As I am driving to the beach this morning, the clouds seem to be getting darker. Suddenly, it is drizzling. I wonder if I am going to get a walk in this morning. It is not much more than a drizzle so I am optimistic and think positive thoughts that I AM going to get my walk in this morning!
When I get out of the car I notice dark clouds behind me and to the one side of the pier.
The flags are very still. There is no wind.
As I start up the pier, there is a large clap of thunder behind me. I continue up onto the pier. While I am walking up onto the pier, I stop and take a picture of the gulf. It is very calm today.
I hear more thunder and hope that it will be a brief shower and I can get on with my walk. While waiting it out I take a few pictures of the sunrise.
I look over the side of the pier and see Stretch up on the garbage can!
It starts to rain. This makes me feel good that I didn't go for a short walk. I was thinking about trying to squeeze a short walk in before the rain. Glad I didn't try. I have only been on the pier about 10 minutes before it started to rain.
While waiting out the storm, I look over the pier into the water. I can see a bunch of blue crabs in the water. There must be about 25 or 30 in this area. I'm wishing it wasn't raining and I had my net and a bucket to go catch some for dinner!
Well it continues to rain.
Now about 20 minutes into the storm it starts to pour and the thunder and lightning is really bad. The rain is starting to spray on the pier. I move away from the rail. I wasn't anticipating this storm when I got out of the car so I have no money on me to buy coffee. Feeling a little grumpy, I decide that I am going to go in the gift shop and look around. I spend about 10 minutes in there looking around. They have every thing you need for at the beach. It's expensive but if you got to the beach and forgot something, you could get it here.
They have a jellyfish spray that you put on immediately after being stung and it is supposed to take away the sting. Good to know as there are a lot of jellyfish sometimes. Well, I'm done looking around and I go back out onto the pier. It is still pouring and I think it might be raining ever harder now. Still bad thunder and lightning.
I go and look over the rail. I watch the crabs and now there are stingrays. There are 3 swimming around. I watch them till they swim out of the area.
Then I look out over the pier to the right side. And what do I see to my wandering eyes should appear - no not reindeer -
A rainbow!
I had been looking for it because the sun was shining on the other side and it was still raining. Watched the rainbow until it went away. It is still raining hard. Too hard to leave. My camera, zune and phone would all get ruined just running out to the car. So I continue to wait it out. There are a lot of people on the pier waiting it out too.
It is now starting to spray onto the pier even harder and it is getting cold. The temperature has really dropped. So I decide to go into the gift shop again. This time after being in there a few minutes, what do my wandering eyes find - a secret room!
I can't believe that I hadn't notice this big glass door before. On the door is a sign that says fishing license. So I look through the door and see a small room. It has two round tables and a few chairs at each table. I look around. Don't know if I am allowed in there. I decide what the heck, I'm going in. When I enter the room I am greeted by two large wall murals and a case with models of fish in it.
The murals identify all the birds and fish found out on the beach and in the sea. By the fish there is a black box that you can press buttons and it makes the sound the fish makes.
By the birds, it shows you how a sea turtle nest would be. This is all very interesting and occupies my time for about 20 minutes.
I head on back out and the rain has now seemed to be just a light rain. I have been waiting out the storm now for 1 1/2 hours. I decide it is time to go and make a dash for the car.
Once again I enjoyed my time up on the pier. I loved the little secret room! It's not really a secret room. I just call it that because I never noticed it before. I have been in the gift shop several times and just did not notice it.
Well, its Friday so that means I will probably go to the beach this evening with Mark. Maybe I can get my walk in then.
From sunrise to sunset!
To moon rise!
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