Things Go Better With Waves

Thought for the day:  The cure for anything is salt water— sweat, tears, or the sea.  [Isak Dinesen]

Yeah, without a doubt, I tend to lose my head (and heart) when it comes to the ocean, or any other body of water, for that matter.

Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think.  [Robert Henri]

I don't know why I love the water so much. I just do. On a very primal level, it speaks to my soul. Corny? Maybe, but it's true.

To myself, I am only a child playing on the beach, while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before me.  [Isaac Newton]

Yeah, what Isaac said. Plus, it smells good.

Before I get to the gist of this post, about our visit to Florida last month, let me preface it with a picture of someone we had the pleasure of meeting the weekend before we left town.

Blogging pal Mr. Charleston came to our little ol' town that weekend to attend an Italian car show with some of his buddies... and Smarticus and I met up with him there! How cool is that? Spiffy hat he's wearing, isn't it? Not sure who that fat old lady is standing next to him. (She does look vaguely familiar, though...)

Okay, on to Florida... and the beach. Cocoa Beach, to be precise.

Smartacus and I  had a good bit of free time during the weekdays, and bless his heart, he surprised me by taking me to the beach one day. Woo-Hoo!  I didn't even ask...! (And yes, he got a lot of brownie points for being so darned sweet.)

I was surprised at how many swimmers and surfers were in the water. And even more surprised at how warm the water was. Who'd a thunk it? In October!

There's a kind of bird I've always loved to watch at the beach. Sandpipers, maybe? They have such a funny way of scampering across the sand. Their legs move a hundred miles an hour, but their bodies stay stiff and erect, with barely a twitch. Hmmm, maybe they move so fast because the sand's so hot?

A long pier extends across the beach and out over the water. The covered section houses some little shops and a multitude of watering holes. Out at the end of the pier, a bunch of folks were testing their luck with heavy-duty fishing poles.

I'm not even one hundred percent sure what this sign is supposed to mean, but it cracked me up, anyway. Trespassed...?

Here's another shot of the pier from a different perspective. See that building out near the end? Know what it is?

Ta DA! A tiki bar! No wonder those fishermen weren't complaining about baking out there in the sun...





It was awesome being beside the ocean again... smelling it, feeling the water swirl around our feet and the salty breeze ruffle our hair. Well... okay, amend that to ruffle my hair... Smarticus' hair doesn't do much ruffling in the breeze anymore. Hey! He was wearing a hat! That's what I meant. Yeah, that's it...

Anyhow, one of the reasons the visit meant so much to me is because I didn't have to ask. He knew. Know why he knew? He read my book! In Hot Flashes and Cold Lemonade, Pearl loves the ocean as much as I do. (Fancy that!) And she wanted her husband to take her to Atlantic City, not because she asked, but because he knew how much she loved the ocean. Get the picture?

    Pearl felt like leaping and dancing her way to the ocean, and it was all she could do not to break into an all-out run. As soon as she reached the sand, she kicked off her shoes and squished its gritty warmth through her toes. Then, with shoes in hand, she continued toward the water, her attention focused on the distant whitecaps rolling into shore.
    The ocean's scent was unmistakable now. She breathed it in and let it out slowly, as though she hated to let any of it go. Salty mist caressed her face, a sun-kissed breeze ruffled her hair, and she walked faster.
    As she approached the water's edge, fleeting imprints of her feet followed her across the ocean-kissed sand. Watery fingers stretched toward her, and swiped a playful lap at her feet. She splashed through it, and with arms lifted in triumph, stepped into the surf.

I really wish that fat lady would stop hijacking her way into our pictures.


Yeah, I wore beach shoes. (That sand was hot!) And my sweet hubby packed our shoes in the car, without me knowing about it. (awww) We both forgot how difficult it could be to plod across the soft sand. The wet stuff, no problem, but that soft stuff... oh heck, maybe we're just soft. But the ocean? It's every bit as magical as I remember.


Before I go, one more picture. A fitting ending, with Mr. C the opening bracket, and this lovely lady the closing one...

The delightful Pixel Peeper and her hubby met Smarticus and me for brunch. We had a blast! Even though we'd never met before, we immediately recognized each other. (Or we thought we did... as we were enthusiastically squealing and hugging, she paused to say, "You are Susan, I hope...")

You know, I'm inclined to say that the people we meet and like online, the people we meet through blogging and feel an affinity for... that's real. Blogging pals aren't just blogging pals. They're not cyber-friends; they're friends.  How totally cool it was to meet two of those friends face-to-face instead of just blog-to-blog.

Oh, are you wondering if the ocean spoke to my soul this time? Nah.. it just waved. (HA! Just kidding.)

Our memories of the ocean will linger on, long after our footprints in the sand are gone.

                              Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

P.S. Next Monday is Veterans' Day. To all of you veterans out there, my heartfelt thanks and appreciation.