Mar 21 2005
This was voted the fourth most beautiful beach in the entire US of A. If this is the fourth runner-up, I can’t even imagine what Miss Beach America looks like.
The only way to reach Caladesi Beach is by boat – either ferry or your yacht – so you feel like this is a private island paradise. I was greeted by an armadillo, looking like a small, armored dinosaur. I had no idea they lived in Florida; I tend to think of them as desert creatures. But there they were.
The shore is fringed with mangroves, trees which actually remove the salt from the sea water they grow in to water themselves. There are jungles of spiky palmetttos. The sand is as white as sugar, warm and soft in the bright sun, scattered with pink and purple shells.
The sun was beginning to set in absurdly Technicolor pink and violet as I left the island. An osprey, starkly black against the incandescent sky, followed the boat back to port. On this day, just a few hours before my late father’s 74th birthday, I felt his presence strongly, as if he and the magnificent bird he so loved were one.
2 Responses to “”
It looks absolutely stunning, and I think your Dad’s presence is always with you, I’m glad you were able to find a peaceful momemt. *hugs*
I read osprey and immediately thought of your Dad. I’m sorry I missed his birthday. *hugs to you*