A few good birds...and a comment or two
This December is unseasonably warm. I like northwest Florida because it gets cold. Where we live it has been known to have several days of hard freeze. That appeals to me so the fact that I can go outside right now in short sleeves and shorts is disturbing. But there you go.
Our area of the panhandle is located on a beach road called 30A. This road runs all along the Panhandle dipping down to our area in South Walton County where we have been able to have it designated as a scenic highway. It's a funny little area our section of highway 30A and we are just a tiny bit full of ourselves. Plenty of small town problems including total disgust of local politicians and a healthy dose of beach town maladies in the form of developers gone wild, careless tourists and indignant locals. Right now we have the controversy of residents enduring a road closure to reengineer a bridge at Draper Lake. We have needed the work to be done for some time but there is never a good time to close 30A because it is a main artery, no the only artery and closing it has to been done in the "off-season." Every time we get a bad rain here parts of 30A fall into the dune lakes and that's bad for business so it had to be done. So anyhow that's happening and it is a given that building this section of the road will take way too long to accomplish because, well I don't know why but that is what happens here. In the meantime part of the detour takes drivers north and south on a road called 83. This is a two lane road with an intersection on Hwy 98. To turn west on 98 from 83 means you have to cross 65 mile an hour traffic going west into a turning lane you must share with those on 98 who want to go south on 83. Being very important people in a hurry, lots of cars pile up in the turning lane and things get testy and people get impatient. It is a perfect storm of bad planning and now that the traffic from the detour has added even more important drivers in a hurry into the mix, it is also a perfect site for disaster. Numerous accidents have occurred there; the most recent involving a fatality. Because of the fatality, I guess, the powers that be have decided to put in a temporary traffic light. Not sure why the light is going to be is temporary I guess studies must be made. When I have to go west onto 98, instead of going into the intersection I take a right and go east then make a u turn to go west but if everyone starts doing that it will just push the problem up the road. The thing is, everyone knew the bridge was going to be closed for repair for some months and that we would need a detour. We expected knowledgable people to proactively figure out a thoughtful plan. Instead, a dangerous intersection became more dangerous.
As a young person I kind of thought, our society elected or appointed leaders whose job it was to be forward thinking and to step in...that someone smart was in charge. Now it is clear to me that no one is in charge so, tiring as it is, we all need to make sure to speak up loud and often as indignant locals. Our funny little 30A has a pretty active group of indignant locals. We just have to find someone to with political power to back us up.
In any case, I continue to be baffled by humans.
On to something that makes sense to me.
Last week I got this photo of what I think is a juvenile cormorant. It was close to shore which was a treat. Whatever kind of bird it is it is sweet isn't it? I decided to post some other birds that have similar fishing behavior. More photos of diving birds I have met throughout the years follow:
Our area of the panhandle is located on a beach road called 30A. This road runs all along the Panhandle dipping down to our area in South Walton County where we have been able to have it designated as a scenic highway. It's a funny little area our section of highway 30A and we are just a tiny bit full of ourselves. Plenty of small town problems including total disgust of local politicians and a healthy dose of beach town maladies in the form of developers gone wild, careless tourists and indignant locals. Right now we have the controversy of residents enduring a road closure to reengineer a bridge at Draper Lake. We have needed the work to be done for some time but there is never a good time to close 30A because it is a main artery, no the only artery and closing it has to been done in the "off-season." Every time we get a bad rain here parts of 30A fall into the dune lakes and that's bad for business so it had to be done. So anyhow that's happening and it is a given that building this section of the road will take way too long to accomplish because, well I don't know why but that is what happens here. In the meantime part of the detour takes drivers north and south on a road called 83. This is a two lane road with an intersection on Hwy 98. To turn west on 98 from 83 means you have to cross 65 mile an hour traffic going west into a turning lane you must share with those on 98 who want to go south on 83. Being very important people in a hurry, lots of cars pile up in the turning lane and things get testy and people get impatient. It is a perfect storm of bad planning and now that the traffic from the detour has added even more important drivers in a hurry into the mix, it is also a perfect site for disaster. Numerous accidents have occurred there; the most recent involving a fatality. Because of the fatality, I guess, the powers that be have decided to put in a temporary traffic light. Not sure why the light is going to be is temporary I guess studies must be made. When I have to go west onto 98, instead of going into the intersection I take a right and go east then make a u turn to go west but if everyone starts doing that it will just push the problem up the road. The thing is, everyone knew the bridge was going to be closed for repair for some months and that we would need a detour. We expected knowledgable people to proactively figure out a thoughtful plan. Instead, a dangerous intersection became more dangerous.
As a young person I kind of thought, our society elected or appointed leaders whose job it was to be forward thinking and to step in...that someone smart was in charge. Now it is clear to me that no one is in charge so, tiring as it is, we all need to make sure to speak up loud and often as indignant locals. Our funny little 30A has a pretty active group of indignant locals. We just have to find someone to with political power to back us up.
In any case, I continue to be baffled by humans.
On to something that makes sense to me.
This looks like a loon to me. Likes the winter here.
Jack told me the name of this one but I can't remember what it is. He said they aren't here very often and that this one was young. I believe Jack because he has more time on Blue Mountain Beach than anyone I know except for Josie.
Terns are terrific. They are so much fun to watch. They nest in the dunes so that is why, although I am crazy about dogs, I am not crazy about dogs off leash.
I like to call these guys F1's. When they fly over you in formation you have a moment when you know, in the big scheme of things, all is right with the world.
