Hey there Dreamers!

I hope you enjoy this Drone’s Eye View of the Florida East Coast Railway, filmed as the train crosses the St. Johns River in Downtown Jacksonville, Florida.

And if you didn’t catch the livestream of the same night, you gotta check out the replay of our entire fabulous evening along the riverbank… We watched a breathtaking sunset and enjoyed a beautiful evening on the St. Johns River, all with Downtown Jacksonville as a magnificent setting. Our baby Genevieve Noel the Shetland Sheepdog was along for the adventure as well, in a backpack with her Mama. You can check that stream out right here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8klOOnH16g 

But most importantly here - the evening wouldn’t be complete if my hubby wasn’t flying his drone!

So - Many thank you’s to Bryan for filming these awesome shots of the FEC Railway as it crosses the Strauss Trunnion Bascule Railroad Bridge. And really, just a bundle of thank you’s to Bryan for collaborating with me and giving me this video so that I could spend a lovely and hot afternoon getting this film ready for YouTube and write a story to go with it. It helped me pass some time and for that I am eternally and always grateful. So I hope you enjoy this drone video of Downtown Jacksonville, courtesy of both Bryan and I.

And - Hey - guess what?! This is the first drone video up on my YouTube Channel! So, gosh, please let me know what you think of it?? We have other drone videos from the past that we can publish as well, and we do intend to keep filming with the drone in the future too!

(Also, I’ve made a dedicated Playlist for our Drone Video’s, so you can keep an eye out for future films right here on my channel as well.)

Filmed Saturday, September 23, 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Filmed with the DJI Phantom 4 Drone.

So - gosh! Thanks for hanging out with me, and please, don’t forget to let me know whatcha think??

Love ya’s,
Christine

#stjohnsriver #floridaeastcoast #dronevideo #jacksonville

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So many people came to The Beaches community to see all the sights that there was off-site parking, and lots of shuttles moving people all around. In fact, even the off-site parking and shuttle service reached their capacity on Saturday. Everyone had to see this event - and it was definitely worth the trek for those who came from far away.

I have never seen the local community or the beach itself this populated, and that includes on various 4th of July festivities. And Jax, Neptune, and Atlantic Beach sure know how to pull off a festive 4th! 1st Street is always closed off on Independence Day, with an unofficial/official bike parade, and various bounce houses, hoses and sprinklers running, coolers full of fun and cold drinks that everyone shares with their neighbors, and front yard parties, galore. And this weekend definitely made me think of the 4th in Jax.

It was the event of events here at the beach, and I’m extremely grateful to have had my very own front seat to all the action - never even having to get in the car once to witness all the excitement. Living in downtown Jax Beach offers many perks, and this was definitely one of the best. And while the show took place both on Saturday and Sunday - living right in the midst of it all offered me a unique perspective.

On Thursday and Friday of this past week, all the various styles of airplanes took many practice runs of the Sky portion of the show. And I must admit that this part of the entire experience was somewhat even more exciting to me than the actual show. I got to see it all, before all the massive crowds of people did… And not knowing what the practice schedule consisted of, I really had no idea what was coming next through the Sky.

Another individual who, for certain, had no idea what was going to happen next, was my dog - Madeline. To her, I think she must have thought that World War III had started and that the literal end of life on Earth had arrived in Jacksonville, Florida. She was absolutely and utterly terrified, and I made the smart decision of keeping her home and inside all weekend. I know we could have had a lost dog if I didn’t do just that.

A mix of some Florida afternoon rain, and then pops of Florida sun - the Blue Angels took to the skies about a half hour late for Saturday’s show. They flew through a massive rainbow shining above the Sea. It was breathtaking to witness, and my iPhone camera would not capture the scene at all, and what it did attempt to capture did not do the rainbow any justice whatsoever. The light and bright and delicate colors floating over the salty water were merely a mirage, and if you blinked, you might miss it.

I’ve never seen more rainbows in my life than I have in the few years I’ve lived here in the land of endless summer - the Sunshine State. And each one is as special as the next; but this rainbow was most stunning and breathtaking with the Blue Angels flying above and through it and coming right at me.

The only thing I know and understand about these planes for certain is that they are awesome. Pure and simple. The entire experience - of witnessing the massive beast of its engine roar, in all its power, flying overhead, in coordination, and so close together it appears from the ground that a mere piece of string could connect the planes quite easily. The dedication, teamwork, the best technology on the planet, all in coordination. All of that at its absolute best, on display for all to see. And it was a free show!

At one point, while my husband was out shooting these photos, he was interviewed by a Youtuber; I found this hilarious. If only we knew, as my hubby of course failed to inquire, which channel interviewed him, I could watch what he said to the internet vlog world about his personal experience with Sea & Sky Jax.

Sadly, Sea & Sky weekend is now over, and won’t be back in Jax Beach for a few more years. The location of this show rotates, and goes to NAS Jax as well.

And now that things are calming down in our household and returning to normal for Madeline and all her fellow dogs in town - she doesn’t quite know or realize that Halloween is next on the agenda this week. It’s a big and chaotic week indeed in the life and mind of a small and sensitive little pooch. But it was a most exciting weekend of weekends for us spectating humans… looking up to the Sky, and out toward the Sea - with our feet in the Sand. ~