At Pompano Beach, Florida

Darla caught Jeff and Rod as they came out of the water way north toward the Hillsboro Pier, with the Hillsboro Lighthouse in the background. They were coming in from their fourth snorkeling trip out to the Pompano Dropoff. Jeff is carrying the dive flag which he fashioned from an innertube and a fiberglass driveway marker shaft. It worked extremely well for us.

We had to walk a long way back this time because the wind and current had blown us northward while we were on the Pompano Dropoff and while we were swimming back in. We were probably out about two hours this time since we took so long to get back in. The current and perhaps the receding tide were working against us. It was a lot of exercise, but worth it for all the fish and the neat region of the Pompano Dropoff. As we snorkeled out to it, we passed two reef regions and a grassy region, and then passed over large flat rock area, broken by cracking into large flat blocks. The Dropoff itself was a jumble of these large stone blocks.

Darla and the girls are ready for a walk. We all got quite a bit of exercise this week.

Back at the beach, Darla plays with Ashleigh, jumping the waves. Then Jordan gets her chance.

Three pelicans just sat in the surf near where we were, seemingly ignoring us. Occasionally one of them would make a lazy circle in the air and dive into the surf for a fish. I was amazed at how close to the people they would dive -- like 8 to 10 feet away from a bunch of people in the surf!

Jeff busies himself with digging a hole in the sand, and then gets Ashleigh to try it on for size.

Ashleigh seems to enjoy being put in the hole, standing up, and being covered up.

Darla and Jeff made up a whole sand body for Ashleigh, complete with shoes.

Jeff took Jordan out into the bigger waves which were coming in. We presumed that they were caused by the storm which was out east of us in the Atlantic. As long as she was with Daddy, Jordan enjoyed the waves.

After a few minor fortresses, it was now time to build a major castle. No detail went uninspected by Ashleigh and Jordan.

Ashleigh and Jordan had waited semi-patiently for the castle to be built, and now got to stand inside it.