We just returned from another venture to the coast.
From the beaches and forests, to the historic Gullah town of Mitchelville where slaves fled during the Civil War.
We were never alone out there, enjoying local residents including:
- Egrets and Ibis
- Spoonbills and Pelicans
- Turtles and Alligators
- Sharks and Stingrays
- Dolphins and Jellyfish
- Osprey and Bald Eagles
- Shorebirds and Pileated Woodpeckers
- Lizards and Salamanders
along with many colorful plants and trees.
All these wild things breathing the salt air together with us.
The free gift of the sea, for all to see.
Friendly Freethinker 
hello from Vancouver Chris. Your pics were very calming and triggered memories of my trips to visit a long time University friend and his wife in Ponce Inlet on the Florida coastline. We would walk to the Ponce de Leon lighthouse Inlet and see the structure built to guide ships along the coast in 1880. It has been restored and draws many visitors.
Unfortunately my friend of over 60 years died just before Xmas 2023 and ostensibly we have lost contact unless his worldview as a fairly open-minded Christian is correct and I reconvert, Unlikely on both accounts. He quizzed me regularly on my visits and our walks on how a humanist can maintain any sense of morality and have a system of right and wrong with no god. Stimulating discussion to build his awareness of how many people are good without god and how religions co-opted evolutionary morality before the eye in the sky was created for social control. Don’t think I convinced him and he will not be able to read my book unless they have libraries for stardust readers. But he was still a hell of a nice guy who drank too much and played football with too many concussions.
Your scenes were very similar particularly the sunsets away from the ocean above the trees and along the inland waterway. You mention a number of dyads, but you needed to include Chris and partner. Thanks for sharing as usual.
Bittersweet memories there, Marty. It takes a strong friendship to discuss such different worldviews. There is nothing like the sea (other than the mountains) to clear the head and think more expansively. All the best across (artificial) borders.