January/February beach days

My friend, SueG, and I have decided that at least once a month we will try to hit the beach for some sunning and talking.  We put it into our calendars to make sure we don't schedule anything else on those days and we pack up a nice cooler of our diet foods and drinks and head to the beach.  Lucky for us these days have been warm.

January 2013 - Temperature outside - 81 degrees / Gulf temperature - 65 degrees

For some reason we were surrounded, almost elbow to elbow, by sun worshipers over the age of 50.  It was like a huge bus had pulled up and dumped them off.  All day long they just kept coming over the bridge on to the beach with their pull carts, umbrellas, coolers, and chairs.  Most of them were dark brown from the sun and covered in hats and sunscreen. 

The day was beautiful with a warm breeze and a hot sun that dried me immediately after I entered the gulf.  I was the only one to do so on this day, although SueG ventured in up to her waist.  Where we beach the water is very shallow almost out to the buoys so I had to walk quite a ways to get past my waist, and finally I just gave up and went under.  The sand was quite rocky in the beginning so traipsing in and out wasn't easy, but I had to enter for one reason and one reason only and it wasn't because I was boiling hot.

I was very good about putting on sunscreen, although I forgot my lip balm.  My nose, which sticks the farthest out, got some sun, but the rest of me was good.  I looked like I had a bit of a windblown look, but for the most part I wasn't too bad.


February 2013 - Temperature outside - 80 degrees / Gulf temperature - 68 degrees

Not as many people on this beach day and a lot more younger in age.  Many of them were tourists and many of them from other countries.  The day was cooler than the day in January with a stronger breeze that kept blowing right as I balmed up my lips so that I constantly was chewing on sand.  There were more clouds as well and several times during the day we sat without sun.

The water, however, felt much warmer.  More people were taking advantage of this wading through the water collecting shells, building sandcastles, and wading further out to go under.  I went into the water twice walking far out enough to tread water.  Two men were parallel to me on the first trip talking about skin cancer and they lasted longer in the water than I did.  SueG did her normal trip out up to her waist to take care of business, and without her to talk to I got bored and swam in.

The seagulls were out in full force on this day swooping in and out of people clusters snatching snacks and in one instance an entire sandwich from the hand of a small girl.  I had a seagull do a sneak attack on me from behind, but I was too quick and he flew away empty beaked.  It did take awhile, however, for my heart to slow down from the surprise.  He wasn't very happy either and insisted on standing by us just in case.

For some reason I didn't apply sunscreen for the first hour except on my nose and chest.  Then when I did I forgot my face and apparently my two knees.  My forehead and face got fried as did the knees.  My forehead is now peeling and my DNA is everywhere.  Next month I must do better in that department.