As a teenager I often walked the beach early in the morning. We were a big family and I had a lot of responsibilities what with Mum being bedridden and all.
So I would get up early and walk while they were all still asleep.
I think a lot of it was about being able to walk as fast and as far as I want.
The joy of being able to walk the beach every day here – often multiple times a day has filled my tanks. I feel so much better.
I don’t know anyone who hates the beach. Oh wait I did know a man who hated the beach. That relationship was doomed from the start.
Today is our last full day at the beach. I have been here two weeks with different groups of people and old friends visiting one after the other.
Cooking and drinking wine and talking until there are no words left and that lilting silence of companions drifted slowly down around us.
The waves are all the sounds we need.
I miss the beach when I am out living on the plains though ‘miss’ is too small a word. It is like a great hole in my sky that I am careful to ignore, lest it sucks me in. So I will seldom admit it.
The beach town has changed these last few days. It is a long weekend – and all of a sudden the place is heaving with dogs and motorbikes and various beach vehicles. Hence the early walk!
The people who ride bikes on the beach are much more likely to be sleeper inners. And they have just begun to wake up!!
Have a great day.
Celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
19 responses to “Last Day at the Beach”
Celi – I quite love the effect you are using with your photos. Your photos are beautiful – and this effect showcases them perfectly! So glad to know you are in your ‘happy place’.
Do you mean the frames? Yes! I live framing the images. I use SnapSeed for editing.
There are only one thing to whoom we must love that is nature & his pic.
Nature is easy to love- right?
I’ve been enjoying your NZ beach/town photos. They evoke happy childhood memories. I come from inland but as a small child we did the 200 km 2 hour drive to the beach quite regularly. My aim as adult was to live near a beach… we’re 40 something kms away out in the hills, the best of both worlds and I wouldn’t want to be much further. For me after two weeks the beach place would be starting to feel like home… I settle rather too easily.
Beautiful pictures. I love the one with the sky and pink clouds then the silver tipped waves coming in and the pink of the sky reflected on the wet sand. Gorgeous.
Wasn’t that perfect? And I was alone so I could sit in the beach and wait for the perfect light.
There will be other days on the beach! Have a safe trip home.
I love the sound of the waves at the beach and the reflection of the world in the lakes and rivers. Companionship is just the icing on the cake. Thanks for sharing.
Your photos are stunning (I’m sure l always say that). I can understand how much you must miss the sea when you are out living on the prairie. But at least you have the compensation of the most amazing skies and and a menagerie of the best animals. I don’t know if you have any more travel time or are US bound now, but whichever l hope all goes well.
I have a theory that those who are born on a small island or at the coast can never be truly comfortable or content when too far from the sea. My own experiences back this up; the most miserable I’ve ever been in my life was when I was 500km from the sea. The best times have been when I was close enough to smell the salt air. I know exactly what you mean about your tanks being filled up…
Your theory is right Kate! My pull to the ocean is strong also and I was born and grew up at the edge of the ocean and the older I get the pull is stronger. It took a while for me to figure out the feeling but it is a force.
Yes. My tanks very slowly and surely were plumped back up. It has been lovely.
I fully understand your feelings about beaches. I grew up living a block away from Lake Ontario. My luck continued when the military man I married always managed to get posted to towns on lakes or oceans. Your line “It is like a great hole in my sky that I am careful to ignore, lest it sucks me in” would describe exactly how I would feel without beaches. Your photos are so beautiful. Enjoy your beach walks.❤️
It was a really special holiday – I am back in the suburbs now.
Beautiful photos of the beach sky that is reflected in the wet sand. I would say that all of us born and raised near any large body of water feel that yearning pull to it and especially when we are away from it. At least you have those big wide open vistas of the sky and land when you are back on the farm to remind you of the sea. And all those dear animals..That is something not many of us have either near or far from the sea.
Yes! The big open skies of the prairies are so reminiscent of the beach.
The photos are so special. Just spectacular. I am so happy for you that you got this time to spend not just with family and friends but with such wild and wonderful nature. ….The calm pink morning, the roaring wind. I mean you’ve had the gamut. And thank you for sharing so much.
Yes. It has been marvelous. And now I am back in the suburbs. No more beach!