To Florida and Back

We spent weeks this spring watching the sun set over the Pacific.
Just to be fair, we thought we'd spend some time watching the sun rise over the Atlantic!

Sunrise over Atlantic - Melbourne Beach, FL

We braved the heat and humidity to walk the beach each morning.

Brown Pelicans scanned the surf for breakfast.

Nesting site of Loggerhead Turtle, Melbourne Beach, FL

Loggerhead turtle nesting sites are common along a 20 mile stretch of beach starting at Melbourne, FL.  Beach-front hotels and homes are under light restrictions during the months (March through October) when the turtles nest and hatch. The huge female turtles come onto the beach in darkness to deposit their eggs before returning to the ocean. Each circular  "nest" may hold 80-120 eggs. In 10 weeks the hatchlings will attempt to scurry back to the sea. Only 1 in 1000 will survive to adulthood. The adult females return to their original natal sites to deposit their eggs. Each daybreak during our stay, there were new tracks and nests along the shoreline. In 2010, over 14,400 nests were counted along this stretch of beach.

Amanda and Mitch

The real reason for our visit was to join with family and friends to witness a marriage. Our nephew, Mitch, met Amanda while teaching in a program for autistic teenagers. Their wedding was a wonderful celebration of love and commitment. (Also, it entailed lots of dancing and fun!) 

Fairy Slipper Orchid (Calypso Orchid)

Now, we're back in Breckenridge. The snow has finally melted in our yard. (However, the high peaks and flanks of the mountains still have a blanket of snow.) Wildflowers are everywhere. The delicate Fairy Slipper Orchids waited to bloom until I returned. My perennial gardens are green and growing. I've begun to hike and bike. I'm so very happy to be back in the mountains. When I wake and see the unfolding landscape from my house, I think:

"Life has been good to me."

I hope you're finding at least one good thing to celebrate each day, too.