Further Proof That alcohol Trumps All Common Sense

[Saltcreep]

Well, I thought I had seen it all, but maybe not. I have spent the last ten Spring Breaks in NW Florida where my mom is a Snowbird. Typically, this area sees anywhere between 200,000 and 400,000 college kids visit over the five weeks of SB and we are located right in the middle of the action. This week and next are the busiest weeks - when the weather is nice, the beach is packed. We see our share of dangerous and stupid behaviour; balcony climbs, and falls, excessive consumption of alcohol, public nudity, loud cars, traffic accidents and fatalities, assaults and shootings, you name it. Currently, we are under a tornado watch, and switching back and forth between severe thunderstorm watches and warnings. There is a high surf advisory and red flags are flying indicating dangerous beach conditions. It could easily be a red flag over red which would give the local constabulary the power to arrest and charge anyone for going in the water. The surf is running at about 8 to 10 feet with rip current warnings and the temperature of the Gulf is 72F, just a typical NW Florida Spring day. For the past two hours we have been experiencing one big constant thunderstorm with hundreds of lightning strikes. So, given all that, should I really have been surprised when I looked out the balcony door and saw two Spring Breakers swimming in the Gulf of Mexico? That is just so stupid, in so many ways, that it defies belief. Just bobbing around out there like two lightning rods. Their parents would be so proud. Maybe now, I have seen it all, but somehow, I doubt it.

I just had to vent.

[Brent Shaver]

Although there was no lightning when I lived in Texas along the Gulf, there was an evacuation issued for our areas as I was living maybe 100 yards from the beach.  Of course being from Canada I had never seen a hurricane and being a storm chaser has been on my bucket list for some time.

So I grabbed 6 pints and a lawn chair and headed down to the beach and sat enjoying the storm.  I made it through 3 pints before the waves literally took me off my chair and the ocean stole both my beer and chair.  When I was crossing the road to head back to the cabin the people I was staying with were just leaving as it had been upgraded to a level 3.

I think it is more the fascination of being in something that intense.  When  I was a young-in we put the old TV tower up in a field and sat on lawn chairs waiting for it to get hit.  Dumb as a stump but didn't change the fact we were out there.

The southern thunderstorms are so much more intense then here, the thunder literally shakes houses, its great...smiles.

Hope you don't get any worse weather and enjoy the view.

[Saltcreep]

I know what you mean. I actually enjoy the storms and we are right on the Gulf. If I were to do a balcony dive, I would land on the beach. Last year about this time, I watched twin waterspouts coming ashore about a half mile away. Awesome to witness nature's fury - humbling in fact when you realize how powerless you are. I feel kind of sorry for the kids that save all year to spend a week here, and then have to deal with this kind of weather though. Expecting sun for the rest of the week, but cool.

[Saltcreep]

This what a storm front looks like up close.

[Brent Shaver]

Dave grab a rental car and chase anything moving that has multiple antenna's...grins  Oh yeah dont forget your camera...

[Saltcreep]

Dave grab a rental car and chase anything moving that has multiple antenna's...grins  Oh yeah dont forget your camera...

Around here that could be half the vehicles on the road. Some of these kids are driving SUVs that are worth more than my house. Much better subjects for the camera when the sun is out.

[Brent Shaver]

I was talking about chasing the storm...lol 

[Saltcreep]

I was talking about chasing the storm...lol 

I got that.    No need to chase this one though; it hasn't moved on yet. Dark now and the lightning is incredible.