Patterns in the Sand

I live in Southwest Florida where I can walk for miles on beaches 

that caress the eastern edge of the Gulf of Mexico.

While I am walking I can't help but to notice the patterns

that develop in the ever-changing seashore sands. 

I interpret the patterns in the sand 

maybe

because I was a geographer

and I remember that

Process

is the key to understanding

the shifting of physical 

earth forms.

But also,

I love wind and waves.

And

who doesn't like

detective work???

     From the subtlety of tidal debris patterns to the unmistakable canine foot print, detecting is just a small part of being there when one strolls the calming zone between the land and the sea,

     While walking I ask myself what happened to leave the many and various patterns in the sand? What is the relative timeline in the scene? Which patterns were made first and by what force(s) of nature?

^^^

Please enjoy puzzling over some of the patterns and the natural forces 

at work in the following iPhoto images from some of Florida's sandy beaches.

 

XXX

FIN

Patterns 1

Old Florida Time

Lenny & Maude visited Florida in 1995. It was summer and motel prices were at their lowest of the year. Lenny drove to Sarasota and, to save a buck, found a cheap hotel somewhere on the North Trail.

And that was the problem; Neither Lenny or Maude could remember where they left their suitcases.

From Work on the Beach Portfolio, 1995.

The Ignorance That Moves Me

Ignorance about the future is seductive; it always pulls us into itself. As much as I know, I know nothing about the outcome of this moment. I did not always carry this frame of mind, nor did I always care.

As a young man I knew what moved me. Sarasota was warmer than Boston. That moved my intended migration route from Minneapolis to Boston to Sarasota. I didn't have much care about the future other than a vague sense of continuing my life in the warmth of the sun, next to the blue-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico. I just jumped into my future with blissful ignorance.

I can reflect upon that decision to migrate with greater accuracy today because I brought a few cameras along with me to Sarasota. This view of my sweetheart reminds me of who we were and w hat attracted us at the time we came here. But the picture tells me nothing about what will follow this moment.

To clarify, I have plunged into posting this picture with complete ignorance of what the future will bring. Now I begin to wonder.

At least you don't have to wonder what my monitor screen looks like today; This is it.

Photoshop World

Years ago I started working on a photographic theme that centered on the littoral zone of the Gulf of Mexico. The littoral zone is the area along the beach that falls between the high- and low- water marks. The idea appealed to me because this transitional zone certainly sees a lot of action and the zone is so linear and easy to follow, no matter what the tide is doing.

I literally ran across one of those littoral photos today. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Click to enlarge.

Delight and Awe

The good thing about the overload of photo editing that I have to do is that, every once in awhile, I find some real gems to view and contemplate. Take this view of my son, Adrian, for example. The picture is nearing 25  years old yet, when I review it, I am reminded of the human capacity to experience delight and awe in the simplest of personal discoveries. 

Viewings such as these make me want to give things away, unburden myself, and break the habitual droning in my life. How else can one prepare for such delightful surprises?

Hurricane Dennis

Florida's Gulf Coast tends toward quiet most of the year; there are few surf boards on our beaches. The most exciting time to visit the beach is during the movement of a hurricane through the warm shallow Gulf waters.

I caught this scene of frothy seaweed and stormy sky as Hurricane Dennis approached the coast a few years ago. The intensity of low barometric pressure and wind awakes the senses and subdues the ego.

Dusk over the Gulf of Mexico

Florida sunsets can be spectacular; they can also fizzle out over a cloudless Gulf of Mexico. Spectators arrive at the Siesta Key Beach every night for the sun downing. They stand or stroll the beach as the several species of birds cruise the strand line in search of their last snack of the day. As soon as the yellow orb dips below the horizon, most spectators rush for the parking lot and the familiarity of their automobiles.

I love twilight, dusk, the point in time and in your soul where you feel the buzzing of the primitive homing instinct. Dust and particulate matter turn the sky orange. The clouds illuminate the land, casting soft shadows in the dwindling light, as a curtain of darkness rises up from the horizon. The birds settle down for the night. 

It's an easy moment to remember you are a child of this earth.