| Beach Scapes |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Glory filled the sky as the glassy surface spoke peace, "One day, what glory shall you see?"
Sunrise over Saint Joseph's Bay, July 3, 2006.
Title was picked out by my friend Susan for our friends Leah in John who are going through a very difficult time right
now.
After I talked to John on the phone today I heard a man on the radio quote these lines from Shakespeare's "Measure
for Measure" from memory. As I listened to his explanation it sounded appropriate.
Never was into Shakespeare (always had trouble with the English language) so I don't understand it all, but I know that
Leah will.
I hope you like it Leah.
Measure for Measure
Act III. Scene I.
Thou hast nor youth nor age;
But, as it were, an after-dinner's sleep,
Dreaming on both; for all thy blessed youth
Becomes as aged, and doth beg the alms
Of palsied eld; and when thou art old and rich,
Thou hast neither heat, affection, limb, nor
beauty,
To make thy riches pleasant What's yet in this
That bears the name of life? Yet in this life
Lie hid moe thousand deaths: yet death we fear,
That makes these odds all even."
Sunrise over Saint Joseph's Bay, July 3, 2006.
Title was picked out by my friend Susan for our friends Leah in John who are going through a very difficult time right
now.
After I talked to John on the phone today I heard a man on the radio quote these lines from Shakespeare's "Measure
for Measure" from memory. As I listened to his explanation it sounded appropriate.
Never was into Shakespeare (always had trouble with the English language) so I don't understand it all, but I know that
Leah will.
I hope you like it Leah.
Measure for Measure
Act III. Scene I.
Thou hast nor youth nor age;
But, as it were, an after-dinner's sleep,
Dreaming on both; for all thy blessed youth
Becomes as aged, and doth beg the alms
Of palsied eld; and when thou art old and rich,
Thou hast neither heat, affection, limb, nor
beauty,
To make thy riches pleasant What's yet in this
That bears the name of life? Yet in this life
Lie hid moe thousand deaths: yet death we fear,
That makes these odds all even."
Peace reigned on the island except for the protests of a willet flying overhead, unwilling to share its solitary home with this strange
visitor.
Photographed May 28, 2006, near Black's Island, Saint Joseph's Bay, Florida.
visitor.
Photographed May 28, 2006, near Black's Island, Saint Joseph's Bay, Florida.
Titled in honor of my cousin Rick, who loves to wander the places less traveled and see beauties the common traveler never sees.
Trusting that you are having another wonderful journey Rick.
Find some of those quiet out-of-the-way places for us.
I know one day I will join you.
Picture taken in the early morning July 6, 2006 behind the sea wall on Cape San Blas, Florida.
Trusting that you are having another wonderful journey Rick.
Find some of those quiet out-of-the-way places for us.
I know one day I will join you.
Picture taken in the early morning July 6, 2006 behind the sea wall on Cape San Blas, Florida.
Dedicating this picture to my friend Lawana who has walked in faith through this sand rugged shore.
July 6, 2006 behind the sea wall, Cape San Blas, Florida.
July 6, 2006 behind the sea wall, Cape San Blas, Florida.
Catching a little of the golden light from this sunset as it shines through the lip and curl of this glassy wave breaking on the shore.
A lone sandpiper quietly absorbs the scene with me.
Photographed January 2006, behind the Gulfarium in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
A lone sandpiper quietly absorbs the scene with me.
Photographed January 2006, behind the Gulfarium in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
Took this picture a little after "Finding Treasure in Paradise."
Picture taken behind Gulfarium in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, March 2006.
Picture taken behind Gulfarium in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, March 2006.
| Leah's Gone to Paradise |
| Lawana's Journey |
Whispers of ages past speak “before the dawn” of this day.
To get these sunrise pictures I launched my little dingy into the pitch blackness and rowed for about a half an hour to what
seemed like a likely spot for some good sunrise shots. This spot had palm trees growing right to the waters edge. One thing that
caught my eye once I was there was the abundance of huge old conch and whelk shell lying on the shore. Most had holes and
were not in perfect condition, but they make great additions to fish tanks. I would definitely be making a nice haul of shells after
my photography fun was over. But then I came upon a brown parks sign that declared that this was a historic Indian village site
and that everything here was protected as artifacts, EVEN the shells.
Then I understood why there were so many shells all piled here and why no one had found them till now. This was the remains of
the food that the Indians who once inhabited this village. They ate the conchs and whelks just like they still do in the Florida
Everglades and Keys. The beautiful deserted beach with shells was all that remained of the people that lived here “before the
dawn” of time.
What had started out as an exciting photo adventure had just turned into a time to revere and commune with the ancient ones
who had populated this holy ground ages ago. Every Native American site I have ever been to always brings this indescribable
sense of peace with it, like visiting and old cathedral, but with frescos and stained glass light crafted by no human hand. Which
this day I fruitlessly tried to capture with my six Megapixels.
It is one of those, “You just had to be there,” moments.
So I ended up, “only taking photos and leaving only footprints.”
Nothing in this picture is staged, even though I thought about it.
Just couldn't bring myself to disturb anything in this place, just for the sake of a "better" picture.
Picture taken about ten minutes before the sun had actually risen.
Picture taken a few seconds after "Before the Dawn Grass" July 2006, Saint Joseph's Bay, Florida.
To get these sunrise pictures I launched my little dingy into the pitch blackness and rowed for about a half an hour to what
seemed like a likely spot for some good sunrise shots. This spot had palm trees growing right to the waters edge. One thing that
caught my eye once I was there was the abundance of huge old conch and whelk shell lying on the shore. Most had holes and
were not in perfect condition, but they make great additions to fish tanks. I would definitely be making a nice haul of shells after
my photography fun was over. But then I came upon a brown parks sign that declared that this was a historic Indian village site
and that everything here was protected as artifacts, EVEN the shells.
Then I understood why there were so many shells all piled here and why no one had found them till now. This was the remains of
the food that the Indians who once inhabited this village. They ate the conchs and whelks just like they still do in the Florida
Everglades and Keys. The beautiful deserted beach with shells was all that remained of the people that lived here “before the
dawn” of time.
What had started out as an exciting photo adventure had just turned into a time to revere and commune with the ancient ones
who had populated this holy ground ages ago. Every Native American site I have ever been to always brings this indescribable
sense of peace with it, like visiting and old cathedral, but with frescos and stained glass light crafted by no human hand. Which
this day I fruitlessly tried to capture with my six Megapixels.
It is one of those, “You just had to be there,” moments.
So I ended up, “only taking photos and leaving only footprints.”
Nothing in this picture is staged, even though I thought about it.
Just couldn't bring myself to disturb anything in this place, just for the sake of a "better" picture.
Picture taken about ten minutes before the sun had actually risen.
Picture taken a few seconds after "Before the Dawn Grass" July 2006, Saint Joseph's Bay, Florida.
| Before the Dawn |
| Indian Palm Sun Rise |
© 2007 Michael John Gallery. All rights reserved.
| Rick's N Paradise |
| Choctahatchee Bay I |
| Choctahatchee Bay II |