Dear Blog-readers,

As you are no doubt aware (since you're also friends/followers via social media like FB/Twitter), my parents have been camping this week at Jekyll Island, and the kids & I have visited them there twice. Also we'll be spending more time with them over the summer, but for right now, I'd like to share a few pictures from yesterday -- we visited in the midst of the outskirts of Tropical Storm Debby, so the weather was cruddy, but there were some lovely photo ops. We visited the Sea Turtle Center and wandered around a museum and part of the beach on the eastern side of the island. So, pictures.

This is Kathy. She's an 18-month-old loggerhead who they hope to be able to release soon (they need a boat because all the other loggerheads of the same year are so far out to sea. Failing that, she will stay till she's the size of a dinner plate, at which time they'll be able to take her to the beach and release her because her peers will be back.)

This one is being rehabbed; unfortunately, I forgot to grab a pic of his/her name.

This is a Diamondback Terrapin hatchling, one of two they had. Its shell was about the size of a toddler's palm.

This is Caton. He kept swimming up and sticking his head here, posing for pictures. Hope he either gets better enough to go back to the ocean, or gets better enough to find a home with a zoo/aquarium where he can be an "ambassador."

This HUGE critter is an Archelon, which is an extinct genus of sea turtle dating back to the Cretaceous period. The main body part of this particular fellow was about the size of a Volkswagon Beetle.

Just thought this was lovely...a long branch of a huge old live oak blanketed in ferns.

Turtle mosaic stepping stones outside the Sea Turtle Center.

Our first view of the beach.

DinoBoy was so excited about his find: "Mommy, look! It's CORAL!"

Ocean debris is gorgeous, in an austere way.

Seagrass blowing on the tops of the dunes.

Loggerhead nesting site; may it stay safe and hatch many tiny turtles!

This picture was taken through the front windshield as the kids and I drove back across the causeway to the mainland.

Anyway, a good time was had by all, and we got soaked and saw some of the glory and majesty and fury of nature. If you ever find yourself nearby, I *highly* recommend Jekyll Island as a "must visit" place!