11/26 T.H. Stone Memorial State Park, St Joseph Peninsula, FL

I arrived here two days ago in a driving rainstorm and got soaked hooking up. I spent two days of rain inside watching TV and catching up on work, which is not too bad, though a bit boring.  Very weak cell phone service and internet access through Verizon, so it has been hard to get ahold of me and to make calls out.   

This campground is just on the other side of the beach dunes, so I have been able to hear the surf day and night, which is always very nice.

 

However, the sun finally came out today, so it was beach walk time!  I walked at least a half mile down the beach today.  These are the dunes that separate the campground from the beach.  You are forbidden to walk on dunes because they provide protection in hurricanes.

So, they provide boardwalks so you can get to the beach without disturbing any vegetation on the dunes.  

And a sign warning about rip tides.  No worries today because it is only about 65 degrees out and MUCH too windy to even consider swimming! 

I just love these empty beaches!  Just a few walkers way in the distance.  Should I go this way? 

Or the other way?  I ended up going the other way.

It had been so windy and rainy that the shells and rocks were all perched on little mounds of sand.   

I could not resist this picture of the sun shining on the shallow area.  

The tide was going out and there were a few large jellies.  This one is at least 10" wide.  Need to look it up. 

 

Discovered that the above is a Cannonball Jelly.  They grow up to 14" in diameter and are highly toxic if you step on one, which is why I always wear beach shoes.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannonball_jellyfish

 

It has been increasing in numbers in the last few years, causing problems with fishermen because it fills their nets instead of fish.  Apparently, however, the Japanese love to eat these guys, so a few American companies have been drying, preserving, and then shipping them to Japan!  Here is an article from The Atlantic about this industry:  http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/05/jellyballs-are-serious-business/371338/