Bright and early on Sunday morning, my husband and I drove to Fort Lauderdale Beach for a brisk walk followed by breakfast at an outdoor café. Sunlight sparkled off the ocean at this early hour. Seagulls glided on the breeze. Salt air pervaded our nostrils. A freighter hugged the horizon while a lone sailboat plowed the azure blue waters far from shore. A cruise liner chugged out to sea, likely the day trip to the Bahamas. Joggers pounded the brick sidewalk bordering the beach. A street performer played the guitar. Ah, what bliss. After a speed walk stretching from Las Olas to Beach Place and back, we settled on a café. The waiter seated us at a table facing the ocean. There’s nothing like a view of the sea through the filter of palm tree fronds. I ordered Belgian waffles with whipped cream, fresh strawberries, and sliced bananas. The waiter served a strong brew of coffee. We drank the hot beverage. I grew hotter. We faced east, and although our spot was shady, we felt the rising temperature as the sun ascended. Sweat poured down my back and down my face. I glanced toward the restaurant interior. Its air-conditioned comfort beckoned. But no, we’d come here for the view. Until the No See Ums bit my pinky finger and my upper arm. Scratch, scratch. My skin itched. Damn bugs. God, it’s so hot. I stuffed down my food, impatient to reach my air-conditioned car and get home to my antihistamine cream. You won’t get me back until November. 

 

In the summertime a table by a large picture window is the way to go, lol! But it was a picture perfect morning. We spent it out by the pool.

Hah! As a fellow Fort Lauderdalian, I'm with you on the beach in the summer. We live in Paradise, only from Nov. thru April.

The problem is, in the winter it gets too cold and windy for the beach. Spring and Fall are the best months for outdoor activities, unless you like the water as warm as a bath, as I do. If I go in at all. Gotta watch out for sharks, sea lice, and jelly fish in the Atlantic. Maybe that's why I like cruises to the Caribbean.

Won't get me outside except for the mailbox most days. Forget the beach. To me, the beach is Santa Monica with the Pacific Ocean. I'm an air-conditioning kind of person