A Simple Jewel of a Day

It’s a beautiful evening here in Sebastian Florida tonight.  I’m sitting outside listening to the traffic on US #1 and the acorns dropping from the live oak tree onto the metal roof of the rec center (or wrecked center as I call it).  Today was a wonderful day and it reminded me of the reasons I came on this ride.  My brother and sister-in-law stayed here overnight for a visit on their way back to Canada.  We stayed up later than my usual bedtime hour and talked about family and all the drama that takes place. 

This morning we said our farewells and I started getting my gear together for a ride.  My friend Bud arrived riding his ’07 black Street Glide and we agreed it was noon somewhere so we popped a beer and talked motorcycles and Harleys in particular.  Bud is gearing up for the Leesburg rally in April as well as a trip down the Everglades by boat.  He is a real outdoorsman and knows his fishing. Bud left to get his boat ready for the season and to do some chores at home so I got myself ready to ride.

A huge brush fire filled the sky with great billows of smoke over to the west.  I hit the pumps down the road to gas up and headed out the 512 to see if there were some good photos I could get of the fire and the activity around it.  As I rode west on the 512, I saw a familiar figure on a 1200 Sportster.  My friend Kim was riding east.  We saw each other at the same time and he pointed to the parking lot he was passing.  A quick U Turn later and I pulled up beside him.  He was on his way to see me so we rode back to the cabin and another chat about motorcycles ensued.  

Brush Fire Plume

It was just a gorgeous day; sunny, bright, but with a touch of chill left in the air.  We decided a ride was in order so mounting up we headed up US #1 towards Palm Bay.  It was our first ride together and we did the usual observing and jockeying to get used to each others riding style.  It was just glorious.  The ospreys were busy fishing the Indian River.  The sun gleamed off waves looking like burnished metal.

Great Egret

We headed west to a conservation area that is very active right now with nesting birds, manatee, dolphins and other wildlife.  When we arrived, I dug the Nikon out of the TourPak and headed down to the docks to see who was around providing entertainment.  By now it was hot and I sure was warm wearing my chaps and leather jacket.  Off came the jacket and the sun felt like warm butter on my arms.  In Canada I would be up to my knees in snow and wondering if I would ever warm up!

The manatees were not around because the tide was out and the water too low where we were for them.  The birds though put on a great show.  I started to work with the camera shooting shot after shot and working to find the special shot for the day.  Kim, who studied photography in university, encouraged me and pointed out different shots for me to take.  He soon pointed into the high swamp grass along the bank behind us and said “Did you see that bird that just landed in the grass?”  I hadn’t but when I isolated the movement on the bank I saw it was an elusive Green Heron.  We worked around to a point above it where I could get a relatively unrestricted shot and I took plenty trying to isolate it in profile.

Common Tern

I got the special shot of the day I hoped to get at this favorite haunt of mine.  We soon got antsy to get riding again and to put it in the wind.  Off we went heading back to pick up US #1 and heading south this time towards home.  We swung down Indian River Rd. and gave a nod in homage to Arlo Guthrie’s house then pulled into the lot at Earl’s Hideaway, our local pub, where a number of bikes were pulled up.  There was a stripped down 1958 Pan Head and a number of other sweet rides.  As we walked in, I saw Bud having a cold one at the end of the bar.  We pulled up our stools by him and soon the talk was back to motorcycles, fishing, and life in Florida.  Kim has taken up surf fishing and invited me along with the offer of a spare pole.  It sounds like I will get an introduction to this popular Florida pastime. 

Cormorant

After a beer we all headed out and rode off in our own directions to bring to an end what I consider a perfect day.  Good riding, good friends, great wildlife to photograph, and fabulous weather.  Yes!  This is why I am on this journey; to experience days like this and the feel that sense of inner joy.  Life is good!

Green Heron