The surf was heavy with the effects of the incoming rain. The beach was washed in a way I have not seen before. It cut a rough edge in the sand. Att he point where the tide washed up there was a 1-2 foot drop from the dry sand to the surf washed sand.
We hung out with Skye for a short while. She was not interested in jumping off the sand into the surf. She’s not really used to surf anyway. She kind of looks at us as if to say “hey there’s something wrong with the water”.
Back in the truck and we drive on out to the National Seashore and on to Fort Pickens. The fort was originally built in 1834 and then updated several times. It was a Union fort in the Civil War. That’s pretty deep in the outhouse to remain in union hands. The Confederates tried to take it but gave up and went on to higher priorities. It was upgraded in the late 1800s and again for WWI and again for WWII.
Where we stopped for lunch we hit the beach again. The found a piece of the Florida National Scenic Trail and hiked a part of that. Out there we met a young woman who was an half mile from finishing the trail! Her husband would pick her up tomorrow. She started the trail on Jan 3, the day we left home.
We also watched some birds, saw several Osprey and Carlene saw an eagle one osprey came over us with a fish in his talons. He landed in a tree where his mate was on a nest.
We didn’t get home until after 5. Had a fine day exploring. Tomorrow we’ll see just how much rain really comes here. There is a Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola that we may check out.
To Joe, excellent choice to leave New England before the storm!
We went to that narrow strip of island at the bottom of the map
Ft Pickens is on the west end of that island
A lousy 100 yards of beach
Osprey in a tree, nest below
On the Florida Trail
On a bridge on the trail we saw this snapping turtle
This sighting was pointed out by a guy on a recumbent tricycle; he said he has lived all over the country. Originally from upstate NY. He’s been visiting his brother in Pensacola for 1.5 years.
He called it kind of a long visit.
And another turtle
Ft Pickens
The placement of the big guns in this pit is described in the next photo
Used to see that step in the beach on occasion up at the Cape on the ocean side many years ago!
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