SWFL Photos

A bathing suit, a beach towel and a nondescript sun hat...full regalia for a midsummer’s walk from the rental condo to the beach on Sanibel Island.

The grass near the resort is crunchy with chlorophyll, stubbornly releasing retained dampness with each and every footfall. The sand on the path to the beach is fire hot and sharp with jagged shells. Weathered wood railings hold the sea grape at bay. A turn of the corner and gentle turquoise waves come into view peaked with squirming and glistening pinpoints of blinding magic light.

Gulf breezes flirt with palm fronds and seductive sheets of water rhythmically lick the shoreline. A nest-perched osprey announces an urgent series of short sharp whistles to all who are listening. The elemental soundtrack relaxes more than silence ever could.

In the Sanibel off-season, relentless heat quickly pushes us towards the promise of refreshing water. The sun hat and beach towel are left under the responsible care and supervision of salt-coated coastal sea grape leaves, as feet, then full bodies enter the softly rocking cradle of the Gulf of Mexico between tides.

-- photography and writing by Eric Taubert

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