Beaches - I'm Cold Today So Here's Some Warm Thoughts

It's my day off today and my list of errands is long *sigh*. It's cold so I'm going to concentrate on warm things today. One quick note - the death toll in the Oklahoma tornado keeps going down and down - the BEST NEWS EVER! Nothing could make me happier than to have those numbers keep reducing. The National Guard was in the area very soon afterward with infrared and heat-seeking technology and the word is that they feel quite confident that everyone has been found. Now for the clean-up, something that Moore, and anywhere in Tornado Alley, is well used to doing.  So...warm things...

Awwww...does he serve drinks too?
Just look at the size of the paws on that little
fuzzy tiger cub - too cute!

There is something wonderful about a relaxing beach, a fancy drink (with the little umbrella, thank you) and maybe even a nice cabana boy to look at. After all...I might be getting older, but I'm not dead yet! I know that some people aren't fond of beaches, but I haven't been at a lot of them over my life and when I have been, I've been fascinated by the ocean.

Hot sun and cool waves in quiet surf. Yeah - this one works for me.

The ocean has times when it frightens me. I understand the mountains - I grew up in them and feel comfortable with vertical walls of rock, rushing cold streams and forested slopes. But the ocean is another huge world, larger than the land mass of earth. It features animals that are unfamiliar to me - creatures that are odd and amazing. There are fish and jellyfish, whales and dolphins, seaweed and corals and so many, many fish. I love going into the ocean but I love coming back onto land again - I belong on the land.

This pic isn't from a beach, but what a lovely sight. Land Ho!

There are few sights more beautiful than sunrise or sunset over a perfect beach. Maybe some day I'll travel to Hawaii once. I hear that the beaches there are amazingly beautiful. I've seen the Atlantic while in Florida and the Pacific when I visited Acapulco and Mazatlan, Mexico, but I've never been to Hawaii. Hmmm...well, it's a possibility. But if it comes down to a choice between Hawaii or Florence...

Florence, Italy. What a magical place. I'm sure it's warm in the summer, right?

Florence wins for me. Yeah. I want to see this view in person, wander the museums, and stand mesmerized in front of David. Cold marble can take the place of a warm cabana boy - LOL.