A Beach Walk
Breakfast at the Naked Cafe, Solana Beach. I’m back visiting friends and family after an extended time away. The majority of my life has been spent around these parts. While I’m not a believer that weather should dictate when making life decisions it’s really hard to deny that a 70-degree day in late December is not pleasant.
Conversation touches on the beach nearby, I’m reminded of the numerous times I’ve taken walks, often with my dog Sirius Black, preferably when the tide is out. For some reason, I’d not included a visit to the beach in my itinerary, can’t fathom why. Not to worry, as it’s wont to do, the universe intervenes.
Goodbye to mom, my niece. Heading back to the car I see the ocean, it beckons, the tide cooperative. I’d planned to go for a swim at the gym, the allure too great as I make my way down the ramp to the sand. It just feels right, crisp open air, that hint of salt. I chide myself a little as I’d neglected to bring my earbuds, will just have to play thru the phone.
A brief thought, I could, since I already have my swim trunks on under my sweats, take a dip in the ocean. Thought shelved, I make my way north flanked by tall cliffs and the deep blue Pacific ocean host to magnificent sunsets. Being human we are drawn, willing to invest significant capital for unrestricted access disregarding the inherent risk of being precariously perched on a sandstone cliff. Looking up I see many, all attempting to defy nature. Can’t help but wonder how soon before they suffer the inevitable.
Winter, the season based on the calendar, brings many migratory birds. Flocks hanging out in the sun on their way to who knows where. A couple of pics as I observe them streaming, single file, above the water, a sight to behold. Young pelicans, prehistoric, gracing the sky, use this space, build up their strength before heading out on their epic annual journey. Always been enamored.
Sun, not conducive to the promise of a white Christmas, no deterrent to creative Californians who have installed a decorated tree in the shadow of an iconic lifeguard shack. Visitors posing - what’ll they make of this back in Minnesota? Look closely and all sorts of sights are revealed, small rocks decked out with tufts of seaweed, rocks creating various patterns as the tide pushes past them leaving them stranded till the next high tide.
Kids playing ball, families enjoying time together, some guy on a single wheel something flying along the waterfront. A group of young men with shovels, ‘who’s the architect?’ I inquire. They’ve all just graduated high school, a pit of some sort the benefactor of the excess testosterone.
The slightly shaded sun filters through making my return palatable. Should have worn that cap. I will miss this coast, it’s beauty, always liked it best in the winter. As luck would have it there are many others, not quite the same, scattered over the globe. One way or another I’ll make time to take a walk, breathe the ocean air no matter where I may be.
