We moved to Florida in January of 1973. When we first got here, I told Wife Lila that we’d treat this like a three-year Florida vacation since that was as long as I had ever worked anywhere. We’re still here, but that’s another story.
For that first few years, we hit every tourist trap in the state. When I was working a late shift, I’d grab a snorkel and flippers and head up to the beach to look at the exotic fish swimming off a nearby reef.
She got sand in her shoes
It wasn’t long before my beach fixation waned. Before long, I went to the beach about as often as somebody living in Kansas. I used to joke that the only time my feet touched sand was when bales of dope or refugees washed up.
There’s an old Florida legend (probably started by the Tourist Board) that once you get sand in your shoes, you’ll always come back. I guess my penchant for wearing high-topped Red Wing work boots made me somewhat immune.
Lila, on the other hand, loves the beach. She goes to the Full Moon Drum Circles and will walk up and down the beach as often as she can.
That leads us to getting up at 6 in the morning on New Year’s Day. She wanted to start 2011 off by watching the sun come up over Lake Worth Beach.
Moon and Venus greeted us
A beautiful crescent moon and a bright Venus (cropped out of this photo) hung over the Lake Worth fishing pier.
Lila frolicked on the beach
She immediately headed down to the water’s edge, where she photographed waves, birds, flowers, runners and a family. I, sensibly, stayed up on the dune line where I could be sure I wouldn’t get any of that pesky sand in my shoes.
She traded photos with family
She offered to take a group shot of a family she came across, and they returned the favor by shooting her portrait.
The result
The salt spray caused the photo to be a little soft and pastel-colored. I like the effect. She had a great day. She took about half of the photos here and the gallery, including some I wish my name was under. I’ve added her name to the descriptions, so you can see which ones are her’s.
Gallery of New Year’s Day Sunrise on the Beach
If you like scenic photos, I encourage you to click on any of the images to make it larger, then click on the left or right side of the photo to move through the gallery.
You have probably seen my name crop up on Marie Dillon’s FB posts………I usually look for your comments as they are pretty entertaining. Beautiful pics here.
Great. Come back to visit any time. You don’t have to be from Southeast Missouri to find interesting things on the site.
Very nice Ken! These brought back so many wonderful memories of when we went to the beach for sunrise, eating at John G’s, etc. Maybe it’s time to come back for a visit.
I’m going to share these pictures with Bernie.
Happy New Year to you and Lila (she’s like me as far as wanting to walk on the sand and go to the beach)!!
I should have mentioned that we had breakfast at John G’s. It was as good as ever, even though the owner and founder, John Giragos died in January of 2010.
Sons Jay and Keith Giragos and daughter Wendy Yarbrough are running it now. I was surprised to read in the obit that the place opened in 1973, after we moved to Florida. We must have been some of his first customers.
Wow…looks like you are having fun…all starting from a 3 year vacation.
I live on the West Coast…of Florida that is… So sunsets are the best here in the world and sunrises, well I am not usually an early moring kind of guy.
You might have inspired me to get up early and see what all the fuss it about.
Beautiful shots! I liked all of them!! Happy New Year
BETTER WATCH OUT, LILA TAKES A GREAT PICTURE TOO. A FUN COMPETITION I IMAGINE. IT IS SO COLD HERE TODAY, WISHED I COULD WALK ON THE BEACH BAREFOOT THERE AS IT SURE ISN’T HAPPENING HERE.
And here I thought Assateague Island National Seashore, a barrier island off MD. & VA. (where I spent most of my career with the National Park Service) had a lock on the phrase “get sand in your shoes and you will be back”…not to mention the best sunrises and sunsets. Wrong!
Great photos, Ken. My sentiments are with Lila. We have great beaches here in Washington, but clouds and extremely cold water as well. I’m doing everything I can to relocate to Hawaii where I can escape the lap swims of my pool and saunter in sand at dawn and dusk, knowing full well I will probably then pine away for the drop dead gorgeous Olympic and Cascade mountains that surround us here in western Washington. Such is life.
My best to your family and you this new year, Ken.
I’m more of a mountains and rivers kind of guy. Oceans are cool, but piles of rocks are more impressive.
Inspiring story! I have been a server at John G’s for the past thirty years. I do believe this was our first New Years Day to have been open.All sunrises are special,but seeing the first one in a fresh year is something to behold. (even if the weather is a bit overcast)Keep that sand flowing thru your toes!
I’m glad you made an exception to open this year. The only thing that dynamited me out of bed was the prospect of breakfast at John G’s.
It would have been awful to start 2011 with tears splashing onto the sand.
Brings back fond memories. My life is the reverse of yours: I grew up in Lake Worth, left in 1973, and now live in Cape Girardeau.
Nice photos. I don’t do it often, but sometimes being at the beach for sunrise gives some of the awe back to being alive. It is so easy to get so busy that you miss the wonderfulness of just being. Watching the sun rise and knowing that you are looking at a star, one of billions upon billions, really puts the oil change you have to do to your car in its place.
Ken and Lila. These photos are great. I am a jigsaw puzzler. These would make spectacular puzzles.