Kayaks in December

It was just a few days ago when I met some real nice folks kayaking near the beach access at Ed Walline. They have a vacation house here in South Walton and live most their days "up north" in Tallahassee. I met them after their paddle and not surprisingly, they were clearly delighted with their time on the water. This winter has been mild so far. Gorgeous. I did see tar balls near the shore, remnants of the disaster last year and a reminder to me not to forget. I will always speak out against what can damage our beautiful, beloved Gulf of Mexico. The oceans are so wild and once you step away from the sand castles and go into the water you enter an environment relatively unknown to most of us land born creatures. I've learned to respect that. And once you get out into the water, far enough away to loose sight of the shore you can see why some people think they can get away with things they wouldn't do on land. So, we all have to be watchful; be aware of the consequences of our actions. As a kid in the 60's and 70's, the line in one of Joni Mitchell's song "Carey", "I got beach tar on my feet" was more a statement of reality than words of alarm. Tar on your feet was common until people did something about leaks and discharges from oil tankards. I think we can safely say that none of us want tar on our feet to be the norm...I vote for that.

In any event, this December afternoon walk was as beautiful as any I have seen. Crystal clear water, wide sandy beach, amazing colors softly painting the sky. Worth taking care of. Worth remembering we have to be good stewards of this gift.

PS: I dutifully reported the glob and I have no doubt a clean-up crew was dispatched quickly.