Ospreys (Don't) Go Shopping

 A little light relief in these crazy times - I was coming out of Publix supermarket the other day when I heard a loud and frenetic cheeping. I looked up and there - right in the car park was an osprey nest atop a long pole, no doubt specially erected for them. Funny that I'd been there so many times and never seen it before.

The birds didn't seem to care about the cars, the traffic jams to get out of the exit,  the shoppers trundling their trolleys. They could look smugly down their noses at them - they don't need to queue up at the fish counter with the earthbound hoi polloi.  Actually the ospreys here think they own the place. They long ago set up residence atop the Cathedral conning tower - sorry, I mean spire - which is about as high and safe a place any.

And here are some at one of the marinas.

I've seen them fishing in the Gulf - always too quick to catch a photo and having a leisurely breakfast perched on telegraph poles - or utility poles as they call them here.

 Note the fish tail to the left. And we're always coming across crabs in the road that they've dropped. You've got to hand it to them.  The world has gone mad but for the ospreys life goes on. 

I Heart Golden Beach

 Appropriate for the day, here's another of those beach shell designs, created by person(s) unknown for our delectation.

At least I assume so - unless they're some secret code or the beach equivalent of prehistoric cave paintings.

Publix supermarket is a mass of red balloons and boxes of lurid red and pink synthetic-looking cupcakes. I'm still puzzled about the fact that Valentine's Day in America is not the exclusive domain of lovers  - no - people send Valentines to their grandchildren, nieces and nephews, classmates, in fact every Tom Dick and Harry they can think of, along with sweets and goodies. Maybe this is all a strategy by gift and card manufacturers. I think it rather takes the romance out of it but perhaps that's just me.

💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

It's Still Cold!

   My neighbours say you can spot the locals as they're all wearing puffa jackets and woolly hats while the tourists struggle in shorts and T-shirts trying to pretend that they're enjoying their so-called break in the sun. I can remember feeling like that myself when we came down for a week a few years ago and I didn't bring any winter clothes and shivered in stubborn denial. It doesn't seem to have deterred people coming here. You can't get a downtown parking space for love or money. That's life in the Season. (nb the Season here has nothing to do with Royal Ascot or Henley.)

Golden Beach has been looking a little bleak...

Not to mention blustery

Though the ever-changing colours are still impressive and someone has been enjoying themselves making pretty patterns out of the shells..

There seems to be a new one every day

And in case you get lost....

If it gets a bit too blowy on the beach, you can always saunter around the neighbourhood

Now where exactly am I?

Let's try thataway....

Well at least today the skies are blue and it's much much much much much worse up north.