I was fortunate enough last year to be able to watch the sunrise over the ocean on Christmas morning. No such luck this year thanks to the dense fog. Even so, I was still going to enjoy a wonderful Christmas buffet brunch and headed to the Courtyard at Crane for my 11:30 AM reservation.

It was extremely foggy this morning, so much so that my camera lens completely fogged over once I got out of the air conditioned car.

Like last year, the casual buffet brunch was held at the Courtyard at Crane restaurant.

The name "Crane" is a reference to Chicago plumbing magnate Richard T. Crane Jr. who built his cottage in 1917. It became the largest and most expensive cottage on the island at the time of its construction. Crane also built his cottage next door to the Clubhouse, one of the most desirable locations in the district.

I made my way from the parking are trying to clean my camera lens and got a glimpse inside the Courtyard where the buffet was being prepared. Since brunch was still half-an-hour away, I decided to take a stroll around the area to work up an appetite.

The tree in the photo above is an Italian Cypress that is covered with Spanish Moss.

I'm not sure what these yellow/green plants are. But I would love to have them in my front yard !

The coloring resembles the Mr. Goldstrike plants I have near my driveway. But the shape and size of the leaves is very different. And while the leaves appear larger than those of a Mr. Goldstrike, the overall size of the plant appears to be much smaller. I'll have to do some research.

I love the fact that this island is filled with giant Southern Live Oak trees.

The trees are covered in Spanish Moss and Resurrection Fern which only use the tree for support and are not harmful to it in any way.

I took a walk down to the Riverfront Lawn toward the wharf in front of Crane Cottage and the Jekyll Island Club Hotel.

Normally the M. E. Thompson Bridge would be visible in the background of the photo above, but you need to look really hard for it this morning.

The photo above is of the Jekyll Island Wharf and Latitude 31 restaurant.

Boats always seemed to be docked at the wharf. The photo above is one of my favorites taken during this trip. I have no idea how I did it. But even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

Several boats were docked at the wharf on this Christmas morning.

I'm guessing that the photo above would be considered close to high tide considering the water was touching the retaining wall on which I was standing.

The photo above is another view of the Riverfront Lawn. I believe this area can be reserved for weddings and outdoor events.

I headed back to Crane Cottage for brunch and passed the reflecting pond on my way to the entrance.

Richard Crane built his cottage in a very desirable location.

Not only was it right next to the Clubhouse, it was also next to the marina and marshlands.

The snowman on the second floor was trying to convince me that it was cold outside.

Personally, I found the 80 degree temperature quite pleasant.

I headed inside and was lead to the same table where I sat at Thanksgiving. The same server was on duty today and recognized me.

The buffet was arranged in the same manner as it was over Thanksgiving. I quickly became friends with the chefs at the carving station.

The made-to-order omelette station was also a favorite.

Merry Christmas from Jekyll Island, Georgia ! I can't think of a better way to spend the holiday than this.

The sky began to brighten as brunch continued. Mother Nature didn't tease any rain this time. And the sun actually made an appearance as I finished my meal. What a difference 90 minutes makes !

Now that I was thoroughly stuffed, I found myself in need of a good walk and followed Old Plantation Road through the Historic District to see if anything had changed.

Some flowers had been planted by the long fountain at Villa Marianna.

Preservation work has been ongoing at the Gould Casino.

Restoration and re-purpose plans were in the making last year. But no work appears to have been done other than what was needed to keep the building upright.

Preservation/restoration work continues at Hollybourne, the only remaining cottage that hasn't been restored.

I remember work being done on Christmas Eve last year at Hollybourne. Workers were concentrating on the interior renovations at that time.

The limited information I can find seems to indicate that Hollybourne is being preserved/restored mainly by volunteers who are making slow but steady progress.

Earlier this year, the home was opened for a limited run of tours detailing the ongoing restoration.

I would love to take a tour of the cottages in the district.

Historic photos of Hollybourne indicate that a large covered porch used to be present in the area seen in the photo above. Only evidence of it remains at the moment. I would think the porch will be rebuilt during the restoration, but I'm not sure.

I headed back to the wharf area to take the same photo I took when I arrived.

The results were much better this time. The M. E. Thompson Bridge was now visible.

Apparently, 90 minutes makes a big difference with the tide as well.

Earlier, the water had reached the retaining wall where I was standing. I saw quite a bit more available real estate now.

Looking out over the saltwater marsh.

The water had definitely receded in the time that had passed since I stopped by the wharf earlier this morning.

The Lanier Bridge was now visible in the distance.

Everything seen in the photo above was under water when I arrived for brunch.

I hung around the wharf area for a while checking out the scenery.

I tried to zoom in on a spider web with moderate success.

To my surprise, the fog reappeared once I reached the eastern side of the island. Very strange.