45under45: Fourth of July

My biggest decisions of the morning are:

Should I go to the left or to the right?
Should I go on the beach or the road?
Should I walk or run?
Should I hoof it from here or take the golf cart and then set out?

I felt like I was getting really comfortable with my knowledge of the north end and that loop...it was time to step out of my comfort zone. So, I took the golf cart to Sea Spray, parked, and set out down the road that went straight...toward parts unknown. Since this is a very small island and where I was going was a very small peninsula, getting lost wasn't a concern. I just took every right hand turn possible, turned around at the dead ends, and took the next right.

I went up and down all the "roads" on the peninsula.

What I didn't know was that I felt like I was LIVING in that lie we all tell our children..."I had to walk, up hill, BOTH ways!" I imagine that this elevated ridge must be perfect for folks who want to be able to own a home that has a view of both the Sea of Abaco and the Atlantic Ocean. However, for this jogger, it was like running through a fun house. Every turn presented a new hill that went straight up! (And there was almost zero shade. This was not my best decision.)

High noon. Due west. No joke...50% hill grade.

Once on the downhill slope, a tiny turquoise triangle appeared between some branches. The SEA! However, in order to save "dessert" for the end, I told myself that I would keep going on these roads/paths and then come back to this spot. That way I'd have something to look forward to and could spend a little time exploring the shoreline on the Sea of Abaco once I "reached".

Hello, Gorgeous! I'll be back.

I ran along the Sea of Abaco side for only a few hundred yards and then was faced with a gigantic hill! If the last slope was about a 50% grade, this one must have been 60%! It was almost straight up! Luckily, the Australian pine needles cushioned my ridiculous looking gait as I attempted a jogging motion. I was just really just hiking with a small hop.

I made it to the top, took a few side roads that dead ended into either woods or exquisite estates, and then headed back to the Sea of Abaco for my dessert.

I rested in the shade of this dock.

When I'm in Tampa, I have a fidget stick that acts as my jogging support system. Since I've been here, I've adopted this shell as my chase boat.

On one side, he's kind of grumpy looking...like me during my run.

But, on the other side, he's got a little smile...like me at the END of the run.

If there is a way to make a living collecting, photographing, and marveling at drift wood or exposed tree roots...sign me up! I love the twists and turns, the unimaginable knots, the blanched smooth surfaces, the stories they could tell. This is the arty shot section of the blog:

Sea beans are another favorite of mine. I collect most of what I find. There are some that are so common and even kind of ugly that I no longer even bother to bend down and pick them up. But, this one is one of my all time favorites. (I highly suggest reading this to learn more about this particular seed.)

Sea beans are supposed to bring good luck!

While I was out having the great jogging and exploration adventure, amazingly, both kids took the initiative to clean their rooms. Summer even made her bed! And Nicholas must have finally had his fill of sandy sheets, he took off his sheets, shook them out, and remade his bed!

After that, we all joined together in an afternoon of world class vegging out. Summer napped and tapped. Nicholas tapped and napped. Shawn tapped. Millie napped. I read a few pages of my book in the shade of our pool deck and then...napped.

Eventually, it got to be about 4:00 and we donned our patriotic gear and set off for Firefly, a newish resort on the Sea of Abaco side of the island that we had only been to once, just to see the sunset. (Click here for their website.) They advertised fireworks and a DJ and we were told they had some of the best food on the island.

I brought along red, white, and blue headbands.
Summer's ears show up beautifully.
My butterflies couldn't be seen as much as I had hoped.

At Firefly, the kids snorkeled around the deck. They found conch shells, a sea star, some hidden steps carved into the rocks under the deck, and were pestered by tiny fish nipping at their flesh.