The Walking Stick: Cocoa Beach, Florida

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Cocoa Beach, Florida

Most of you who visit my blog The Walking Stick have been experiencing a MUCH colder winter than usual. Even the sunniest days don't bring me joy when the thermometer reads 0 Fahrenheit - give or take a few degrees. I read online yesterday that a place near Newberry, Michigan, in the UP reached -41 degrees. Unbelievable. And that isn't wind chill. Don't even get me going on all the wind we've been experiencing...

I was going through our week-long, visiting Steve's parents, Florida trip pictures this morning (while wrapped in a quilt, cup of coffee steaming on the end table) and reminisced of the two-day one-night WARM trip Steve and I took to Cocoa Beach on the Atlantic side of Florida during the first week of February. I know I promised in my last post to share with you photos of our trip to Mackinac Island via snowmobiles. I have that post all ready to go and will post it soon. But today I thought I would reach out and try to give you all some warmth, seeings how I can't give you all warm hugs or let you borrow my quilt or offer you a toasty mug of freshly brewed coffee or a steaming mug of hot cocoa topped with little marshmallows or whipped creme. You're choice. If you were here.

And as you scroll down thinking of warmer days to come (they WILL come), I may make you chuckle or gasp at one particular photo...

The Cocoa Beach Pier

There are a couple of restaurants on the right as you enter the pier. You can choose to sit somewhat indoors, or on a stool in the sun and watch all the beach goers. At the end of the pier is a tiki bar and lots of fishermen.

There are lots of pelicans hanging out at the end of the pier waiting for bait scraps.

They're kind of shy...

They don't want to get too close to you...ha.

Sometimes they'll break out into a little dance...

While strolling the beach (IN BARE FEET!!!), the rolling roaring waves made me think of Riley because...

...I know this is one of his many passions and I wished so much that he was there surfing the waves, too. He has been here in the past and is familiar with the beach.

On the beach there are pigeons and seagulls everywhere waiting for a free hand out.

Shoo, I say. Nothing here for you.

And why are you looking at me like that with that iddy biddy red eye?

Is there something I should know?

Chuckle or gasp?

View from the room. Warm breezes caressing my face. Remember them?

The next morning the sky was overcast and threatened rain. But if you look closely there were many people walking the beach. I sat in a chair on the porch breathing in the fresh tropical air and drank my morning......coffee!

You've got my morning ritual figured out.