The winter weather has arrived here in sunny Florida in short bursts.  We go from 45 – 65°F temperatures to something more moderate like 55 – 75°F.  Very calm days to windy and cold.  As you probably know from all the press, these winters storms bring rain and wind.  Not so much rain as forecasted.  Where we are located right off the Indian River, we get to experience 30 mph winds straight on.  How fun!  The best part of these recent storms is the high winds have occurred during the day.  It seems less scary when you can see why the boat is moving so.  We haven’t gotten sea sick from the movement, thankfully.

We can go from this calm morning….

Sunrise – Cocoa, FL

to higher winds and rougher waters….  3 – 5 ft seas…

Are those white caps??

Winds coming from the north- Cocoa, FL

Morning waters –

Too small for surfing.  But the waves were splashing up on the dock.  Remember those high winds and waves from Sarasota?  Yep.  Just like that.  Except we felt the brunt of the wind.  Very fascinating experience.  The wind whistling through the sail boat lines next door.  The canvas covering the boat windows on the other side flapping so aggressively Wayne thought I was knocking on the side of our boat.  Winds!

Wayne looked down the side of the boat and saw only one round fender.  Where’d the other one go?  It had rolled to the other side.  Oh no!!  We tied them up to the side of the boat railing.  We were afraid with the rock-n-rolling we were doing, they would roll off the boat and be gone forever!

2 Round fenders

We have only seen gulls and ducks paddling around.  There is a break water – or wall out in the marina that the birds stay on.  That is where almost all the birds hang out.  Maybe that is why the docks are so clean…no bird poo!

Birds on the Breakwater Wall – Cocoa, FL

THEN I see this:  this bird footprint looks like it could be a pterodactyl?   Whatever could this print be from?  Obviously, the bird trekked through a puddle of poo.

Footprint –

Ah ha!!  New Neighbors!!  Is it not gorgeous!!

Great Blue Heron

This one I will call “Helen”.  It has been seen on more than one occasion standing on the edge of the dock or near the water’s edge around the marina.  It seems to be all by itself.  I have heard it croaking ( it is definitely not a ka-kaw ) as if it were clearing its phlegm coated throat at night flying from one place to another around the marina.  I don’t hear two calls.  Just the one letting others know it is coming through!

This is one of 3 pigeons hanging around the dock.  I find it fascinating that it is on the dock and not in the Village where all the people dropping food is located.  Maybe it is lost?  I wonder where it is roosting.

Pigeon – Cocoa, FL

On the side of the road a group of hungry Ibis.

Ibis on the side of the road

Although, there are Manatee signs everywhere we have not seen any manatees.  I think the water is too cold.  A brisk 64°F by the Cape Canaveral Buoy.  Too cold for me to go swimming so I can understand if the Manatee are in warmer waters near the power plant we passed the other day.

Sunset – Cocoa, FL