We're beach people born and bred, my husband and I. But seldom when the sun beats down hot and heavy. You're more likely to find us walking abandoned shorelines in winter, fall, or spring than in these dog days of summer. Our typical beachwear includes multiple layers of hooded sweatshirts, scarves, headgear, and gloves, all encased in very bulky jackets.
But not on a recent golden weekend morning. Flip flops, shorts, baseball caps, and sunglasses were the order of the day at the lake 1/2 hour north. All excuses as to why we didn't have time to head to the beach vanished as the perfectly exquisite day dawned. We arrived early and happily ensconced ourselves in comfy green chairs under the spreading branches of one of the many trees along the sandy shore, shielded from the sun's harsh rays.
We chitchatted, held hands, ate, napped, read, ate, took a few leisurely strolls to quieter inlets along the shore, laughed, ate, people watched, and shared conversation back and forth all day on matters big and small.
Some random observations ...
Families
Alive and well at this beach. Parents must accompany children under 10 years old into the water, and most parents were actively splashing away, not tentatively standing on the shoreline, biding their time. Watching the scene unfold brought to mind long ago memories from back in the day when our own girls were small. We spotted lots of extended families and I knew how much our gang of twelve would have loved this.
Picnics
Alive and well, too. Nobody seemed to arrive empty handed, and coolers of every size imaginable were dragged onto the sand or toted along the shoreline. There's no fast food in this neck of the woods, and even the snack bar didn't seem to be all that busy, even though the beach was jam packed by early afternoon. We feasted on baked chicken {just like my mom used to make when we went to the beach back in the '60s ... and yes, they had beaches back then} and all manner of munchies rather hastily packed early morning. And together we guzzled a half gallon of iced tea, flavored with fresh-snipped mint from our back porch.
Screens
Not at this beach. Not sure why. Poor reception up in the sticks? Too much fun to be had at water's edge? Sick and tired of being tethered to all things electronic? I only saw one Kindle and two smart phones in action. Translation = people were very much in the moment. Our phones were off and in the car. We had no idea what time it was and couldn't have cared less. That is until we began to long for some ice cream.
Tattoos
Alive and well on at least 50% of the passersby we saw ... young, old, men, women. I'm sorry, but a large number of inkings on one's body are not a particularly attractive sight, especially on most older people. Please do keep this in mind if you're considering indulging in this rather permanent commitment.
Bodies
I'm always amazed at the number of women who think their bodies are bikini-worthy. And the whole concept of modesty seems to be as rare as hen's teeth. And while I'm wondering what message is being modeled for the next generation, I'm also thinking, hey, guys ... would you please go and grab a t-shirt? My oh-so-observant husband said it best. 'More people need to be covered up.' Need I say more?
Bookbag
Here's a wonderful little devotional to tuck in with your beach gear. Sweet little readings, nothing too heavy, and wonderful photos make this a good choice to throw in your bag. {Hint - buy a few extra for your beach loving friends ...}
You can click here to check out this little volume ...
As a former client said so well in an early morning note ... 'I hope your summer is full of beachy days.'
