A Beautiful Florida Day, April 13

Beautiful weather in Florida today. Clear and dry and a forecast high of 80 degrees.

We walk south on the beach. On our way back, we see that a young couple has caught a small hammerhead shark. It is a beautiful shade of grey and it measures about 30 inches long. Tony and I both touch it. It is smooth as you stroke one way, but rough as sandpaper if you stroke in the opposite direction. The guy throws it back in after we have all had a look at it. A few minutes later, he catches another one! He swears it is not the same one!

Betty and Ben from Gainesville, Florida, the couple we met on the beach last evening, are also watching. So we have a chat with them. They are planning a ferry trip to Amelia Island this afternoon. They have a Four Winds 27 foot motor home and and white Ford truck which they tow, along with bikes, and sometimes a kayak! They invite us to share their campfire with them later that evening.

We decide to go to Safe Harbour Seafood Market and Restaurant, recommended to us by Surfer Beth, for a late lunch. We arrive around 12:45 and wait in line until at least 1:45! During our wait, we have a long conversation with a Puerto Rican lady. We hear all about her family in Puerto Rico, how they coped with Hurricane Irma, her children, grandchildren, how she is now taking a masters degree in herbal medicine, her husband's job as a specialized mechanic, her dyslexic son, pictures of her family! The hour passes quickly!

I have grilled scallops and Tony has fried shrimp. The food is very good, but I like PEI and Nova Scotia scallops better. These scallops were big and tender, but they didn't have that real salt water taste that our scallops have. So, scallops, shrimp, fries, coleslaw, and 2 savoury hushpuppies each. A yummy lunch on the St. John's River, watching the boats go by.

After, we stop at Publix, and then head back to the campground for more bike riding, beach walking and shell hunting. After being inside for all those long winter days, we love being outside. We have a quick sandwich for dinner, and then go to Betty and Ben's campsite for a campfire. We hear all about their camping trips to Nevada, Wyoming, West Virginia, hiking the Appalachian Trail with their little dog Winnie, their experiences with Hurricane Irma, life in Gainesville. . . A nice visit.Read more