Record snow falls and global warming . . .

By William E. Males

Winter has begun and already is blowing its cold winds across the whole country. Yuck! All over the news there are record snowfalls happening and people everywhere are being forced to acknowledge how this global warming crisis is making us take out our heavier coats and clean out the chimneys in anticipation for some extra heavy seasonal usage.  It seems there is no escape from these arctic winds as they blow across the country whipping north and south, back and forth like a snake as it blows its icy winds from the fridged north to the chilly south.

As I sat there in a Long Beach Condo (nice!) with all the comforts of home, I looked out from our fourth level and viewed up and down the sparsely populated beach and back at the weather on the TV; it wasn’t hard for me to admit out loud where I would rather be. There I was watching the news as one unfortunate lady talked about how she was flat out stuck, stranded for days, because all the roads were iced over and covered with snow. Nobody was going anywhere there. She was just waiting for things to thaw out so she could just make it a few more miles to her destination.

Yet here I was in Panama City Beach sitting with my family looking out the windows of our rooms at the beach’s clear waters counting the porpoises we easily spotted as they swam by. In one school we counted at least six as they playfully swam by. They were somewhat spread out as if they were looking for food, but rolling out of the water 3 and 4 at a time. It was such a pleasure watching them, we were so involved that I nearly forgot to grab my camera and get a picture of them.

Later as we sat there on the back porch with the chilly breeze lightly blowing, I was thankful to be just where we were. There we were with plenty of sunshine and a great nature show being performed for us as we watched the porpoises free of charge. My wife was contentedly perched there in her chair just out of the breeze with her morning coffee, basking in the sun and watching some guys kite surfing down the beach behind Pineapple Willies. It was obvious that these guys were enjoying having the surf all to their selves as they took full advantage of it and were all over the place. What a blast it was to watch them as they raced way out to sea and then at an amazing speed come criss-crossing back and forth up along the shoreline and then wham, go shooting back out again!

I’ll admit it seemed a bit odd to be here since this time of year the Gulf Coast is sparsely populated, compared to the warmer months when the crowd literally dominates both land and water. During those times it can seem there isn’t anywhere to go to escape the intensity and excitement of crowds, especially during spring break. So it was nice to sit there and look out and just enjoy the sand and water and sun . . . and even the chilly breeze. Nevertheless, despite the coolness of the air there were still a few people out jogging along the beach and the usual shell hunter every five to ten minutes getting prime pickings from a shoreline whose endless washing of the gentle waves continually exposed a fresh bounty of shells.

One guy who amused me for quite a while was this one guy who was looking for more than just sea shells. He had perfected a method of searching and finding his daily treasure as he too enjoyed the nearly empty beach. While skimming back and forth with his metal detector, this guy was hard at it. He had a precise rhythm to his method; he was scanning back and forth, then digging and sifting through for his find. This guy was a seasoned sand-master treasure hunter. He had on an apron in which he would put some stuff into one pocket, probably bottle caps, and then some stuff went into another, which I figured was probably lost coins. Every now and then he would take out a zipper pouch and put something into it, which I figured was maybe a lost earring or other jewelry or something. Regardless what he was finding, he was anything but bored, or for that matter, boring to watch. He was actually quite entertaining and another interesting part of the beach show we sat and watched as he steadily worked his way down the sugary white sandy beach like another busy snowy sand piper scurrying back and forth looking for rewards.

There were also a couple of families out with their kids flying their kites in the breeze as we watched. It seemed to be a perfect breeze for the kites. They would just hold them up in the wind and up they went. There were a couple of the smaller kids whose youthful excitement and energy level required them to run back and forth holding the string, but their kites stayed up whether they ran against or with the wind. I’ll tell you, watching those kids with their father brought back some good old memories. My father used to get out his surf fishing rod and he’d tie our kites on them and let them get way, way out there till they were so small, what a blast it was as we would take turns reeling them in like fish when we were small. I couldn’t help thinking how great it was to be watching another father out there making priceless memories with his kids.

Later as we were hanging out on the balcony our attention was drawn to the schools of mullet or whatever baitfish they were moving along the coastline like underwater clouds. The pelicans loved it, flying along after them and diving into the water getting their fill of food. It was really fun watching these master fishermen skydiving for a bill full of fresh fish. One pelican in particular had a sea gull that stuck to him like glue. Seems he was able to get some free tidbits by hanging around this one guy. To be honest, the pelican didn’t seem to mind the company either. They may have been the odd couple of the day, but they certainly worked out their differences and looked more than happy to be working their way together down the coast.

Although it was a bit breezy and cool, my own kids were dedicated beach diehards and were out there nonetheless having a blast as well. Being that is was off season, they almost had the place all to themselves and were not being bashful about taking full advantage of it. It was nice to watch them be free to play hard and not worry that they were getting in someone else’s space or being annoying by just being kids having fun. Every now and then they would run out and jump in the water, play awhile and then run back and jump in the hot tub. They loved it. Seems everyone there was enjoying the openness and freedom that the Emerald Coast generously offers to those who visits this time of year.

With the kids all occupied and no demands being made on my wide open schedule, my wife and I took a walk down the beach for a bit of solitude and mutual reflection. There’s just something incredible about a casual sunset stroll along the surfs edge. It seems as if all things somehow come into a peaceful harmony when the sunsets on the water. As if watching the tide come in and the tide go out, reminds us that with all the ups and downs life sometimes throws at us, things have a healing way of going away and new things come along.  With each new wave of life there’s a fresh opportunity to discover another treasure that was just buried beneath the surface for those seeking it. Another chance to embrace and share the precious moments when the ending calm of a day ministers peace to those who stop long enough to reflect on beauty that there to be shared.

However, when we got back, I went inside to get a fresh cup of coffee and there it was again on the TV . . . blowing snow and ice, and lots of it. Man, I sure was glad I was here in Panama City Beach taking my break with all this sun and a whole beach pretty much just to ourselves. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t always mind a crowd . . . but when I have a whole lot of a good thing like this virtually all to myself . . . well that’s something I never get too tired of.  So, if you find you’re colder than you want to be and perhaps you’re getting tired of looking out your window at snow, maybe you should come hang out in Panama City Beach and watch the dolphins swim and the pelicans skydive. While you’re here, you too can enjoy the openness and stroll the shoreline in search of a few shell souvenirs to take home as reminder of when you too almost owned the entire beach. Don’t forget to bring your camera . . . or a kite!

See ya!