What's to Love about Paradise?

A rhetorical question or perhaps even facetious. Isn't the definition of Paradise, "a place where everything is wonderful?"  Who won't love that?  But Paradise -- like Bar-B-Que sauce -- is different to each person.  Some people think living on a mountain top is Paradise.  Not me, although it IS a nice place to visit.

For me the sun is a major factor.  I need lots of it.  I can stand the heat (>90) way better than the cold (<30).  We get a bunch of sun here on the Sun Coast of FL (I did NOT make that up).  Many years ago, the St. Pete Times use to give their newspaper away free the next day if we got a day without sunshine.  We average more than 350 days of sun per year.

Yes it can get hot.  Consecutive days of upper 90s are not unusual thru July and August, with humidity to match.  But I live on the beach so there is almost always a cool breeze coming off the water.

(Weather Facts 101:  The sun heats the land much faster than the water during the day.  This causes the air to rise over the land, creating a vacuum that draws the cooler air over the water inland.  This same routine in Summer leads to the afternoon showers when the moist, cool air begins to rise inland and rain is squeezed out.  Violent thunderstorms are not unusual.)

Interestingly, the average highs in St. Louis -- where I spent a large part of my adult life -- are within one degree of the averages here.  Even crazier, STL has higher 'Record Highs' than St. Petersburg in the Summer.  I can't say that it NEVER freezes around here because I live about 75 miles north of THAT line.  But it is a very rare event.  The only snow I have ever seen here was on TV.  I'm very okay with that.

And with the sun you should have some sand -- in my mind; preferably with a body of salt water rolling onto it.  Is there ANYTHING that is more relaxing and soothing than the sound of waves crashing onto the shore as the winds blow thru the palm trees?  I think not.  This time of year, my windows are all open.  Paradise Maximus!  (Other than the salt and sand that accumulates on window sills and slats of the shades.)

And the birds!  Cannot forget the birds.  All kinds of birds.  From the cacophony the squawking Quaker Parrots make as they announce their arrival to the cooing of the Doves in the Sea Grape tree just outside my living room.  Sandpipers, Seagulls, Pelicans, Terns, Egrets, Herrins and more patrol the coast line fighting over food.  Blackbirds, finches and a hundred others I don't have a clue what they are, all call this home; with me.  I've even seen a Humming Bird here.

Let's not forget the natural phenomenon that happens almost daily when you have a large body of water to the west -- SUNSET!  This big orange ball settling on the horizon is made unique everyday by the variety of clouds present (or sometimes not) and the winds churning up the sea surface (or not).  Mother Nature's Fireworks.  It still boggles my mind to see the sun disappear and yet you actually see nothing moving.  Or the explosion of colors as the sun drops below the horizon line yet still illuminates the clouds and sky.  I have been coming to this beach for more than 30 years and watching the sunset is still one of my most cherished events.

In case I'm starting to sound like a Chamber of Commerce commercial, let me give you the bad news.  Sometimes I think there are too many people here.  Traffic can be absolutely horrible.  Actually, it's not the people.  It's the cars.  It seems like everybody is driving two at a time.  And since many folks are in a hurry to get wherever they are going, they can be VERY aggressive.  Because I live on a very narrow sand bar (literally) there is just one main road - Gulf Blvd - that runs the 25 miles or so up and down the coast here.  It gets crazy sometimes.

But I have adapted.  Too many positives for the few, minor negatives.  Besides, can you truly appreciate the good if you don't have something bad to compare it too?  If this was the ONLY sunset you ever saw wouldn't you think that they are ALL like this?  Hmmmmm.  On second thought; what's wrong with that?