Snuck out of the condo early enough to see the sun rise over a calm Atlantic Ocean here in Juno. It was a perfect morning to walk on the beach. The water was warm and the air temp was still under ninety. Connecting the sunrise and sea to land, I counted thirty-three sets of turtle tracks along the shoreline near the Seminole Golf Club, plus another thirteen sets marked by a volunteer turtle tracker on an ATV.

Two of the nests had been disturbed. Crows were feeding on exposed eggs. Thankfully, the majority were well buried. We might have to walk down to the beach after dark tonight and see what comes ashore.
Further down the beach, two guys were working in the water by a small limestone outcropping. When asked what they found, they said it was the intake check valve for a salt water pool at the golf club — installed in 1927. Said they had been looking for it for the past two weeks. The inside brass parts were shiny and still working.
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Beach Access in the Daylight |
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Turtle Nest Marker |
After a fun day of visiting with Beth’s sister and brother-in-law, we walked down to the beach after sunset. There are no pictures because we didn’t want to disturb the turtles. Saw five different turtles crawl up on the beach! Talked with a woman from the Loggerhead Marinelife Center camped out with red flashlights and learned that they are loggerheads coming in now. The females are big and carry up to 600 eggs. They will come ashore as many as three times to lay them all. Should wear black, stay still, and keep back so they don’t turn around and go back into the ocean. I was surprised by how fast they moved on land. By the way, if you are ever in the Juno Beach area, the center is worth visiting. The sea turtle hospital and rehabilitation tanks let you see the turtles up close. Staff and volunteers are always happy to answer questions as they obviously love caring for the turtles.

Florida is a different, and less crowded, place in the summertime. Here are a few more photos from our visit with Paula and Lou.
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Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse |
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Another Sunrise |
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Who knew squirrels like coconut?
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