Color outside the lines….Dance like no-one is watching
WOW! The pink rays of light filling the sky before sunrise were breathtaking! They streamed across the sky and reflected on the wet sand, bringing the vibe of a day filled with possibilities.
The flock flew in extra chatty. When I felt those little feet on my head begin to tap, I knew Fred Astaire the Laughing Gull was back! It’s hard to describe how calming those tiny feet feel.
Fred brings us the message of dancing like no one is watching. He said, “Loosen up! Go ahead and color outside the lines.
Dance, move, play. Movement can shift your brain chemistry and lift your mood.”
The rays remind us there is always light finding its way through, and Fred reminds us to have a little fun while we’re waiting for it.
Wishing you a beautiful ay friends!
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode — Teeny Sushi Party!
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode — Teeny Sushi Party!
This time of year, the pelicans scoop up schools of teeny tiny fish, and the gulls have figured out how to take full advantage of the buffet — gulls were fighting for a place to stand right on the pelicans to get a little closer to the fish in their pouch!
Not a dolphin around but the pelicans seemed to be doing just fine catching snacks on their own with their synchronized rapid-fire diving.
Apparently, when the lagoon serves tiny fish… everybody gets a seat at the table.
Stay tuned for more tales!
PS ~Wednesday sunrise is previous post
Go Within to feel safe
Good Morning!
Sahara dust gave the morning a pretty-in-pink start, setting a serene vibe for the day. As the sun rose higher, golden light filled the air while the ocean soaked up the color, creating sparkles across the waves.
Fred the Blue Heron strolled along the beach with wings open, completely unfazed by the waves crashing behind him.
Fred brings us the message, “When waves are crashing around me, I go within. A combination of staying grounded in my long skinny legs and dropping into my heart keeps me centered, even when life is rocking around me.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Play in the waves
Sahara sand gave us a hazy pink pre-sunrise, accompanied by a calm ocean soaking up the soft colors. A very loud and chatty flock flew in for our daily bath time.
When the sun came up, the color show shifted to a golden-orange glow, bringing the heat. Waves built as the sun rose, bringing us beautiful art in motion. Movement creates its own kind of beauty.
They remind us, “Waves ebb and flow, some small and some large. Trust the timing of the waves in life, and enjoy playing in the splash zone.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Inspiration is a natural attractor
Good Morning!
Pre-sunrise began with subtle rays of pink streaming into the blue sky, along with a calm ocean and a nice salty breeze.
The sun rose looking extra gorgeous in layers of orange and gold. Pelican Highway was bustling southbound above the waves and brings us today’s message of alignment.
They said, “Keep doing what inspires you. Inspiration is a natural attractor. People, places and things are lining up to support your journey. Trust the flow."
Wishing you a beautiful day, friends!
PS ~ Check out the newborn dolphin photoshoot in previous post.
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - Newborn Photoshoot
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - Newborn Photoshoot
Momma Grace swam in with her latest calf and stayed for several hours! I said, "Hey Momma, Can we do a photoshoot with the baby?" A few minutes later little one started popping out of the water over and over!
This little one was popping like a popcorn machine, so for now I'm calling the wee one Poppy. Momma Grace was so accommodating swimming by often so I could snap about 600 photos of this little one!
If you are just tuning in, this is her 3rd calf I have met since 2021. I sure hope they come back and give us a gender reveal!
Stay tuned for more tales!
Your intuition knows what’s true
Good Morning!
The sun came up this morning looking as though it were melting right into the ocean. For a few moments, the horizon made it hard to tell where the sun ended and the water began.
A beautiful reminder that things may not always be the way they appear. Trust your intuition to know what is true for you.
And then…the flock made sure things didn’t get too serious.
I had my first head landing of the season. A little levity is always good.
Peg the laughing gull has returned! And is looking beautiful! I’m so happy to see that familiar face and am keeping my fingers crossed that Hook finds her way back soon too.
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Peg is back in town~!
And looking pretty!
First head landing of the season
A message of peace and renewal
Good Morning!
The morning began in layers of gold and orange, with the flock filling the shoreline. In the middle of all those tiny feet was a sand dollar.
Sand dollars always feel like tiny treasures from the sea—a reminder of abundance, possibility, and the gifts that can arrive at any time.
The sand dollar said, “I am a messenger of peace, healing, and renewal. I’m also a symbol of abundance. Just like the ocean has rhythms, so does life. There are times when the tide carries things away and times when it brings unexpected treasures to your feet."
“Trust the rhythm. Stay open to receiving. Abundance may already be making its way toward you.”
EXHALE.
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Giving and receiving are part of the same beautiful energy exchange.
This morning was quite the wildlife day! While photographing first light, I saw down the beach, a New Smyrna Turtle Tracker was releasing hatchlings at first light under an FWC permit.
There was a mix of green turtles and loggerheads who hatched yesterday but didn’t quite make it out of their nest.
Three little ones weren’t able to swim out this morning, so they’ll head to the turtle hospital until they’re strong enough to be released.
Then, I found a young laughing gull on the beach unable to fly. That little nugget also got a helping hand too and a ride to the bird hospital.
This morning’s wildlife reminded me of the importance of community and teamwork. Sometimes we’re the ones offering the helping hand, and sometimes we’re the ones who need it.
Giving and receiving are part of the same beautiful exchange.
We all do a little better when we look out for one another.
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
The inspirtaion of the book EXHALE
EXHALE arrived! I wanted to share the inspiration behind the book and how it came to be.
Follow your inner compass when things are dark
Good Morning!
The morning started with a beautiful pink and blue color show as a dolphin cruised close to shore, heading southbound.
The flock was large this morning, including three Royal Terns. One Royal Tern was banded, telling us she most likely came from Georgia. The little nugget appears to be young. She spent time preening, tending to her feathers and releasing a few that were ready to go—always a beautiful sign of renewal.
Today is also the day of a solar eclipse, when the sun will briefly be hidden from view.
Together, the eclipse and this young Royal Tern bring us today’s message, “Even when the light is temporarily hidden, your inner compass still knows the way. Release what is ready to go and trust what is stirring within you. You don’t need to see the entire journey—spread your wings, follow the pull, and make room for the path ahead. You got this!"
Wishing you a beautiful day, friends!
Spot Stamp of approval and sunrise message
So excited today!
EXHALE has officially received Spot’s stamp of approval…with those little yellow feet.
Stay tuned…They are almost here
Mother Nature brought out her swirly paintbrush this morning, brushing soft clouds across the sky while the sun slowly rose over the ocean. The mix of fog, heat and soft colors added to the soothing beauty.
The calm ocean made it easy to see the solo dolphin swimming southbound while the waves soaked up the pretty light.
The birds were extra frisky today. They said, “Lean back with your hearts and wings open and soak up the sunlight.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
RIPPLE
RIPPLE
This morning at sunrise, I was reminded we don’t always get to see how far the things we create travel.
A woman visiting New Smyrna Beach from Colorado walked up to me and asked, “Are you Shelley Lynch?”
She told me she teaches children who don’t have a lot of resources. Then she said something I will never forget:
“I take the kids to the beach every morning through your photos and videos.”
She shared that only three of the children had ever seen a manatee before.
I stood there thinking about those kids, hundreds of miles away, meeting manatees, dolphins, pelicans, gulls and the ocean through the images and stories I share each morning.
My heart melted.
For years, I’ve gone out before sunrise with my camera, sharing what nature gives me and hoping it might bring a little beauty, connection or joy into someone’s day.
This morning, I got to see one of those ripples come back.
To know that children in Colorado are experiencing a little piece of the ocean through my work was an extraordinary gift.
Keep creating. Keep sharing. Keep following what calls to your heart. You never know how far the ripple may travel.
PS ~ The book Launch event is at THE HUB on Canal Street 5:00-8:00
Self care to find your center
A cozy layer of salty, wet fog hugged the coastline like a soft blanket this morning. The sky art was breathtaking, with wispy clouds soaking up shades of pink and gold.
A tiny sliver of the waning moon nestled into the clouds as the flock arrived. The flock was eager for our group bath time, splashing and carrying on in the surf.
They said, “If you’re already feeling the energy of the upcoming new moon and solar eclipse, we highly recommend spending some time in water. Let it wash over you, settle you and bring you back into balance. Self-care, whether it involves water or something else that nourishes you, helps the body soften and find its center.”
Wishing you a beautiful day, friends!
Slowing it Down
EXHALE
Begin softly.
Let the morning arrive
one breath,
one wingbeat,
one wash of color at a time.
Slow the rhythm.
Soften into the moment.
Give yourself time
to meet the day.
Exhale.
Begin from here.
Safety has memory
The wind was whipping today for the first time in what feels like months, giving us such a refreshing morning. And when the wind blows, the flock gets frisky!
So many of our winter gulls have already returned, but we’re still waiting for Hook and Peg. I find myself scanning the flock every morning, hoping to spot those familiar faces and trusting they’ll find their way back.
One particularly gull landed on a nearby beachgoer’s head, said, “Safety has memory. The mind and body remember what feels safe—and who feels safe. Lean into your heart to access your knowing.”
The sun eventually peeked out from behind the clouds along the horizon, surrounded by wispy white clouds and warm golden light. With the tide leaving the sand wet and glassy, the whole scene—the sky, the birds and the morning light—was reflected beneath our feet.
Wishing you a beautiful day, friends!
The look when I asked, “How are you?” :). Love the head tilt.
Rest is part of the journey
WOW! Mother Nature brought us an other worldly looking sunrise with a light layer of fog and beautiful pastel colors. Soft shades of peach, lavender, and blue spilled across the sky as the towering clouds seemed to open a doorway into another world.
So many birds arrived for self care time, grabbing a baht and a nap after the long flight. After sunrise I ran into a snail who chimed in with the gull bringing us our message today.
"We both recommend trusting the timing. What is meant for you will never pass you by. Not to worry, if you need a nap, rest is an important part of the journey."
Wishing you a magical day friends!
Trust your balance
Good Morning!
The sky seemed to move through every mood this morning—soft pink behind a flurry of wings, brilliant sunlight breaking through the clouds, and then deep, dramatic blues gathering over the ocean.
The gulls were especially lively, filling the quiet morning with motion. Standing peacefully along the shoreline on one leg, was Pixar! It always makes me happy to see familiar friends returning for another season.
Pixar said, “Life may ask you to find a different way to stand. Trust your balance, spread your wings, and keep showing up.”
The sun added, “Even when the clouds appear heavy, there is still light moving behind them, waiting for an opening.”
Wishing you a beautiful day, friends!
Pixar
Sunset instead of sunrise
Good Morning! I'm off to play with pint size pod mates, so sharing a mix of sunset from last night with Momma D and a sunset with dolphin art.
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Love lives within
Good Morning!
The sun rose through the clouds this morning, casting a beautiful golden reflection across the wet sand. Before long, the quiet shoreline filled with wings—the flock was enormous!
And look who’s back: One Legger and Split Foot! Pixar returned two days ago, too. These laughing gulls come back to New Smyrna Beach year after year, and it always feels like old friends returning home. They seem to be arriving a little earlier this season, and I am so happy to see them.
The gulls said, “The people and places that feel like home live within you, even while you are apart. Trust the rhythm that brings you back together at exactly the right time.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Split Footer
Pixar
One Legger
