The Secret of Atlantic Beach

Location: Atlantic Beach, Florida, USA

The dunes loom higher than I remember, the sea oats seem a bit thicker, and the willowy grass shimmies like a giant magic carpet in the stiff sea breeze. A surfer rolls up on a skateboard, holding his surfboard steadily atop his head with one hand. He eyes the breakers, which are rolling in quite uniformly as far as my untrained eyes can discern, then ditches the skateboard and takes off in a spirited sprint toward the sea. Before I follow, my eyes are drawn downward to a covering of wildflowers that are somehow managing to flourish in the unforgiving Florida sun. The brilliant red-and-yellow-fringed Indian blanket has anchored itself in the sand in a colorful rebellion against the harsh environment.

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