A Warm Place

| Many Floridians don’t realize how cold it already is up north. It’s cold! And the people who live up north would probably give a lot to spend the holidays or at least a couple of weeks at The Sandpiper at New Smyrna Beach.
In the moment the time could be late morning or noon. There are none of the afternoon shadows which would develop later in the day. A car pulls up which rests by a side piazza. The vehicle is free of luggage indicating that it has probably unloaded its passengers and their belongings and is preparing to depart.

Four women and a small child stand on the rear porch and a second group of spectators watch from the porch of the main building, still many more guests look down from the balconies where they are enjoying cocktails, lunch, or just each other’s company in the warmth of the day.

The northerners would so enjoy the warm breeze of the beach as they look out at the ocean. So many bodies in the sun. It’s a fascinating scene, almost like a look backwards at another era, another time. One of the northerners wishes he could be close enough to define the faces of these distant vacationers who will forever be anonymous.

The snow birds from up north will miss the warmth. They will miss the sun on their faces. They’ll miss eating at wonderful restaurants and they’ll miss sitting out on the balconies of The Sandpiper as they reminisce and talk about their sun filled day. They’ll sip their cocktails and enjoy the night’s summer warm breeze as they think about the dreaded return north to the cold and harshness of winter.