Morning Walk to Bird Island

After Bryson and Melissa left this morning, I decided to walk down to Bird Island, the unoccupied end of Sunset Beach that actually crosses the state line into South Carolina.  There used to be an inlet of water separating Sunset Beach and Bird Island, but it closed up after one of the fall hurricanes years ago. 

The houses at Sunset Beach are all set well back from the dunes and protective vegetation.  There are long wooden walkways at every block to get to the beach.

When I stopped to take the above picture, I realized that the two little boys on the walkway with me were my great nephew Elijah and unofficial great nephew Ben.  I told them I was their Aunt Jeanne, and walked them down to the tent where my Turner relatives had parked their stuff.  I got invited to dinner with nephew Jeremy, his wife Rhiannon, new baby Jake, and the rest of the family tonight. 

As I walked down the beach, I was struck again by the beautiful open beaches once you pass the last street on Sunset Beach. 

I thought maybe I would walk to the first American flag planted on the dunes, but I felt pretty good and kept going.

Here is the second flag.

Since I walked that far, I decided to keep going all the way to the jetty.

Along the way I saw at least twenty-five of these nasty-looking jellyfish washed up on the beach.

There were a great many "half dollars" and some "sand change", but no intact sand dollars.

Can you see the pelican flying over the waves?

Finally, I arrived at the jetty.

I love watching the waves break on the rocks.

It took me two hours to walk down there and back, and it has taken me two hours to recover!  By the time I got back, it had gotten terribly hot, I was out of water, and my feet and ankles hurt.  A couple of Advil, a shower, a shrimp salad, and air conditioning have brought me around.  Think I will head back down to the water!