Rise and Shine!
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (121503)
Gainesville, Florida
June 20, 2020 6:52am CST
For some reason, I have been waking up at 3:00am for the last 3-4 mornings. Just naturally waking up and being wide awake for some reason. During the week, it hasn't been a big deal, because I normally get up at 4:00am. But on a Saturday when I have nothing special planned, it would have been nice to sleep in. So I figured I'd make the most of the situation, and hopped in the truck to drive to St. Augustine, about an hour and a half away on the east coast of Florida. But this time I didn't drag my girlfriend along with me.
With no real plans other than to get there, I decided to head straight to the beach and catch another beautiful sunrise. The attached photo shows the gorgeous view I was able to capture. I threw my surfboard in the back of the truck just in case the waves were nice, but as you can see from the photo the seas were pretty calm this morning.
It's going to be a scorcher along the coast today, so I am not going to stick around for long. I'm going to head over to my favorite little surf shop and see if they have any wetsuits in my size in stock. Then I'll head to the quaint little historic downtown section of St. Augustine, grab some breakfast at my favorite little Minorcan restaurant, and then stop in a few shops to pick up some goodies. There is a blueberry flavored local wine that my girlfriend loves, and of course no trip to St. Augustine would be complete without me loading up on exotic flavors of beef jerky from a local vendor to bring back for the kids.
In doing some internet research a few weeks ago, I discovered there is a beautiful beachside state park about 30 minutes south of St. Augustine that has a campground. I'm going to drive down there and check out the park and see if it would be a place that my son and I would enjoy camping at. I'm sure it will be, as who doesn't enjoy camping right on the beach? lol
So I guess for such an impromptu decision this morning, I am going to accomplish more than I thought! Do you have anything exciting planned for today?
40 people like this
36 responses
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
Yes, there are many wonderful beaches, parks and other natural areas nearby to where I live, and I am lucky and fortunate to be able to enjoy so many wonderful sites.
4 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (105284)
• Marion, Ohio
20 Jun 20
Lovely picture. Not sure what I will be doing today.
5 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (105284)
• Marion, Ohio
20 Jun 20
@moffittjc I have laughed at them some.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
@wolfgirl569 Well, at least they are providing you with some humor! Just don't let Oreo head butt you too hard!
3 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
Whatever you end up doing today, I am sure it will involve goats! haha
4 people like this
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
20 Jun 20
I've been waking up around 3AM too, but that's because the sun rises then. Normally sunrise doesn't wake me, but it's so warm that I'm already sleeping quite lightly.
So the plan for most of the day is not too die of heat :-)
And then maybe find out what to do with all the time I've got on my hands now that school's out.
That's a gorgeous picture. Suring in the sunset sounds like something to put on the bucket list.
4 people like this
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
20 Jun 20
@moffittjc Yes, I wrote too fast. Since you couldn't fall asleep again, sunrise makes sense :-)
Right now the sun sets around midnight and rises again at 3AM here. We've got about 6 weeks in the summer in which it doesn't really get dark. Further north it's midnight sun, never seen it, definitly on the bucket list.
The record is 35.6 degrees Celsius. That wasn't here though, but further south and inland. We had more than 30C today, for me it's like being trapped in a sauna. And most houses are built to trap the heat inside, not keep it out. I don't remember it being this warm inside when I studied in Vienna, even though it was warmer and less windy.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
@Torunn I saw a weather news article today that said there is a big weather inversion going on right now, where it is actually HOTTER in the northern climates than it is in the ones farther south. We are definitely experiencing that here in the US, where it is sweltering hot in the northeast part of the US and Canada, and here in the southeastern US and Caribbean it is nice and mild out.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
This was a sunrise photo, not a sunset photo.
Does the sun really rise at 3:00am in your country?
How hot does it get in Norway?
3 people like this
@LovingMyBabies (85288)
• Valdosta, Georgia
20 Jun 20
Sounds like a great day and a gorgeous photo you took! =)
I’m taking photos at a wedding today! I’m excited but nervous of course too.
3 people like this
@LovingMyBabies (85288)
• Valdosta, Georgia
21 Jun 20
@moffittjc Thank you! It was a great day and I did get some pretty photos, God is so good and He was my strength. =)
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun 20
@LovingMyBabies I'm glad to hear it turned out well. I hope you captured some amazing photos!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
You'll do fine, and you'll capture some beautiful photos! Trust yourself, you got this!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun 20
@just4him It's okay, I'm really glad I drove over there first to check it out, rather than just book a campsite and find myself disappointed when I arrived to camp. Well, actually, it's not a bad place to camp, so I would enjoy it, but I would have been disappointed that it was not right on the beach.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
Just got done checking out the camping spot. It's a beautiful state park, but it's on the inland side of the intracoastal waterway, and not directly by the beach. While beautiful for other reasons, it's not really what I was looking for. I wanted a campsite location directly on, or adjacent to the beach. Not too disappointed though, because there are already 2-3 spots my son and I like to go to. I was just hoping to add another option to the mix.
2 people like this
@just4him (317004)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
20 Jun 20
@moffittjc I'm sorry it didn't work out for a location. Still, as you said, you have a couple of other good sites to choose from.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
Thanks. It's always worth the drive to go to St. Augustine, or to the beach. It's such a beautiful area. This is one of the places that is on my short list of retirement locations.
5 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
@CarolDM Haha, yes, without a doubt this is one of my happy places!
4 people like this
@CarolDM (203422)
• Nashville, Tennessee
20 Jun 20
@moffittjc Glad you are in your happy place.
4 people like this
@FourWalls (67403)
• United States
20 Jun 20
It all balances out. For the last three-four days I’ve been going to sleep at 3:00 AM.
Nothing exciting today.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
Oh goodness, you certainly have been staying up super late! Reminds me of my old college days! haha
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
When I wake up at such an ungodly hour like that, I would prefer to just roll over and go back to sleep, which I did try to do. However, I was wide awake, so I was just laying there frustrated that I couldn't fall back asleep. So I decided to just get up and do something productive. I will admit though, I am extremely tired right now, and plan on taking a nap when I get home in the next 2 hours or so.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
Thank you! I don't often get to capture sunrise photos. So it's always nice when I do.
2 people like this
@Butterfingers (66583)
• India
20 Jun 20
The view is absolutely amazing and hope you can surf and it doesn't get very hot
3 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
Looked at the surfing report while I was here. Doesn't look like there will be big enough waves today to surf.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
Thank you! I though so too! Looks like it is going to be a beautiful (but hot) day here today.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
Thank you! I have just finished up all my business here along the coast, so pretty soon I am going to drive back home. I'm really tired right now (I knew I would be, given how early I woke up), so I hope to take a nap when I get home!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
@Shunnan I just hope I can stay awake for the next hour and a half as I drive home. I'll have to stop and get some coffee for the drive home.
1 person likes this
@Shunnan (2106)
•
20 Jun 20
@moffittjc oh take care.that is really tiring i feel it when i am travelling to other City the first thing i wanted to see is my bed
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
It's usually sunsets that I capture. Very rarely do I ever get to see sunrises, so it is always special to me when that opportunity presents itself.
1 person likes this
@m_audrey6788 (58472)
• Germany
20 Jun 20
What a very nice sunrise there. Thank you for sharing this wonderful photo here. No plans here just enjoying mylotting 
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
Thank you! I am sitting on the beach right now, just enjoying the view and myLotting. But my stomach is starting to growl from hunger, so in a few minutes I'm going to head over to that nice little Minorcan restaurant I mentioned and grab a good home cooked breakfast.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
@m_audrey6788 Thanks! I probably will only be here for a few hours before heading back home. Tomorrow is Father's Day here in the US, and my kids have a surprise planned for me. I told them I wouldn't plan anything this weekend, so that I could focus on whatever their surprise is. So I don't want to spend too much time here today. What if their surprise tomorrow is taking me to the beach here in St. Augustine? LOL
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
It was very amazing to see! I don't often get to view sunrises, as mostly I am working by the time the sun comes up. So when I do get to see them, they are near and dear to my heart.
2 people like this
@ptrikha_2 (46835)
• India
21 Jun 20
That is a nice sunrise photograph. We have Solar eclipse here in India. It became slightly dark, but not total in the place we stay.
Yet in some other parts of India, people captured the Ring formed when moon covers the sun in Solar eclipse, and various pictures.
Also, we did some Yoga with family members on the occasion of International Yoga Day.
2 people like this
@ptrikha_2 (46835)
• India
22 Jun 20
@moffittjc
Well yes we too practices Yoga yesterday.
Practicing regular Yoga is good for health.
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (46835)
• India
23 Jun 20
@moffittjc
Yes very much important. We all went for a good walk downstairs today.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun 20
I had read that there was going to be a solar eclipse. They were calling it a "ring of fire" eclipse. I didn't get to see it at all.
Yesterday was international yoga day? I didn't even know that! I don't practice yoga, but I thought for sure I would have heard more about it here. Yoga is very popular in my community.
1 person likes this
@CinnamonGrl (7084)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
20 Jun 20
Sounds like a great day! The sunrise picture is gorgeous! I have no plans except to plant my two new butterfly bushes. I don't have the greenest thumb, so wish them luck! Supposedly all I have to do is dig the holes, mix the dirt with the fertilizer, put them in, and water and all will be well. They're going to be really pretty. I've seen a lot of butterflies here in Santa Fe, so I'm hoping to draw some of them to my little gardens.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
I always love plants that attract butterflies! So many people around here where I live have planted butterfly gardens, and there are always lots of butterflies floating around here. Unfortunately, my entire yard is too shaded from the numerous oak, magnolia and pine trees on my property, so I don't have any flowering plants growing in my yard that would attract butterflies.
I hope your plants do well, and thrive and attract lots of pretty butterflies!
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (44426)
• Staten Island, New York
21 Jun 20
Nice sunrise. Why do you wake up so early?
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun 20
I have to be at work at 5, so I normally get up at 4. But for some reason I have been waking up at 3 this past week. Although I was very happy to sleep in until 6 this morning!
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jun 20
@lovebuglena Yeah, it is too early, but I get a lot done because there is no one to bother me or distract me.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (44426)
• Staten Island, New York
21 Jun 20
@moffittjc wow! Too early to start work. Not fair!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jun 20
Thank you! It seems as though many myLotters are taking it easy this weekend. Does't seem like many have plans. But that's not always a bad thing!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121503)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jun 20
@thelme55 Sometimes we just need nice, quiet weekends to recharge ourselves! I feel nice and rested after this weekend, so I'm ready to take on the work week!
1 person likes this
