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Beaches That Are Too Crowded!
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June 1, 2011
We had a chance to get away this past week for a long Memorial Day holiday. We left our work and wired toys behind and set out for some well-deserved peace and quiet. The weather was beautiful, the skies were blue, and the water was inviting! Well..... almost...

Have you ever been standing in the surf or walking in from a dip in the ocean and not really paying attention because you're trying to break that seal of suction from between your swimsuit and your skin, and then as soon as you unsuck it from your skin it fills up with a huge air bubble so you have to release the air that you just filled your suit with, and then you look down and spot something in the water and realize you're about to step on it?

Okay, so what if you looked down and saw... well, this?

Oh, so you think I just snapped this photo at an aquarium?

Nope! These cownose rays were right at my feet in the surf! Cool! Yes? I guess if you want this same experience, you could always go to one of those zoos or aquariums where you pay to see them - and then you can jump in the water with them. (Oh, and let me know how that goes...)

Not just the water was crowded. The beaches were crowded too! These vacationers decided to stop and nest smack dab on the same beach that we did. (Okay, we weren't nesting, but we were sitting and lounging.)

They invited all their friends and they talked really loud! They must've liked it there because they had reserved their own beach, settled in, and unpacked their families.

They even brought their very own bird nerds to protect them. Even though these guards were highly trained in bird watching, eating, and talking to each other, and they got to wear green vests with "Bird Steward" stenciled on, they were no match for the occasional and random bird chaser.

There must be something irresistible about a clump of birds that turns an ordinary child into a wild bird chaser, and not even a bird nerd can catch these little running rascals - so the birds were chased. . .

and chased. . .

and chased.

Eventually, we were able to find some solitude away from the beach crowds, and enjoyed some serenity and beautiful views. . .

It was a pretty awesome getaway, and a great start to our summer 2011.