It rained Saturday… I know! I wanted to meander through the roses and camellias at Eden Gardens State Park, but the rain began shortly after I began my hike. I followed a hurried walk to my car, with my camera safely tucked under my shirt, with a lengthy wait inside, hoping the clouds would part. They didn’t.
So, I headed toward the Gulf. I literally crossed over Highway 98 and drove into beautiful sunshine. I took the long way to Grayton Beach State Park and wandered around the dune lake and scrub copse.
The rain hung around like my personal little, black gloomy cloud, so I just took pictures of it. By the end of my morning, Sky was posing all pretty for me.
I shied away from the still crowded beaches. I’m counting down the days until tourist season is over and I have the Gulf all to myself again. School starts around here on Aug. 19 – two more weeks.
You can click on any image to see a larger photo, or the series as a slideshow.
(Photos shot with a Nikon D60, using an 18-55mm, 55-200mm, 20mm f/2.8 wide-angle, 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, and/or iPhone4)
Thin spiral notebook 
What wonderful photos! We haven’t been able to go as much this summer. We have pop up showers almost every day. They don’t amount to much but make it hard to plan a day trip…or even dinner on the grill! lol
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You always inspire me. I am such a home-body yet every week you set out on adventure and come back with such beauty. I should do more of that myself!
Have a great Sunday!
🙂
Traci
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Kudos to you for creating beautiful pictures despite the disappointing weather. I especially like the first photo – with all the shades of dark and light.
Be well, Tara.
xoRobyn
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If I lived in Florida it wouldn’t make me as angry as it does when I’m on vacation and it rains, there. The pictures are beautiful.
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I love your first shot and I always like to take photos when there is a busy sky. Good job really as England doesn’t get many clear blue sky days! Take care. x
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Even the rain can be beautiful. It certainly makes for some interesting pictures. We’ve been waiting through raindrops all summer as well.
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I am grateful that it’s just been rain and a few thunderstorms, and no hurricanes this season.
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I know the cloudy day wasn’t top on your list, but I really liked the rain pictures. Wow, school starts early compared to my area. We start a few days before Labor Day.
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The skies here can be very dramatic when it storms. School starts later than when my kids were in school, they used to start the first week in August. They also get out of school the first week of June.
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Gallant job you did, despite the rain and the clouds.
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Thank you, it was such hard work too. HA! It turned out to be a good hike, despite the weather being semi-uncooperative.
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I am REALLY tired of all this freaking rain. Enough is enough!!!
The white flowers are so pretty.
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I wouldn’t be so bored with the rain if it just stuck to weekdays and left us sunny and dry on the weekends. The flowers were high up in a bush, so I could only photograph them aiming up. I liked the way the light filtered through them.
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Beautiful photos! My favorite is the rain drops on the water. I’m a fan of flower and beach photos. I live in the Tampa Bay area, just a couple of miles from the Gulf, and the beach always offers plenty of wonderful photo opportunities. 🙂
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Thanks! I live up in the Panhandle nearer to Fort Walton Beach and Destin. Best of both worlds… I live a few minutes from the Gulf, and so many state parks where I can hike around in the woods. Florida is a very eclectic state.
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