This one belongs under my newest goal:
Pursue pleasure and joy.

I am going to tackle this goal (including the subset of spending time at the ocean) with ferocity! 7 months ago

I made it all the way from the parking field to the tiny town of Kismet today. Unfortunately, that was such a long walk that I wasn’t able to walk back on the shore, which was a bit disappointing. 3 miles is already a workout for me- going through the dune hill and in the deep sand would have made it too much.

It was worth it, though. I really enjoyed walking the narrow paths and looking at the houses. Only the ones directly fronting the beach were ridiculously huge- there were some lovely cottages further back in which I could see myself getting cozy. There were also dragonflies galore buzzing about, and two deer eating the beach grasses abutting someone’s driveway. They let me get extremely close before they jumped away.

When I become more fit, and can walk farther distances, I am going to go there again and explore the north side of town further away.

The true highlight of my visit (besides finally making it to Kismet) was actually the drive over the bay bridge. There were so many monarch butterflies flitting to and fro around my car! I laughed out loud with the sheer pleasure. 8 months ago

It was very windy today, even far from the water, but the sun was shining and the balmy temperatures tempted me.

I started at the west side of the field farthest east, and breathed in the sand and surf. I took the dune boardwalk past the lighthouse, charmed by the monarchs on their last hurrah before migrating, and walked further east than I’ve ever gone on the dirt road to Saltaire. The next time I go, if I don’t have a time limit, I’m going to try to walk that road all the way to the grand houses.

For my way back, I cut across the dunes to the beach proper, and walked on the shoreline. The wind had blown the sand packed and flat, and I was able to keep up a good pace, despite my ears and eyes stinging from the wind. I was delighted to watch a windsurfer seemingly defy gravity, and a group of older teenagers in bathing suits squealing as they splashed in the cold, windy waves.

Everyone I passed had a smile on their face and a mischievous twinkle in their eyes. It’s like being in a club: the crazy off-season beach lovers’ club.

Vibrant and alive. 8 months ago

that I went again today.
Butterflies, dragonflies, and baby deer punctuated my walk. I did three miles, some on the dunes boardwalk, some on the shore, and I went in the water up to my waist- it was entirely too rough for swimming today.

I love the way three miles on the beach is so manageable. I’m enjoying myself so much that I forget the physical exertion, even when it’s exacerbated by the mushy sand. 9 months ago

I stopped by the ocean for a very quick visit. I didn’t really have time to go, but I haven’t been for 2 weeks, so I did it anyway.

The minute I stepped onto the sand, I breathed deeper and my body relaxed. I did a quick walk on the shore, amazed that the water was so warm on my feet. I wish I could have gone all the way in!

20 minutes of surf, sand, and sunshine filled me with joy. 9 months ago

jellyfish and monarch season has started in the second half of August.

Our walk by the dunes today was beautifully decorated by butterflies flitting about, and when we walked on the shore, we had to step carefully over little bits of washed up jellyfish. Luckily, we had gone in the water for our glorious swim before we saw the jellyfish, so I didn’t remember to be afraid of them.
: ) 10 months ago

I left work early and drove down for a walk and swim.

The waves were a bit too tame for my taste, but a rare red fox sighting amongst the beach grasses more than made up for that. The water was refreshing after the walk with sweet-smelling beach foliage, and I leaped in the water with joy. 10 months ago

my latest visit being yesterday, and a joyous one it was.

It occurs to me that the summer days are dwindling, and I am going to try to get in as many more visits as possible before it gets too cold to swim in the ocean.

Unfortunately, this is the time of summer that I have to work the most,and ironically the time where my social calendar is nearly full up of non-beach activities, so I will make sure to put a towel and sunscreen in my car so I can go after work for a quick swim at least a few times a week for the rest of August. 10 months ago

but not too rough.

The beach is getting smaller and smaller from parking lot to ocean. I understood why the erosion was so bad last year after the hurricane, but I don’t know why it seems to be continuing to erode so quickly. I wonder if it’s a negative environmental thing, or if it will balance itself out eventually?

Birds, butterflies, and zooming dragonflies made the dune boardwalk a pleasure, and I got a great workout even before I went in the water. 10 months ago

It is paying off wonderfully!

I’ve been swimming in the ocean four times so far this summer. Only once were the waves too rough and the undertow too strong to really stay in the water too long.

That time, after being in the water for a few minutes, I miscalculated the distance of a wave break, and had to dive under the crash too late. I ended up rolling around a bit on the ocean floor, and I had an interesting experience.

Just as I dove, I knew I wasn’t far down enough in the wave. As it crashed into me and tumbled me in circles, I had this strangely calm feeling. Besides the slight scratching of my skin on the ocean floor, I wasn’t uncomfortable, and I didn’t panic. I knew that I was being dragged towards the shore, and that I was close enough to the beach that I would be able to stand up as soon as I surfaced. I just held my breath and waited, almost matter of factly, until I was able to orient myself upwards past the surface of the water.

I never would have imagined myself remaining so calm in that situation. It was fascinating, actually. Time slowed a little, like it did the last time I fell. I’m not sure what to make of it.

I do know that the beach has been giving me many Zen-type moments lately. The impermanence of sand castles, the ebb and flow of tides, the importance of timing and full commitment to diving under a crashing wave before it smacks you: it’s all very pertinent and meaningful. 11 months ago

today was my first swim in the ocean this summer!

The waves were perfect, big but not too rough. It was quite cold, but I was glad for it given this recent heat wave.

Tadpole was so absolutely amazing in the water. She had a ball, was so brave! It was such a delight to see her enjoy herself. 11 months ago

(due to not adhering to my goal to get a backbone, stop caring what others think of me, and give them hell- so really, absolutely totally my own fault I was so miserable)

that I decided I had to go to my happy place.

I left work at 6:30, and drove straight to the ocean, squelching any guilt for leaving Frog to fend with the kids while I had my fun. I walked/ran on the shore for 30 minutes, exulting in the birds, (with a bonus sighting of my favorite, the teeny tiny piper plover with the long, fast-running legs!), the beach, and the bunnies I saw on my drive back past the dunes. The sunset was glorious, and and the seagulls were cheerfully noisy.

I remembered sitruunapuu’s sage words, and I went barefoot. The wet sand was quite cold, but the liberating feeling was more than worth it. Thanks, sitruunapuu!

Note to self: go to the beach more often! Duh! IT MAKES YOU HAPPY. 12 months ago

Emma found a large, unbroken horseshoe crab exoskeleton complete with barnacles on the bottom.. We put it in a gallon baggie, and sealed it up to bring to school. 14 months ago

went for what will probably be our last winter beach visit of the year.

Bright, sunny, chilly glorious-ness. 15 months ago

Oddly, no pipers or plovers to be found. They’re usually all over the place when the beach is empty.

Happily, over 14 adorable deer sighted nibbling on the grass at the edge of the dunes!

Also, tremendous hunks of driftwood washed up on the shore. One of them as long as a small tree trunk! 16 months ago

I thought they would be gone already, but we saw 8 or 9 today flitting about for their last hurrah in the unseasonably warm weather when Tadpole and I went to the beach today.

The water was so calm, and the sun so strong, that it could have been mistaken for a summer day.

Hooray! 20 months ago

I wanted to give Frog a break from childrearing, so I took the girls to the beach. We took off our shoes, walked along the shore, and it was heaven. Cold toes, squealing children when the waves rushed at their ankles, and lots of laughs and hugs.

Bonus: we saw seven rabbits on the drive back.

Glorious! 21 months ago

Spending more time near the ocean, exercising, AND balancing work, home, and my own desires.

It was a glorious day last Friday, so I left work a little early, and drove to the beach. I didn’t have a suit, so I walked down to the nude beach section (about a half-mile each way). I stripped, swam in the ocean for 15 minutes- a workout in its own right- and dressed. Then I walked back to my car, drove home, and was ready for my second shift of caring for the little ones.

Heaven! 22 months ago

to Frog’s weekly volleyball game, despite being tired this evening.

Tadpole and I took a walk along the shore. We found a crab shell almost whole, and purple seaweed. I have never seen purple seaweed before!

Since everyone was near the courts, and away from the ocean, my favorite birds felt safe enough to land nearby and entertain us with their adorable long legs and their fast running back and forth.

And, of course, the best part of all was the glorious ions. 22 months ago

We’ve gone once every weekend since the summer has started.

I hope Frog can join us soon as soon as his foot and knee heal. 23 months ago

Time well spent. 23 months ago

(and there are so many good things about it, but this is truly the best),

is that now she will go in the ocean with me past the breaking point of the waves so we can jump them.

Yay! 23 months ago

The wonderful state beach and the path to the lighthouse is up and running again.

There was significant erosion, but it’s still available to the public.

So now, off to the beach I will go! 2 years ago