Animation from Hippie (ヒーピィービーチ) Beach

This GIF was created May 5 2017 using the iPhone 7 Plus camera.

Every year, during Golden Week, we have our family beach party at this location.

Knowing, thunderstorms were in the forecast, I didn't bring any fancy cameras.

Most of my equipment is water resistant. So, rain really wouldn't have been a problem.

The alcoholic beverages, I knew I'd be consuming, would be cause for ditching cameras.

Thunder was crackling, in the skies, around early in the day but, only a few raindrops fell.

Grandkids, enjoyed beach activities and played in the sand, until sunset.

Behind me, charcoal fires were being tended to by, the younger generation and friends.

Sons, daughters and in-laws, took care of all the cooking and, treated me like a king.

It seemed like, every time I stood up, they thought it meant, I was out of beer.

More than a few pounds of steaks, chicken and grilled vegetables were consumed by me.

And, I believe, I put a good sized dent in a case of beer.

When the sun went down, out came the fireworks and the beach smelled like gunpowder.

Shortly after the smoke drifted away, I thanked everyone for the grand time.

And did the Grandpa thing.  Sneaked a ride back to town and, went to bed.

NOTE:  Google Translate calls ヒーピィービーチ, Heepy Beach.

But, I like the sound of Hippie better so, that's what I call it.

Here's How to Find It

Wildlife Photo: Seahorse and What I Learned Today

This little guy was brought to me by a little girl at a beach party in Okinawa, Japan.

Don't worry.  I took 500th of a second to snap the photo and told her hurry and put him back in the water.  He's a fish even if people call him a horse.  He went right back into the ocean, just a few feet away.  I hope everything turned out alright for the guy.

Seahorses, and there are over 30 varieties of them, come from the Genus Hippocampus. They are members of the Family Sygnathidae, which also, includes Sea Dragons and Pipefish.

Probably, their worst natural enemy is people.  Remember all the comic books advertising ?

They start making whoopie early in the morning and might take 8 hours to finish.

The female puts eggs in a pouch the male has and he gets pregnant.

He could be pregnant a couple of weeks and have as many as 2,000 babies.

He might deliver all those babies in the morning, get another batch of eggs thrown in the basket and be like,  el prego, again by nightfall.  I don't make this stuff up !

I LEARNED ALL ABOUT SEAHORSES TODAY AT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC !