At last, the Sun appeared, granting us the kind of day that has made Florida a perennially popular Winter destination.  The morning mist burned off even before the beachcombers and treasure seekers finished their early rounds.  D., HL and I were able to wander along the beach without a care.  D. and HL could be somewhat more insouciant than I, as my skin tends to burn even when I marinate myself in sunblock lotion.  

Men with metal detectors are common on Jacksonville Beach.

         The Jacksonville Pier had to be replaced after hurricanes damaged it in 2016 and in 2017.  It was Hurricane Irma in 2017 that completed the demolition.  The new pier was still under construction during our previous visits to D.  It was rebuilt about ten feet higher than its predecessor, for additional protection against storm surges.  The pier reopened in 2022.

I took a picture of my Birthday Man under the Jacksonville Pier.

         It was the first time that HL and I could walk to the end of Jacksonville Pier.  With D., we gazed at the waves and the anglers.  Pelicans flew over the water in tight formations.  One intrepid pelican left his fellows in order to investigate the anglers' activities at close range.

The pelican spied an angler's catch and landed within striking distance.

         The pelican savored a morsel of fish that an angler threw in front of the hungry bird.  Then the pelican flapped his wings and bobbed his head up and down, enlisting the aid of gravity to move the snack down his gullet.  His movements on the pier were less graceful than those in the air or on the water, but we three were an appreciative audience for his impromptu dance.

The pelican remained on the railing, ready to swoop whenever the next fisherman was feeling generous.