Sunrise On The Beach

Friday
August 28, 2009

Last night Gina and I decided we would get up early and walk to the beach to see the sunrise. We woke up at 5:30 and got the coffee started. We finally got up around six o’clock and headed for the beach. The beach is only about a quarter of a mile away from the campground so it’s a very short walk. We then walked down the beach a little ways to find a good location and then sat down to enjoy our coffee together waiting for the sun to come up. The sky was overcast but we were still hoping for a nice sunrise. Here are a few pictures.

Waiting for the Sunrise


Beautiful Sky Just Prior to Sunrise


Our First Glimpse of the Sun


Sunrise


One Last Look Before It Goes Behind the Clouds


Nice Reflection On The Sand


A Beautiful Morning

After the sun came up Gina decided to look for shells as we walked down the beach. We found some nice shells so I decided to bring them back to where our chair was. Also because Gina was still looking and I was tired of looking and wanted to sit down. About 30 minutes later I hear her yelling for me and I see her hands are full so I walk back down to her.

Gina Searching For Shells


Gina and Her Loot

Around nine o’clock we decided to head home and get some breakfast. Located right next to the campground is one of the Navy’s firefighting schools. We got to see a group putting out an aircraft fire. We also got to see the USS Gettysburg, a guided missile cruiser heading out to sea.

Firefighting School


USS Gettysbury Heading Out To Sea

We had ham, eggs, and toast for breakfast. I then wrote the blog and relaxed for a little while. Gina washed and inspected all her shells and then set them out to dry.

Gina's Loot


Her Best Find

Around noon Gina wanted to go back to the beach so she could work on her tan. We loaded up our stuff and got on our bikes and headed back to the beach. We spent the rest of the day at the beach with Gina sunbathing and looking for more shells. I started a new book and somewhere in there I took a nap on the beach since Gina took a picture of me sleeping.

Gina Sunbathing


Just Reading


Just Napping

Once we got back home Gina jumped in the shower while I took Angel & Zoey for a walk. I then jumped into the shower while Gina went and put a load of clothes on to wash at the clubhouse. We had leftover pizza from the other night for dinner. We both agreed it had been a long day and decided to go to bed. Gina watched a little TV while I read for a little while. Not sure what time we fell asleep but it wasn’t long. We had a wonderful and enjoyable day at the beach and even though the sunrise wasn’t the greatest it was still very beautiful to us.

Until tomorrow, Gina & I hope everyone has a pleasant and wonderful day, enjoying what our Father has so graciously blessed us with.

Bike Riding

Thursday
August 27, 2009

We woke up around seven o’clock this morning and enjoyed our coffee sitting outside with a nice gentle breeze blowing. The sky was overcast and there was a 70 percent chance of thunderstorms today. We were not sure if it was going to rain or not so we decided to get our bikes out of the truck and go for a ride. Well as our luck goes it started to rain just as we were getting on our bikes. We decided we would postpone our ride to later in the day. I decided to write our blog entry since it was raining. While I was writing the blog Gina fried some ham and scrambled some eggs for breakfast. The rain didn’t look like it was going to let up so we decided to take a ride into Jacksonville to see if I could find a red shirt for Thomas’s graduation. We just learned from the Marines last week that each company is assigned a color for graduation. Family & friends are encouraged to wear that color to show their support for their new Marine during the graduation ceremony. After several stores I finally found a red one that I would wear along with a pair of shoes. From there we went by Office Depot to pick up some photo ink & paper so Gina could print pictures of Thomas after his graduation ceremony. By the time we got back home the rain had stopped so off on our bikes we went. We rode our bikes around the base and then down the beach.

Stopping for a Break


Gina Riding Down the Beach


Looking Down the Beach

I guess we rode about four or five miles. We would have rode further but I was laughing too much as Gina was trying to learn how to shift a mountain bike. This was her first time on a mountain bike. She finally got the hang of it and we had a really nice ride. Once we made it back home Gina said her legs were feeling like jello. We rode by the base pool and noticed that the high diving board was gone and in its place they put a slide in. The picture here is for my children to see the change. Gina and the kids spent two whole summers living between the pool and the beach.

Base Pool

Our neighbor here told us about a reception at the Chief’s Club tonight for all retiree’s. Since we didn’t have anything planned we decided to walk over and enjoy some free food and meet some other retirees. We met some really nice people and most of them are staying here in the campground too. We left there and since the Chief’s club is on the beach we decided what better way to end a wonderful day than taking a nice long walk down the beach before calling it a night.

Until tomorrow, Gina & I hope everyone has a pleasant and wonderful day, enjoying what our Father has so graciously blessed us with.

Fond Memories of Mayport Naval Station

Wednesday
August 26, 2009

We almost missed the morning since we both slept in until 8:30 and then didn’t get out of bed until 9:30. That was almost twelve hours of sleep for me. Once we got out of bed we enjoyed our coffee sitting outside. It was a beautiful morning with the smell of salt in the air. My relaxation didn’t last long since Gina insisted that I update the blog which is what I did for the next two hours.

Here I Am Working Hard On Updating The Blog

She did help me out with pictures and remembering what we did on each day. It seems like my memory is getting shorter since retiring and I ‘m sure getting older doesn’t help it either.

Once I finished the blog entry around 12:30 we visited with our neighbors Don and Marjorie. He’s retired navy as well. Found out we couldn’t ride our bikes on base without helmets which I forgot ours at our house. So the first item on Gina’s agenda was go to the Navy Exchange and buy helmets. Since the commissary was right next to the exchange we decided to go ahead and stock up on items we know are a lot cheaper. We then headed back home and took the dogs for a walk. While we were walking a Navy Destroyer was coming into port. Gina, being the prepared person that she is, whipped out her camera and took some pictures.

Navy Destroyer Arriving Into Port


View Of Navy Harbor with Ships In Port


Another View of Navy Ships From the Campground

Gina and I were remembering when I would leave for a deployment. We would say our goodbyes at the ship and then once the ship pulled away from the pier they would hurry back to the van and drive over to the jetties. She and the kids would climb up on the jetties along with other navy wives and their children to wave one last time as the ship would pass by heading out to sea.

Rock Jetties Along the Saint John's River

The campground here is in an excellent location. You can sit outside and watch ships coming in and out of the Saint John’s River or you can walk to the beach. We have not made it to the beach yet but I will get pictures of the beach later.

A Merchant Ship Heading Out To Sea

Around eight o’clock Gina got online and chatted with Ashley while I grilled steaks outside. Gina said goodbye as we sat down and enjoyed a nice filet with a baked potato. We then set up for a while watching TV before finally making it to the bedroom. Today was so relaxing for both of us. We enjoy being at our house in Louisiana but being back on the road is so wonderful and exhilarating. Those were the best adjectives I could come up with. The bottom line is we both feel so blessed to be out here living our dream.

Until tomorrow, Gina & I hope everyone has a pleasant and wonderful day, enjoying what our Father has so graciously blessed us with.