Back to Fernandina Beach Today

   When we got up this morning it was still overcast but it didn't get as chilly overnight as last night.  The forecast is for mid 70's and clearing after noon time.  So we decided to go visit the Mayport Naval Base just south of Jacksonville and then head to Fernandina Beach.  We left about 10:30 and went out for breakfast to Denny's.  Then on to the Naval Base about 40 minutes away.

This is a bridge we went over near Jacksonville

  There are 2 CGs there... Pelican Roost and Osprey Cove.  We went to Pelican Roost first and were quite impressed.  There are 48 sites and 18 of them overlook the St. Johns River.  It is gorgeous!  Osprey Cove has 50 sites and is nice, too, but doesn't have the pretty view.  Either one would be fun to stay at.

This is one of many kittys we saw on the way to the CG.
There's something very majestic about him or her!

 

This is the view from one of the sites overlooking
the St. John's river

 

Hey, Terry... we found your RV at Osprey Cove, but unfortunately we weren't able to talk the owner down to $10K to get it for you!!!!

We drove over close to where some of the ships are docked and had a wonderful conversation with a Navy sailor.

We joked with sailor asking him if they were playing
"craps".  Notice the ship in the background.

This heron was keeping a watchful eye on us!

A Coast Guard ship out on the river

An inlet and docking area

John thinks this is a type of tug boat

  We drove around the base a bit more and found a ship (DDG-64: USS CARNEY) that John had ordered parts for while he was still working for the Navy in Mechanicsburg.  That was neat!! 

By 1:30 we were on our way to the beach about 40 miles away.  It still looked pretty threatening until we pulled into the parking lot.  There was some blue peeking through the clouds!  It was still a bit cool but getting warmer.  I talked with Bonnie for a while catching up on their adventures getting ready for their trip out west next month.  They have had quite a hectic schedule since returning to PA, but it's all good!  It was about 2:30 and the tide was going out, so quite a few shells were being revealed.  I am very hopeful that I will find my baby ear shells.  However, after about an hour and a half I still hadn't found any.  At one point a man walking along the water asked me if I was looking for sharks teeth.  He and his wife looked familiar and he asked if we knew each other.  We finally figured out that we had met at Lazy Days one morning while in the breakfast line and then had eaten together.  Small world, huh!  We talked a while and then I was back at the hunt.  John found a large patch of shells that had washed up so we took all our stuff there so I could sit among them and sort through them.

These piles of shells were about an inch thick!

I'm having a blast!!

Here's some of the shells we found.  The olive shells across
the top are really pretty!  John found the neat white
scallop shell in top right corner.  I still need to bleach the sand dollar.

I'm holding up one of those inside spiral pieces from a
conch shell.  I'm not sure why I like them so much.
 



My famous Hershey Kiss sweatshirt.  John gives me a
hard time every time I wear it.  I've had it a long time!

  I found 2 baby ears that weren't totally whole but was still excited.  I found a sand dollar and a bunch of other shells, too.   We left about 6:30 and on the way out I found a large pile of shells that was left on the beach.  When I sorted through it I found 2 more baby ears... oh happy day!!!  We got home about 7:30, grilled a steak for supper and then I worked on my blog while John watched some TV outside.  He showered and went to bed and I finished my blog.  Tomorrow we're headed to Jekyll Island for the day.  It's supposed to be sunny and near 80...yippee!!