Radical Sabbatical in Florida
We drove thousands of miles to Florida for a reason: We were married here last year
A little more than a year ago Debbie and I began the second part of our lives. Together. Committed. We tied the knot on the beach at the Resort at Longboat Key, with our beautiful four kids at our side as well as our parents, family and a few friends.
The year before, in the summer of 2021, Debbie and I rented a house, also in Longboat Key and had our children spend the week with us. It was the start of combining our families. I don’t think it is very easy for four adult children to mix into a blended family the second time around, but the kids handled it with grace, laughter and we made nice memories. Fast forward to 2023 and our two daughters are scheduled to visit us here later in the month. Hopefully their individual visits will overlap.
![Harris Family Wedding, Longboat Key Wedding, Wedding, Alisa Sue Photography](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4d6bf4e4-18da-4bfa-bc82-a54b161d8389_898x1280.jpeg)
![Harris Family Wedding, Longboat Key Wedding, Wedding, Alisa Sue Photography](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4dbb6e66-3e25-4b9d-82ff-94e36b4e9750_888x1280.jpeg)
![Harris Family Wedding, Longboat Key Wedding, Wedding, Alisa Sue Photography](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff140aeeb-c5f1-4052-83ee-28b26e4cb4df_1125x733.jpeg)
![Harris Family Wedding, Longboat Key Wedding, Wedding, Alisa Sue Photography](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd48ea2e-ee15-47ae-af59-36db87ca0632_1280x960.jpeg)
So, here we are, back again in Florida. We have set up shop here as a home base for the month of July. After unpacking, Debbie needed to see and be close to the water. How far was it from the condo? Could she take a break during a work day and go for a walk along the water? We were about to find out. We immediately went down the elevator to the ground floor paced our walking time from the condo to the ocean. It was only about a two and half minute stroll. Not too shabby.
Since we’ve arrived we have spent mornings walking along a nearly empty beach, allowing our feet to dance along the shoreline as the water washes over.
Having spent most of my adult life on the West Coast, I’m still not used to the temperature of the ocean here. According to sea temperature.net, this ocean water clocked in at 88.9 degrees this morning. Seriously. Hot tub anyone?
We are averaging a bit more than two miles per walk. As we walk, sometimes we hold hands and sometimes, Debbie focuses on collecting amazing seashells ejected from the ocean. Me? I am just obsessed with capturing nature’s beauty along the way.
![Shells, Longboat Key Shells, Shell collection, best place to collect shells florida, Charles Harris, Charles Harris Photography, radical sabbatical, my radical sabattical](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ece7720-45f9-4938-b93c-fe0f4b59584e_1883x1412.jpeg)
![Shells, Longboat Key Shells, Shell collection, best place to collect shells florida, Charles Harris, Charles Harris Photography, radical sabbatical, my radical sabattical](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb8da7ce0-a884-4fe3-a34e-bf4a9f0b9140_1377x1836.jpeg)
Something learned along the way…….
We came across these tracks (far left, below) below during our morning walks. What I immediately thought in my head is probably the same thing you thinking as you see the photo. A beach cruiser was recently here. If so, we’d both be wrong.
![Beach cruiser, turtle eggs, turtle, Longboat Key Longboat, Florida, Charles Harris, Charles Harris Photography](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbbf7cc9f-cd5a-4c31-8558-9ed7eb425402_1386x1848.jpeg)
![Beach cruiser, turtle eggs, turtle, Longboat Key Longboat, Florida, Charles Harris, Charles Harris Photography](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4e237a7e-b2a1-4560-a52b-e01a747f0c57_1512x2016.jpeg)
![Beach cruiser, turtle eggs, turtle, Longboat Key Longboat, Florida, Charles Harris, Charles Harris Photography](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4ccc8037-1270-4379-8ac4-ff194d4c9f5c_2016x1512.jpeg)
If you guessed green turtle tracks you are much smarter than me. I now know because I asked a Marine Biologist (not George Castanza) roaming the sand early one morning. The biologist was marking the tracks away from the sand where the turtles look to lay their eggs (and then cover them with a small hill of sand). Sometimes the biologists find a false visit and no mound. Sometimes they lay their eggs. You can always find a second set of turtle tracks when they return to the water. If the biologist confirms the eggs have been deposited, then the area is roped off and visitors need to stay out of that area until the incubation period is over. This is usually between 45-70 days the tiny turtles need to hatch, which depends in part to the weather. The green turtles, which can grow to 250-300 pounds, come ashore at night. We have yet to see one on the beach, day or night.
It’s amazing what you can learn when you talk to strangers. It’s a habit I do almost every day. I am curious, what can I say?
I leave you for today with a brief clip of the sun setting.
For more photos, you can find me here: instagram.com/charlesharrisphotography