This week in the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida area was both fifty shades of red and fifty shades of grey.

Our one and only day spent on the beach was fun and relaxing.  We rented what amounted to a mini-cabana.  Between trips into and out of the ocean, our time was spent under the shade of the cabana cover on lounge chairs listening to music, reading, perhaps napping.  By their design, the breeze blowing in from the ocean through the mini-cabana created a natural air conditioning.  

When stretching out on the reclining lounger I noticed that the lower calf of my right leg was still in the sun.  Even when I dangled my leg off the side of the lounger the sun peeked under the cabana and found my lower calf and foot.  I had applied sun screen liberally, as advised by several Facebook friends.  Even with that precaution, a small triangle several shades of red appeared on my calf later that evening.

One day was also spent at the pool.  Initially we got into the pool to cool off.  The first time in the pool I did not apply any sunscreen.  Most of the time was spent standing at the side of the pool and looking at the ocean and surroundings.  After getting out and sitting under an umbrella I finally applied sunscreen before getting back into the pool.  Unfortunately I did not apply any to my back.  That evening my shoulders and back told me by the tingling feeling that I had been exposed to the strong Florida sun for perhaps a little too long.

The next morning after taking a shower I could see my back in the mirror. Indeed the shoulders and back were fifty shades of red, from rose to pink to pulsating neon red. It is probably fortunate that bad weather rolled in preventing us from spending any further time at the beach or pool.

During the earlier part of the week when the weather was beautiful; sunny, warm, with balmy tropical winds, we toured the Hollywood Beach area by trolly, had lunch at the beach and walked around the Broadwalk where the beach and walk was packed with beachgoers and the sun worshipers out in force. You could tell the tourists, the newly arrived were wearing glowing red tans?, those here a while had a little more subdued color, but still very much in the red family, but it was mostly locals in various stages of tanning with their light red to dark red/brown skin.

When the effects of Hurricane Sandy affected south Florida, the sunny skies and hues of green, turquise and every shade of blue turned to grey. The boiling waves stirred the sand crashing onto the beach in shades of brown/grey. Further out in the surf and towards the horizon where the water was painted every shade of blue just days ago, this pallet of color had been replaced by greys. The dark greys turned to light greys where the sea met the sky.

Until next time,
Bon Voyage