Judy Grillo
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Rambling, with a pinch of rant

3/4/2018

15 Comments

 
I've been playing in the Sebastian area for more than a month now, with just one more week before I head north a bit. This has been a funny season as I've been ping-ponging between Sebastian, the town (AirBnb and camping), as well as camping at my usual spot on the Inlet. Given my five weeks here it's been good to live in both places -- one where I fall asleep to the sound of the waves, take long bike rides, see incredible sunsets, eat fresh fish, and function in a semi-conscious state on the beach. The other is time spent walking the riverfront, seeing movies & hearing music at the library, discovering historic spots I missed in prior years, and chatting with locals here, there and everywhere. On the mainland, the locals still use directionals, stop at crosswalks, chat with you in line at the market, and make you feel welcome (I had to turn down an invite to join the Scrabble Club!). 

While this is absolutely my favorite spot in Florida, change is certainly noticeable this year. While (thank heaven!) the Inlet has miles of preserved land, the development from the south (Vero) and the north (Melbourne) is encroaching as far as it can go. There aren't high-rises, but the McMansions are cutting away mangroves, adding people and continual traffic. At first, I was saying, "what about Irma?" but now as I bike along, my mantra is "bring it on mother nature, bring it on". I'm also singing "Big Yellow Taxi" as loud as I possibly can! 

My beloved marina campground is also busier than I've ever seen in 4 (or is it 5?) years, too. My trips to the mainland were mostly motivated by booked weekends, and on weekdays when it used to be me & 1-2 folks, it's now 10 or more. Oddly, it's not just the over-abundance of northern escapees. People from South Florida are escaping their heavily populated, concrete, traffic-laden lives by coming to camp at Sebastian Inlet. This is not a good sign of the movement to come, I say. 

Can you tell I'm feeling a bit angry and a bit possessive? This is a very special habitat for humans and wildlife, and this human wants it to remain just so. 
15 Comments
Sue
3/8/2018 04:04:27 pm

Sounds heavenly. Our temps dropped 10 degrees here in less than an hour. Brr. Glad you got to enjoy some pie and the fish looks heavenly. Did you get to see the huge (over 15,000) black tip shark migration go right by there last week?
I feel the same way about my wonderful Chincoteague, I don't want it to change. Are folks coming from Puerto Rico due to the storms?
Have a wonderful ride on me!

Reply
Judy
3/13/2018 03:23:26 pm

Sue: Happy to hear from you & have been wondering where you've been :). I did NOT even hear of the shark migration (which could be a tourism protection?!). Indeed, I am quite saddened by the influx of a new crowd (number/type) of people at my beloved Sebastian (not the hurricane crowd, though). Besides the seasonal impact, it begs the question: where will I settle in '19 or '20? Drop an email with a life update when you can. I'm off the grid plenty these days but will check in! J.

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Ed Condon
3/10/2018 10:57:43 pm

Judy,

Nice blog comments sounds great in Sebastian Inlet. Nice flat bike riding on A1A hopefully with not to much traffic. Good to hear about the friendliness.

Your friend Ed

Reply
Judy
3/13/2018 03:24:46 pm

Ed: Happy to see you're still visiting! Yes, flat but WINDY along the Florida coast. I am enjoying the ride, however. Have now moved a few hundred miles north -- cold! but just a few days. Is Alaska on your calendar for 2018? J.

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Anne-Marie
3/11/2018 09:32:06 am

Both narrative and photos so well capture your idyllic spot. Love the evening's placid water/pier photo as well as that toy-like cutie peaking 'round the tree. Still playing "Where's Waldo" with the owls, however. Wednesday the 14th is the other "pi" day!

Reply
Judy
3/13/2018 03:26:45 pm

AMG: You know I'm only interested in one type of PIE.
Have updated the owl photos for your viewing pleasure; the 2nd one is baby out of the nest with mom nearby protecting. Have said my "goodbyes" to Sebastian but 3 more Florida stops to go! J.

Reply
Anne-Marie
3/13/2018 08:20:50 pm

What a hoot, hoot!! Thanks for reposting---so interesting.

Claudette
3/11/2018 04:07:30 pm

I've got some catching up to do with you. I always enjoy your photos and commentary.
That fish dinner couldn't look more appetizing. Thanks for sharing your favorite places with us.

Reply
Judy
3/13/2018 03:27:37 pm

Claudette: Thanks for continuing to visit! Planning another update at month's end before I roll out of Florida. J.

Reply
Heidi
3/13/2018 03:27:27 pm

Judy, we’re having a blizzard, which is unamusing, so we went to Google Earth and looked at Sebastian Inlet State Park Campground. We think we are looking at your tent on the first road, 2nd campsite. No car in the picture so couldn’t ID the Element. Has this been your home?!

Reply
Judy
3/15/2018 05:01:07 pm

H&T: Nice of you to visit! While I was in the SP, I go to the tent only sites up the road at the marina area so probably not me. I'm an RV avoider as best as I can be! J

Reply
karen
3/20/2018 03:10:18 pm

Hope you're dodging the rain and storms! I'm going to camp out myself tomorrow and avoid all contact with this cold rain and slush headed our way.

Reply
Judy
3/20/2018 03:53:04 pm

Hey ... storm is south of me! Windy but lucked out again :). You're camping?! I must know details! J.

Reply
Barb
3/22/2018 12:57:51 am

Hi J... finally had a moment to catch up on my blog reading and will email soon. Love your photos. And Sebastion. The raccoon though! And do the baby owls sit in the same place or move around? These are the things I wonder about. Are you headed north next?

Reply
Judy
3/25/2018 01:55:54 pm

Barb: On your queries -- when I first saw the baby owls at 2 weeks (?), they were tiny fur balls in a nest; mom (always within sight) flew in to feed them. It wasn't until 4-5 weeks that they came out of the nest and starting walking on the branch then starting to fly from branch to branch. When I left they were not young flying. I've two more stops in Florida before I then land in Gulf Shores, AL. J.

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