Sunrise

Our accommodations on this trip are about 80 yards from the ocean.  Down the hall, through the lobby, past the pools  and along the boardwalk - - - there it is.  Since we are so close, one of my goals is to watch the sun rise over the Atlantic.  The first morning was overcast, but I sat on the beach and watched the gray sky lighten as the sun came up behind the clouds.  

On day two, I checked the weather before heading to the beach:

• Weather for Jacksonville, Florida at 7:00 a.m.:  Dense fog advisory, 87% humidity, 68 degrees.
• Weather for Salem, Nebraska at 7:00 a.m.:  Dense fog advisory, 91% humidity, 24 degrees.

All things considered, Florida was the winner - but I still didn't get to watch the sunrise. Instead, I sat by the fire pit on the patio, sheltered from the drizzling mist and again watched the black sky fade to gray and listened to the waves crashing on the shore.

Day 3:  The conference we are attending hosted "beach Olympics" Saturday morning, starting just after sunrise.  We went down a little early to check the sunrise status. As you can tell from the picture of Dave trying to save my pitiful attempts at Bocce ball and keep us in the tournament, it was still foggy and overcast.  No problem - 2 more chances.

Day 4:  Dave had an 8:00 reservation to go hang gliding, so we called a cab for 7:20.  While Dave waited for the cab, I faithfully made my morning trek to the beach, even though I knew I wasn't going to see the sunrise through the clouds.  At least I could say I tried.  Sure enough - no visibility.  In fact, Dave's hang gliding ride was postponed for an hour while we waited in the pilot's office, listening to the airport station announce the latest visibility and weather information.  When the clouds parted, they took off.  The ride was cut a few minutes short because the clouds and fog began to close in again.

Powered hang gliding with Hang Glide USA

Tomorrow is Day 5 - my final chance to watch the sun rise over the Atlantic - at least for this trip.  The weather forecast says cloudy and rainy, so I'm not optimistic, but these quiet mornings on the beach, or by the fire in view of the beach, have been a blessing.  There is much to be learned by taking time to be still and listen.