{ ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT 2020 by The Pensacola Hippie}
This morning, Brian and I drove over to Pensacola beach for some sun, salt air , sand, and fishing { for him} therapy. Brian fishes on the Sound side of Santa Rosa Island while I crossed the road to the area on the Gulf that is mostly used by locals.
After all these years { 20-plus, but who is counting} I always am awed by the beauty of the Gulf Of Mexico. Even if this virus has not hit the shores of the USA< I'd never take for granted the great fortune have to live within such a short drive to some of the Earth's prettiest shores.
When I got to the end of the wooden walkway, I pointed my camera easy and stood in awe of the blue-green, clear Gulf waters in stark contrast to the sparkly white quartz sand. I removed my sandaled and walked west of the walk-over , picking up trash with my plastic grabbers and putting collected trash into a reusable shopping bag.
Collecting trash on the beach is my way of thanking the Earth, and the Earth's Creator for providing we humans with all we need.
While doing so,, I donned a mask.
When one wears glasses and a mask, it is had to look down at the ground for refuse, so I am sure that I missed a few pieces of trash. But I believe that wearing face masks every time I leave our yard is a mitzvah {Yiddish word-- look it up!!} that all concerned people should practice.
Was the mask hot as the sun rose higher in the Florida sky. Hell, yes! But I faithfully kept the mask on my face-- even after I exchanged my University Of West Florida T-shirt for a bathing suit top. I do not understand why some people still refuse to wear masks in public! Yet all I can do is remain being an example of a caring citizen who takes this threat seriously-- even when Florida is slowly re-opening.
I was also happy to see that the county is taking seriously the physical distancing rules.
Areas in the park area near the sand were roped off, and signs such as the one above dotted the parking lot of this public beach. Additionally, Santa Rosa County deputies patrolled the beach on four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles making sure proper distancing continued. They were not in anyone's way-- yet they made their presence known. To me, it was reassuring. A few weeks back, I had an experience with the City Police at Walmart that was not pleasant. The Walmart in our part of twon was open on one side only and the store had employee " gatekeepers" , enforced by armed cops, at the only entrance to the store. To me, it was surreal, like something that might happen in The Hunger Games .
This encounter with the Santa Ros County deputies was pleasant, a younger deputy stopped on her four-wheeler and thanked me for picking up trash.
My hope and prayer is that people continue to follow the rules so that local residents can enjoy our beautiful beaches safely. To be honest, I am not too keen on the Governor re-opening beach rentals or in-house restaurant dining. I sincerely hope that the governor will listen to science regarding how to SAFELY re-open Florida .
Peace, anam caras,
~Sarah
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