That's what you get when you live on an island.
Everyone coming here wants it.
And we have it. :)
Excitement like the last day of school.
Anticipation of the entire summer off.
The joy of being the first one.
The first one to spy that prized piece beach-combing, jumping forward, grabbing for the brass ring.
The first one to run slap-dash into icy cold waters. No matter what.
The first one to yell "Ollie, Ollie, In Come Free!" dashing for the tree.
And later, the first one to get that Summer Kiss.
On the watch for every opportunity to feel the bonds of summer.The hot sun baking you dry while you lie on a sandy, sea-swollen beach towel.
Best bud at your side.
Keen on savoring every feeling of every last minute of every last day.
Eking the last drops of sunlight to play as hard as you can, spilling over into darkness for kick-the-can, statue, freeze tag on the lawn.
Like beach glass, it's a frosty, rounded around the edges, filtered view by memory, been-around-forever-like-those-worn-Keds kind of feel.
Listening at the water's edge for the ocean lap, like a good playlist against our mind.
The chance to reconnect with youth, simplicity and the kind of life we thought possible, once when we were young.
Feeling just like we are at the cottage, the camp, the cabin once again, no matter where we are.
Can you capture that feeling again?
Try.
It's here.
You only have to come get it.
It's there.
You only have to feel it.
With a little help from your memory and the dare to let go.
One. More. Time.
We live near a beach community. The season officially begins the week of the July 4th holiday.
ReplyDeleteBefore the season begins, it might take us 15 minutes to get to the water.
During the season, the wait on the bridge can be 30 minutes or more.
I love it best on warm April, May and June days when the only people on the beach are the surfers, the fishermen and us.
Beach glass is so pretty. I've read though that it's disappearing (because we no longer litter our oceans with bottles, I suppose) and that's kind of sad.
ReplyDeleteLynda - I'm with you on that! The best time here is in the fall - September and an Indian Summer is the absolute best.
ReplyDeleteAbby - I've read that, too. Up in Boston, there is an island, Spectacle Island, where the beach glass is extensive. However, it's a registered National Park now, so you can look, touch, photograph, but it's "catch-and-release" - it has to stay there. Unusual, but it works.
How well you describe how I feel in the summer, especially once I have arrived with family in tow at our little rented slice of heaven at Higgins Beach, Scarborough, Maine. Follow the link (www.higginsbeachproperties.com) to the home page, check out the photos or click on the Live Web Cam to check out surf conditions. This beach has held me in its grasp for over forty years and my children have so many fond memories from this spot. I love how evocative your writing style is, I can almost smell the salty tang of the beach blended with wafts of Coppertone.
ReplyDeleteOk, Erin, that link was awesome! It seems like it is a little slice of heaven. :)
ReplyDeleteOur next trip to ME in the fall - we are there! It's got that "growing up in a small town feel" mixed in with a beach community like - what more could you ask for? It's the reason we moved to the Island.
PS - Thanks for your kind and informative comments - it makes me feel like I'm not writing to the air lol.
ReplyDeleteThank you Inky, your comment about writing to the air resonates with me. Since I began blogging I have two or three followers who comment on each post, so now I reciprocate. Check Patricia and Evelyn's blogs. They are so faithful in giving me feedback and encouragement. I know I am a lone wolf knitting in my social circle, but my online friends rule!
ReplyDeleteIf you get up to Higgins, you have to try the Pumpkin Pie ice cream at Kettlecove Ice Cream in Cape Elizabeth. We go nearly every night we are at the beach, which means we get fatter and fatter! lol