Netters!

Once again, the pup and I were up early and meandering along the beach watching another Atlantic sunrise. Cali has a now established route – along the outside wall down to the beachfront then out through the first boardwalk and onto the sand. From there we venture north walking down to the waterline where she gets her feet wet and wades along in about four inches of water. It must feel good on the paws. We, oh so slowly, amble along for a couple of hundred meters then turn around returning higher up near the soft sand. Any deviation from this routine meets with stubborn resistance.

It was another warm day with small waves crashing close to shore. I was too lazy and pleasantly fatigued from yesterday’s exercise to bother hauling the SUP down to ocean. I instead grabbed the boogie board and a chair and went down to hang at the beach. After catching a bunch of fun little splashers I sat around taking in the warmth, reading my book and watching the activity around me. The big draw of the day was some “netters” hauling in their catch a few yards down the coast. I was talking to a fisherman earlier about what they catch here and when she mentioned netters, it was pronounced with scorn like Newman on the Seinfeld show “Nneetters!”. It’s obvious that the shore fisherman don’t care much for them. One guy rows out the net with a small rowboat and pulls it a couple of hundred yards down the beach and guys on each end muscle it in snaring everything in between. They almost netted up a trio of teenage girls sitting in their chairs relaxing on the beach. The crew caught a bunch of small fish and threw most of them back. Back towards the water, not always in it, splatting unceremoniously on the hard wet sand. Some more compassionate onlookers were going down and making sure the fish got back into the sea. I can see why the more sporting fishers hold them with a level of contempt.

Watch Out Girls!

Whiled away most of the afternoon trying to get this lead solo from a Jerry Reed song figured out. A little more complicated than I first imagined. Give me some time. Gotta love YouTube, there’s always someone willing to give a lesson. Between walks, Cali and I sat in the shade of the awning and had a mellow afternoon. Near sundown, I did an hour walk at a brisk pace down towards the pier and back. That’s kind of how things flow around this neighborhood. I’ve got new folks to the front, motocross racers from Ohio on a circuit. Last Sunday here in Florida, next week in Georgia. Cool family. The Harley guys behind headed off to the bike week festivities and rolled back in after midnight keeping things as quiet as they could. There are more kids this week. I’m guessing for spring break. And as always, the ever present herds of dogs sniffing their way around every bush, shrub and scruffy patch of grass. I’m really enjoying the community thing more than I thought I might.

When the sun comes out, so do the gopher tortoises in the dunes

Another day done in Butler Beach