Laughter & Love Notes Photography | Blog said...

First: Glad that you stopped back by and saw the post about the Passion Flowers. I really would never have identified the flower without your original post. I even had my mother-in-law read your post. She also found it very interesting.

Second: I understand completely what you are saying about the beach. I live in Arkansas which is completely landlocked and had never been anywhere near an ocean... until two weeks ago. We went on a cruise and I fell head over heals in love with the ocean and the beaches. Next year we are either going on another cruise or to Destin, FL to visit that beach. I love it!!! Keep those beach photos coming!

Katherine said...

(for your birthday ... a favorite poem)

maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach(to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,and

milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and

may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.

for whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea

e.e. cummings

One Photo said...

I absolutely love that second shot, love the angle, taken close to the ground and perfect use of DOF.

Delaney said...

Ahh! Cool! I'll be beachside tomorrow. =]
Sweet Tea Serendipity

Anonymous said...

Kim, I love visiting you, you always always find exactly the right words to capture your thoughts and photo's! The pictures were awesome like always.... and wait back up... Happy Birthday! I hope it is grand!
Take care,
Lisa

Kim Stevens said...

Thank you everyone!

Lisa, you're the only one that caught that girlfriend!! : )

Sonya said...

Oh my goodness, Im in love with all of your shots! wow wow wow! I lvoe the second photo and the one of the crab the most!

Bill Lisleman said...

thanks for sharing a comment on A Few Clowns Short. After looking at a few of your photos I know why you noticed the detail in the Marilyn Monroe statue.
great pics and descriptions

Honey from the Bee said...

Yes, you are tempting me greatly! Oh to be walking on that beach with wet sand squishing between my toes...

That little girl has got the form down!

Diane said...

Kim...your photos are beautiful. ALMOST makes me want to come to Galveston~LOL. I was born a land-locked girl. So, it doesn't come naturally. But, I do "believe" I could learn to love the sea. I scuba. I fish. I love sand. And, I love all the birds and little creations you showed us here today. Maybe...just maybe. One fine day.

Marvett Smith said...

I hope you had a wonderful birthday! I love that you live by the beach. I love your images, and my favorite part of this post was your words at the bottom.

"The truth is, I told him I'm not sure!!
Because all I know, is the day that I cease to be amazed by the wonders of this world
and forget the child inside me will be the day I grew up too much!"

So insightful. It made me teary. Thank you for sharing who you are. I always love visiting your blog!

Ellen said...

Hi Kim, I was looking at your post today (8/5), then scrolled down and saw this one. I missed it last week! Beautiful photos. They have a bit different look, did you do something different? I love it, whatever it is. And I like how the color pops against the water, like the basket against the sand and water.

Claudya Martinez said...

Are you kidding me? I think all of these are spectacular.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...