The way around this irritation - assuming one wants to get a tan - is to go bicycling. Today for example my caculated maneuver was to cycle out (down the beach) at midday with the sun in my face then cycle back with the sun at my back.
The only complication is that I am recovering from a cold. Last week I got a chill which subsequently materialized into sniffles then a dry cough. But yesterday - in an attempt to avoid doing anything too industrious - I exhausted my spare time lying by the pool in the sun (on my back mainly). I wasn't about to do that again today. The roasting effort was no more successful than usual. And the assignment was boring beyond belief.
Granted I felt somewhat stronger today than I felt yesterday. But I enjoined myself to take it easy. Going out was pleasant enough. There was a slight wind behind me. The temperature was noticeably higher than yesterday, about 76℉, and the sky was an incomparable dome of clear blue. Already I have noticed a dwindling of activity on the beach as we leave Thanksgiving behind and head towards Christmas. Likely it will not be until the New Year that liveliness picks up.
The jaunt from our apartment in Daytona Beach Shores to Ponce Inlet is at least 5 miles. There was no rush to get there. In the 1½ months we've been here almost every time I have gone bicycling (which is just about every day) I have directed myself to Ponce Inlet.
The scenery there is never dull, never the same. I have yet to tire of the repeated sight every time I see it. Today there was a large yacht leaving the Inlet, heading out to sea. Other days I have seen majestic sail boats in full sail. Occasionally the weather has been grey and stormy but nonetheless enchanting.
The debate I have when leaving Ponce Inlet to return home is whether to go back on the beach or instead take the sidewalk along S Atlantic Avenue which borders the Ocean. Normally the resolution depends on the strength of the wind. If there is an especially strong wind from the north then I prefer the sidewalk because it is moderately sheltered from the direct blast off the Ocean (and the smoother sidewalk makes passage slightly easier). Today however the wind was negligible. And the sun continued to shine brilliantly. So I used the beach for the return trip.
After I made it home, I went immediately to the pool. To my delight there was not another soul there! This is important because there is but a relatively narrow wedge of sunlight onto the pool area late in the afternoon.
The real coup is that I was plainly worn down by my ten-mile bicycle ride. It was naturally the work of a moment for me to flop onto the lounge chair and, comforted by the warmth of the sun, doze off.
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