A boring slide show of someone's vacation pictures

I’m on the lookout for Floridian faces in places, but haven’t seen any yet.I’d like you to see that we did get a sunny day yesterday.I went jogging one afternoon—the first jog in several weeks, I blush to admit—along the beach. I rounded that bend in the distance, not knowing what would be on the other side. We’re in a very undeveloped part of Florida, and as I rounded it, the tide was out, and it was like going to a quiet, lonely place with only some grasses, shrubs, and birds for company. I thought of the lonely places Jesus retreated to, to be alone, to be in prayer. This felt like that—alone, quiet, out among only a few animals, undisturbed.

Luke 5:16But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

I stopped jogging and stood…partly to catch my breath, partly to listen, and finally to pray.Birds—pelicans, I think—floated on the water. Every once in a while, one would take off, wings flapping against the water. Then it would fall quiet again, with only a sea bird’s chirruping now and then. What looked like sandpipers or sanderlings skittered along the edges.I was delighted. It’s the total opposite of the Spring Break chaos of condos and shopping and restaurants and partying and so on.From where I sit on the porch of the campground’s rec room, I can hear the Gulf water rushing against the sand. At night it’s so soothing.Most of yesterday we spent at the beach. The kids dug holes, took turns burying each other up to their necks, and made sand angels.The wind, I noticed, formed textures in the sand.The day before we saw a fisherman pluck this guy out of the water.We all exclaimed “A hammerhead shark!” as we sprinted over to get a closer look. The fisherman corrected us. “It’s not a hammerhead. It’s a bonnethead.”I looked it up to learn a bit more. According to Wikipedia, the bonnethead, also known as a shovelhead, is the smallest member of the hammerhead shark family. So we were both right.Squeamish? Brace yourself for the next picture.This big barnacle-coated sea turtle washed onto the shore. So sad.Finally, I’ll leave you with a shot of The Boy contemplating the water’s edge.