Paradise Beach

While the beach was pretty, it seemed to me that the namers of this particular stretch of Atlantic coastline were slightly ambitious when they called it Paradise Beach. Located just North of Melbourne Beach, the sand, unlike our last visit to the beach, was light gray.

I was feeling slightly nostalgic, thus the visit to Melbourne. That said it is not the Melbourne, Florida, we moved to in 1968, or I think it was 1968. I graduated from Melbourne High School in 1971, having been yanked from both my boyfriend, Bruce, and all of my friends after finishing 10th grade. Actually, I don't know how my father made that commute for nine years, so I suppose I'm lucky we didn't have to move there earlier!

In those days there was pretty much nothing near the house our Dad bought without my Mother even seeing it. Minton Road, in West Melbourne, was pretty much all countryside. Some of it still is, however, everything is so built up around it, I can scarcely believe it. On our drive home, we went in search of our old house on Sharon Drive, where, sadly my Father died two years after he retired from Harris Corporation. The neighborhood still has empty lots, and what we thought at the time as such a luxurious home, is not so much these days.

It's not terrible or anything, just slightly weary. To us, though, when we moved there, we had central air conditioning, an unimaginable luxury. Prior to that move, we had no cold air in our home, not even a window, or wall unit. Is it any wonder our parents were mostly grumpy? No longer is the lot next door empty, a house now stands in place of the sea of grass which I mowed on many occasions using the Snapper riding mower.

Then too, it was here that Bruce asked my Dad if he could marry me.

Well I could go on and on, but they are my memories, not yours, so perhaps it sounds silly, so I'll stop.

Back to Paradise Beach...arriving around 9:30, the beach was fairly empty of crowds, which changed dramatically in the next three hours. Still not crazy, but enough to keep us amused with some people watching. I saw these two women walking towards us, with the lady in red, holding the front of her bathing suit close to her breasts. Seemed slightly odd to me, however, once they got past I discovered just why she held that suit so tightly!

The waves, or what there were of them, were what I think is called glassy. The water temperature? Perfect. Shells on the beach as a bonus.

It always interests me, when taking beach photographs, how you can really see the slight curve of the horizon. See what I mean? This week we brought two umbrellas, his and hers, which worked beautifully to keep both of us from getting scorched from that cloudless sky, and hot summer sun.

After taking the previous Saturday off, we returned to Bill's house to finish what is not a sexy project, but a necessary one--the drain! I was mostly a cheerleader, but I did get into the game later in the day when the sun was beating the living daylights out of us. The ditch, or trench, Bruce began was completed by both Bill and Bruce digging to reach each other in the middle.

There were sixty years worth of roots to get through, which, as you can imagine, no easy feat. I scooted back home to get the ax which coincidentally was one of the tools Bruce kept after cleaning out our Dad's garage. That is another story entirely. Eventually, after some seriously red faces, along with sweating bodies, the drain was laid.

As was a conduit for electricity to make outdoor lighting possible. Asking Bruce what I could do to help, he instructed me on back-filling the trench, along with tamping the dirt, two tasks I could easily never do again, and be happy.

Bill told me about it last week, however, I'd not been to the house since Bill and Fallon cleaned out all the stuff resting in the dining room, moving his current table into position.

Still lots to do, but it most definitely beginning to look like a home! Eventually, I convinced Bruce to quit working because I did not want him to perish from a heat stroke; that was a project that got too late a start on a July day.

Sunday was also blistering hot at the market, however, there were people willing to brave the heat, and visit my tent, one of which was the daughter of one of my best friend's when I was a girl!! The young woman saw my name and asked if I'd grown up in Orlando to which I replied in the affirmative. She told me her mother was Mickey Craver, a name I'd not heard in years. Apparently, she'd heard my name from her mother about the good times we had together!! Asking her if I might take her photograph she agreed.

My goodness, I can see such the resemblance to her Mother! Behind her you can see one of the latest--a super bright orange frame!!

So, while I was making those two pies, (see previous post), during a rainy, thunderstormy Wednesday afternoon, our darling neighbor Regina was being robbed!!! Yes, you read that right, in the middle of the afternoon! For those of you new to my blog, Regina lives about three doors down on the other side of the street. She is also a very, very feisty 76 year old, who, in an act of bravery or craziness, grabbed ahold of the young woman who was in the midst of stealing her gold jewelry! Yep, she came in the front door, saw the girl, and tried to keep her from escaping!! I know, lots of exclamation points, but if ever there were a time to use them, this would be it. Regina said she was not afraid, only MAD. Chasing her out the front door, and down the street, once the younger, and faster, robber crossed Summerlin, Regina decided it was time to call the police. Can you believe the nerve? Fortunately Regina is physically okay, but still mad as hell, and who can blame her?

Speaking of storms, we had a whomper yesterday afternoon. Seriously loud thunder and lightening, with 3 inches of rain falling in a matter of hours. So much so, it put that new, unfinished drain to the test, which it failed, so, as I type, Bruce is at the hardware store picking up some supplies. Yes, the hardware store does open at 6 AM! That said, we were in bed by 9 last night, thus the early morning. Gotta get over there before it heats up because just as the sun rises in the East, we know that, both heat and thunderstorms are inevitable this time of the year.

Stay cool my friends....