Project Spectrum - Yellow

I've been watching for yellow in my daily life of late because of Project Spectrum. Though I don't normally wear yellow or want to knit or sew with yellow as a main color, I love it as an accent. Having said that I will confess to having yellow in my life in a big way, almost daily, as evidenced by the first picture.

Princess and I spend many hours in yellow driving to class and rehearsals. I have to say that driving a happy yellow car makes me a nicer, more friendly motorist. Is that possible?

After the final performance, we motored south to the beach to find more yellow. Accents of yellow abounded. Since I was focusing on finding yellow, I saw it everywhere. Here are a few examples:

the newspaper receptacle

the sunset,

the palmetto,

the buds of unidentified wildflowers,

the centers of water lilies,

and the eyes of the locals.

Nature seems to prefer yellow as an accent as well.

Iodine

I was scared my children and I were running low on iodine and would sink into delayed development or thyroid problems, since I use only sea salt or other coarse salt with no additives, so we had to take a small trip south and east to eat copious amounts of crab, shrimp, and flounder. Getting iodine is tricky so we also had to haul a pile of extra trace nutrient carrying shrimp and crab home.

Obviously, this Portuguese-Man-of-War needed a bit of iodine, too. Truly, we couldn't decide if the Portuguese-Man-of War was trying to eat the crab or the other way around. They both got washed ashore in the attempt and the crab did escape, even though the stings of a Portuguese-Man-of-War can paralyze.

Aren't they pretty. My crazy man-cub attempted to return every viable polyp to the gulf.

Impossible.

But fun.

The tide and surf was just too strong that day. Since a good number were getting washed ashore, I was scared to let him go too far into the water.

In addition to getting my monthly allotment of iodine, I got my putt-putt golf fix. Did I ever mention that I am the queen of miniature golf. I don't mean to say that I am ready to go on the professional circuit, but. . . .

I am a little obsessed. I began my obsession when I was about seven. We played on vacation and I was mesmerized by the miniature nature of the course, the bridges, windmills, water hazards, and other brightly colored, fanciful traps. We returned to the hotel, fell asleep, and then I left the hotel room and started down the stairs when my mother came to the door and asked where I was going. I said, "I'm going to play putt-putt golf." To my knowledge I've never done that again, but I try to play as much putt-putt golf as I can to keep those somnambulistic tendencies to a minimum.

We played the Tiki gods course, featuring bright purple astro-turf greens on Friday. The Tiki gods won. I didn't get even one hole in one. I birdied a few holes, but that inclined hole with the raised cup laughed at my whole crew. We like this course, even though it doesn't have a waterfall, a tunnel, or a boat, because they play Buffet, allow pirates a hundred years too late, feature live oak shade, welcome hippies, and charge only $5 for all you can play.

We came home a little earlier than expected. We got cold. Even the pelicans have taken refuge on the porch.

Of course, this one has already gotten his iodine allotment for the day.

Pyramids, Temples, and Coliseums

I found a great beach book. Honestly, it was easy to find since my mother left it on the table for me and the children to find and use. My mother does things like this a lot - thoughtful gifts, well placed, at just the right moment. Anyway, the book is Sand-tiquity by Malcolm Wells, Kappy Wells, and Connie Singo.

Sand-tiquity demonstrates the building of ziggurats, step pyramids, coliseums, temples, the Parthenon, a pueblo, and the Pyramid and the Sphinx. We tried to build them all this weekend. Of course, ours didn't look as fabulous as the pictures in the book, but the instructions were simple - a swipe here, a cut there, and eureka! you have all of ancient history lined up on the beach.

Thanks, mom!

A Few More Days of Summer

I drove south to capture a few more days of Summer at the beach. We left after ballet on Thursday night from the city, which is not my usual path and I learned so many useful travel lessons on the way.

1. Never leave the house without a map - a real map - if your route is not as familiar as the back of your hand. Looking at a MapQuest map minutes before you leave doesn't count because even if it looks like a straight shot that any fool could find blindfolded, chances are once the journey begins the Highway 49s and 59s will get confusing, bypasses will become available that look similar to the roads you actually need to use, and the food and bathroom needs of your 8 year old passenger will require you to get off the path.
2. Your vision of what things should look like and how things appear in the dark are two different things. Road signs seem to fly by in head-lighted, heavy traffic of metropolitan areas. Chances are you will miss the turn and not recognize landmarks that would guide you in daylight. Bring a map so you will know for sure.
   
3. Even if you think your sisters will be available for a directional consult since the route is their usual, don't count on it. It is possible that they have a life separate from yours in which they have school conferences, meetings, and other activities. They may not answer their phone, bring your own map.
4. Sometimes logic doesn't rule road size. Any reasonable person would assume that as you draw nearer to a major city the number of lanes would increase rather than decrease. Yet they don't. When the lane number decreases and the only signs are for the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, a map would be handy to avoid that chest tightening, forward leaning panic that arises when you've already been on one too many wrong roads and the clock is moving closer and closer to a new day.
5. Finally, if you don't have a map, don't be tempted to cut through on rural roads to make it back to the major highway for which you missed the exit 10 miles back. It's just not worth it. Unfamiliar backroads dimmed by darkness may not go all the way through making it necessary to get on other backroads, and then other backroads. While this exploration may be a fun-filled adventure during the daylight hours, when driving at night with a child who is rightfully worried that you don't know where you're going, it's not a good idea. Lose the 10 miles and backtrack.

You would think, after all these lessons, I had a miserable trip down, but I didn't. All the snafues (Can I use snafu that way? I doubt it.) began to be funny. By the time I got to where I knew the way for sure, I could barely drive for laughing. At least, I didn't get sleepy and clean the ditches for the Department of Transportation. But seriously, bring a map, a full sized, detailed one. Who knows, you may not need it, but you may.

Babies!!

Update: This just in from J.

Here are the preliminary results for the Kemp's nest (A16). Intact eggs were collected and will be sent to a lab for research so we won't have the
# of infertile and dead embryos until later. Data for all nests will be finalized at the end of the season.

Hatched--52
Alive and released--9
Dead--1
Dead pipped--6
Predated---4

Baby Sea Turtles, specifically the endangered Kemp's Ridley, hatched in my mom and dad's beach neighbor's yard this weekend. My parents were lucky to witness the birth. The proud human parents, J and R, and their good dog Fritz, have been protecting this nest for a couple of months after R saw a turtle come ashore to nest. Their efforts to keep people and animals away from the nesting area were rewarded with this special hatch.

The babies are only about two inches long so it is amazing to me that any of them are capable of making that long march to the water especially with predators chasing them. These turtles had help. Volunteers cleared the way and protected the hatchlings until they got to the gulf. With any luck a few of these endangered Kemp's Ridley will make it back to J. and R's yard to nest in about ten years.

My Beach Pictures

My children and I had a wonderful short vacation a couple of weeks ago and I was so pleased with the pictures that I had to share a few. We love the off-season even though "our" beach is not as heavily trafficked during the season as the less remote beaches in town. Though the water is usually a bit on the cool side and the beaches and shallows haven't fully taken on their summer beach smoothness, seeing the beach naturally, without all the garbage people leave behind, is much more satisfying. We are spoiled rotten and we know it.

The water's ever changing bands of color are completely mesmerizing. With movements of the sun, moon, and clouds, the view is rarely the same - think hypnotic lava lamp with horizontal stripes. I would guess any of the variations would be difficult to capture on canvas. I wonder if there is Fibonacci at work.

We followed this lame plover down the beach for a mile trying to get a perfect picture. Obviously, I didn't get it, but we enjoyed watching her feed on the edge of the water with an amazing ability to skirt the foam. Even with her injured leg she did better at staying dry than we. I should institute a must wear a swimsuit on the beach rule so I wouldn't have to wash so many clothes, but I would have to punish myself for non-compliance because the cool wind of the early season begs for more clothes.

Plovers were busy "fishing" on the water's edge while humans and brown pelicans shared gulf fishing. The waters were calm on the last two days of our stay and we saw many smaller boats trawling and casting. I really like the old wooden boats. The shapes seem more artistic and more natural than the loud, fast, shiny, fiberglass Brobdingnagian monuments to excess.

Naturally, when we go to the beach we search for shells. I find that I always look for the perfect example of a specific type. My children look for interesting shape, color, texture or type. I'm trying to be more like my children. We took way too many pictures of shells - again, seeking perfection.

I'll leave you with the sun setting behind the dunes and the neighbor's flag.

I'm back!

Thursday morning storms rolled in coloring the water and sky varying shades of blue and green. Every time I looked up the colors mutated a bit creating a thrilling show of color and light. On this particular day, it took a long time for the storm to arrive creating an angry Gulf and sky. The children and I stayed in most of Thursday and enjoyed the view, books, Scrabble (my favorite game), and the company of my mother - a true vacation day. My mother is a weather buff and she showed the children clouds that might form a water spout. We watched for hours and finally, the rain and lightening moved inland.

Early the next morning we saw a shrimp boat in the fog trawling for our dinner. The fog burned off and the children and I played on the beach most of the day. We caught a few crabs and bait fish. The fun was in the hunt. We let them go and caught some more. Princess kept trying to "rescue" me. In other words, she kept pushing me under in her attempts at life saving. I think I drank a gallon of salt water as I laughed in the waves. My son has a new self assuredness that draws him further from the shore. I watch, ever cautious, but let him explore his new strength and bravery.

The wind and the waves escalate. When my husband takes the children fishing and swimming the next morning they can barely stand in the surf. The wind destroys the beach tent and the flag, but provides a wonderful opportunity for us to watch something new. A couple of young adults had huge kites that they used to pull themselves across the surf and across the sand - way cool! They didn't last long. I can imagine wrestling those big kites in such a wind would be exhausting.

Last time I visited the beach, I lamented the lack of sea oats and sea turtle nests. Both were seen this visit. There are no sea oats on the beach, but behind the house and on some of the remaining dunes toward the wildlife refuge beach the oats look normal. There were a few sea turtle nests. I didn't take a picture because once they are marked they look just awful cloaked in neon orange plastic tape. I know that the neon tape is a necessary evil. The tape helps keep unsuspecting visitors from stepping in the wrong place and helps the Save-the-Turtle group check the nests and keep incubation counts. One of my mom's friends helped a distressed Mama turtle this year. I will see if I can get permission to print the story.

Recovery

In the event anyone noticed I was not posting with my regular enthusiasm, I've been on a bit of a vacation - a treat after finishing ballet and scouts and before gardening and canning take over. We went to the beach in Alabama and I am amazed at the recovery of nature. This area has been directly and indirectly affected by many hurricanes and tropical depressions lately - especially Ivan in 2004, Dennis, Rita, and Katrina and a few others in 2005. Some of the storms were just in the Gulf and not a direct hit, but with the constant pounding the beaches and especially the dunes really took a hit. Yet, all the scrap wood is gone. Look closely at the picture. The Gulf has worn the wood into smooth, stone shaped pieces. We still found some unexpected things, like an upper denture plate and a 55 gallon drum, but for the most part the beaches are restoring themselves.

The dunes are rebuilding (thanks to the help of snow fencing and some of the scrap washed ashore). The sand crabs are scurrying as usual and some of the vegetation is trying to make a comeback. The trees next to the lagoon are green, again, rather than salt soaked brown. Even in February, the evergreens were still brown. I didn't see a single sea oat, though, and they are my favorites. Maybe later.

The brown pelicans were fishing so there must be fish. The humans were also fishing, though I didn't see many fish being hauled out. Re-creation of the beach eco-structure will take time, but seems to be moving forward. This beach is a nesting ground for sea turtles and I didn't see any trace of nesting. The save the sea turtle group usually marks every found nest to protect it and they had found none either. With all disruptions (hurricanes) perhaps the turtles will lay later. Maybe they were blown off course. I hope not. My children and I love turtle season.