Florida...and the Gifts from the Sea

In January, I vacationed in Florida with my mother for a relaxing end to a long semester taking classes and a hectic holiday.  In the winter, the colors here soften and the air is cooler, but it's perfect photography and exploring weather. I'll never get tired of walking on the sand and listening to the surf in this quiet part of the state, called the Treasure Coast.

The view from where we stay is practically hanging over the water. From the living room, it looks like you're on a cruise ship. I took some of these photos from that balcony.

Above, we took a tour of the Jupiter Lighthouse, which is on the easternmost part of Florida's Atlantic coast.

The beach was the first place I headed to after getting my DSLR camera two years ago. Somehow, it never becomes cliche to take photos there.  Sometimes, though, the best part is discovering something like an Osprey nest, or a Pelican flying overhead, a living starfish enjoying a shallow bath, or a row of beach fencing covered in early Spring blossoms. Those are like the little "gifts" that you get from exploring the same place over and over, that only those who take the time to look will really see.