Where the Lake Meets the Sea

Where the lake meets the sea.  I ventured out early one morning and found my way along the beach to where Western Lake meets the Gulf.  The lake cuts through the dunes and across the sand until it reaches the salty water of the Gulf.  The lake level , wave action, and tides all determine when the waters actually meet.  This morning the tide was low enough that the sand formed a barrier between the ocean and the lake.  Others days I have come here the lake was flowing into the warm Gulf waters.

It was cool and blue in the predawn darkness as I framed up this image.  It was dark enough that I did not notice the heron at first and he stayed still enough to be in the long exposures I was making.