SMOKE STACKS IN PARADISE

though undoubtedly toxic, the view of the billowing industrial stacks from the back of our beach house was quite a beautiful site. we quickly acknowledged the dominant looming landmark. fernandina beach, the first ocean destination over the florida line from georgia is indeed a paradise that lives under the hazy backdrop of an active paper mill.

. . we obsessed over the site as it made misty rainbows in the night. we moved a deck table set out front which was there to catch a mere sliver of the "oceanfront view". . . and immediately rolled it to the back porch for romantic dinners under the soft moving volcano of pollution. it puffed over an impressive thicket of wildlife preserve and we toasted to our vacation.

it's funny when people live in paradise. . .I was like many people who hated florida. we were nature lovers, heartbroken to see palm trees, dunes and clear waters compete and lose to commercialism. but I'm happy to report that I had a sort of breakthrough. . .I started to see the paradise again -- through (or despite) the human developments; it's still there--the wonderment of florida--smiling, tolerant and surviving. . . .