Big Bertha & Taj-mah-hauler Go to Florida Coast (part 3)

Sept 9th

We are heading to the beach this morning and we make our way to the 10:00am tram.

I think we look like official beach people today. 
Our little red wagon is full of our chairs, new umbrella and our noodles.

We set up pretty much in the same spot as the other day.

The beach is still very open, and we are assuming this is due to the time of year! 

We find out our newly purchased umbrella doesn't have the auger attachment to assist in making a hole for it to be secure. (another Walmart stop)

Chuck and I both push and hope we have it secure.

Chuck heads to the water and I sit for a bit. 

Good thing I stayed behind as our umbrella has decided to topple over and make a run for it. 

Thanks to the nice man that assisted me in securing the rogue umbrella.

He helps me push it into the sand once again and he asked if we had the auger that usually comes with them.

Heck no we don't. 
This is a Walmart special and I am assuming you have to purchase it separately. 

I think it's time to take a dip. 

With my pink noodle we make our way out into the water. 

The waves are a bit more aggressive today and you have to make sure you know it is coming or you will lose your balance. 

Then it happened. 
I was blindsided by a wave. 

It was a fairly big one and I was turned to the side of it like I had done before.

In a blink of an eye my RX glasses with attached sunglasses were ripped from my head. 

I let out a scream and try to catch them. 

No such luck🙀

Chuck moves over by me and by the look on my face he knew I had a problem. 

My glasses. 
Oh my gosh. 
In the ocean!!! 

I tried to stand in roughly the spot they came off and Chuck is trying to look for them. 

The waves are churning up the sand it makes it hard to see the normally clear bottom. 

The water is about 4feet deep I think and I am totally devastated as we continue the search. 

Everything was going through my mind as to how to get another pair made and where is my prescription for them. (and no I didn't have a spare pair)

It is so amazing how your mind can go in so many directions at once and still be able to look for the needle in the haystack! 

Good gosh how could I have been so stupid to do this. 

It had worked the days before.  
I didn't plan on this. 

No backup glasses or anything.

I have only worn glasses for about 5 yrs I think but they are my best friend.
I put them on in the morning and wear them all day. 

What am I going to do?

By now, Chuck has drifted about 15-20 ft away and says he thinks he has found them. 

At that same time another big wave was almost to him and I see him go under it and go to the bottom. 

He pops up and has my glasses in his hand

I am beyond belief that he found them. 
He is my HERO!!!!

I had all but given up. 

I think maybe our guardian angle was watching over us. 

That man that just won't give up didn't, and he found my glasses in this vast ocean. 

After all this excitement we went back to our chairs and I put my glasses away. 

I will be getting one of those cords to secure them on my head. 
Or better yet maybe I need to leave them on shore!  

We regrouped and went back into the ocean and enjoyed the water. 

I loved floating with my pink noodle. 

You can always tell when an hour had gone by as the tram drops off the next group of people and they make their way onto the beach via the Boardwalk. 

We had a group of four kinda close to us and as we watched them get everything situated, we see them putting a kite into the air. 

We had been told by a couple we met in Fredericksburg (Debra & Craig Dickinson) that we would know where they were on the beach by the ladybug kite they fly. 

Well couldn't have planned that any better. 

It was them!  

Today's ocean experience was a good learning one for me.
I was ready to make another trip to Walmart and pick up the auger and the ties for my glasses.

Nothing else to write about for this day, thank goodness!

Sept 10th 
Saw a glass lizard as we walked around.
Glass Lizard
Chuck was sure it was a snake, but the lady that was walking by us assured us it wasn't.

We stopped at a fish market and Chuck got some steamed shrimp. 

By the time we left it was getting busy. 

We took our food back to the trailer and had a wonderful lunch. 

Their shrimp sauce was awesome. 
Very hot and spicy. 

We just chilled the rest of the day and had repeat shrimp for dinner. 

Sept 11th

We got to the beach a little before 11:00am. 
Instead of waiting on the tram we chose to walk it. 

We were set up and almost ready to get in the water by the time it got to the boardwalk area.

The water is a lot calmer today and we really enjoyed it. 

I took my pink noodle out and Chuck tried it and decided when we go back to our chairs for snacks he would bring his blue one out. 

We saw an amazing amount to dolphins today. 

They were very close as well 

We had a flock of  pelicans fly right over us.
Enjoyed seeing some of the ocean animals today.

We packed up and made our way back to catch the 1:00pm tram. 

It's time to eat some lunch and cool down.  
The temperature has been in the 90's the whole time we have been here.
It is really nice, but again the humidity really zaps me. 

After lunch, we decided to go to Starbucks and let Bronco get out a little bit. 

We both tried their new Chili Mocha Frappuccino and thought it was quite tasty. 

I had to get a few things at the grocery so I just ran into the Publix that was very close to the Starbucks. 

What a nice store!  

Picked up some fried chicken for dinner so we don't have to worry about cooking anything. 

We explored another area on this evenings walk.  
The little water area that is around most of the area has some really beautiful water lillies.

Tonight is our last night at Lot 164 and we will be moving next door to Lot 162 tomorrow for our remaining three days. 

Time to get some rest.