January 11, 2014. Ormond Beach, Florida. The Beach.

The day was not perfect, but people were still at the beach, sitting in lounge chairs sitting looking out to the sea or walking along the shore. No one wore a bathing suit even though it was 80 degrees. The wind coming from the west made you feel uncomfortable. We drove along the beach, which you could do because the tide was low. The sand is made of the kind of stuff that packs tightly together. Above high tide, the sand is soft so if you drive on the beach right now, you will definitely be stuck. The waves were high so the only people swimming were the surfers. It was difficult to see them as the waves were so high. I was not brought up in an area where you could drive on the beach. Galveston beaches were a pleasant surprise. The first year we moved there in 1964, we drove along the beach every day. The sand was hard packed and we loved driving along the shore right next to the sea. It was exciting and unusual. Now, I believe you can not drive along Galveston beaches, at least along the Seawall. Here at Ormond Beach, everything is organized. There is one traffic lane for cars. The speed limit is 10 mph. There are signs keeping cars off the high tide line. It is all civilized and well controlled. We four enjoyed the drive on the beach. The Speedway at Daytona Beach is huge. The decision was made to avoid the races or the tours, but I was impressed just to see the size. Wow. Alan at the farm would be astonished that we drove by the Speedway several times but never did attend a race. Racing is just not interesting to us I guess.