As daylight streaked gray across the sky this morning, I walked along the cold sand. Dolphins curved up out of ocean. One jumped up high and splashed back in. The others charged north.
A wave washed over my feet. The water was not as cold as I expected. Warm for November. But then again, it's been warm for November. Maybe the lost summer had finally arrived.
"Did you see the seals?" Asked a girl with her hoodie pulled up.
"You mean the dolphins?" I asked.
"No. The seals." She pointed out into the water. "They were over there."
"No way," I said as I scanned the smooth swells.
"I see dolphins all the time..." she said.
"But seals - that's odd." I added.
A wave washed over my feet. The water was not as cold as I expected. Warm for November. But then again, it's been warm for November. Maybe the lost summer had finally arrived.
"Did you see the seals?" Asked a girl with her hoodie pulled up.
"You mean the dolphins?" I asked.
"No. The seals." She pointed out into the water. "They were over there."
"No way," I said as I scanned the smooth swells.
"I see dolphins all the time..." she said.
"But seals - that's odd." I added.
"I know. It was really cool. They were just floating on their backs, popping their heads up."
"I'm sorry I missed them. So do you live around here?" I asked.
"No. I live in the valley. I'd like to live closer but my husband thinks if we moved to the beach that I'd never come out here."
"I'm sorry I missed them. So do you live around here?" I asked.
"No. I live in the valley. I'd like to live closer but my husband thinks if we moved to the beach that I'd never come out here."
"How often do you come now?" I asked.
"Every Saturday morning," she said.
We stared out at the horizon where sunlight cracked between the green-blue water and the gray sky. I pictured this girl, crawling out of bed in the dark each Saturday to drive an hour to get to where we stood.
"You know, I walk on the path almost every day. And when it's warm, I lay on the beach. But I rarely walk on the actual beach. If you can drive out from the valley every weekend to put your feet in the sand, I can certainly cross the street."
What beauty in your back (or front) yard do you not enjoy enough of?
xoxo,
Suzanne
The beach. I visit morning and night. And after 33 years, it never grows old. . . . Gratitudes.
ReplyDeleteThe beach. Because I live close by, I rarely ever go (unless I'm running on the bike path).
ReplyDeleteThe forest trails, and the beaches, but especially the cross-country ski trails. I need to establish goals for that this year.
ReplyDeleteWashington DC. It's such a pretty city, and we don't go as often as we could
ReplyDeleteDowntown Chicago--go to work 5 days a week downtown and rush to catch a train home at night.
ReplyDeleteBoth the beach and the mountains. Need to get there more!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post, Suzanne!
ReplyDeleteSince moving from CA to MT, I try not to take anything for granted. I used to do that when I drove by the beach nearly every day. Here, I still love seeing a deer, even though I see them every day, or a bald eagle. But, we do have a little pond up above our house that we don't hike up to nearly as often. I'd like to do that more in the spring when it's filled up.
The back woods. The bugs and the floods have made it SO hard...
ReplyDelete