|
Going to the beach was not in my plans for the past four or five years, until last summer. At that time (actually it was late spring) I got mad at my kids and stormed out of the house about 9 a.m., stopped by the local K-Mart and picked up a beach towel and a few related items, and went to the beach to cool down (emotionally). And I was hooked. There were few people there- even in the dead of summer in the middle of tourist season the beaches don't start getting busy until close to noon. From that time on, I went to the beach every chance I got, always getting there very early, and always leaving before noon. I would usually have breakfast there (a bagel and coffee) and read the New York Times. I usually run a couple of miles barefoot on the beach, at the water line, running in the surf, even on the coldest of days. I dreaded the end of summer, but September is always a beautiful month in southern New Jersey, so I continued my routine. And that worked out so well that I just continued going until....well, until today. I've enjoyed going to the beach in winter more than in summer. Most of the time it is me and the ocean one on one. I almost always take my beach chair and sit out, and I always run barefoot on the beach. I take a couple of cups of hot coffee, and sometimes a McDonald's sausage biscuit, just for health's sake. The New York Times is my newspaper of choice, but once in a while I read the Washington Post. The first day I took the Washington Post I was irritated, because the WaWa was out of the New York Times. But as I settled into my beach chair in the winter sun, lo and behold, there was a long article about the final days of Wilson Pickett, one of my musical heros (see post below), who had lived out the last couple of years of his life in a suburb near Washington. It was a beautiful morning. I walk the beach and stare off into the horizon and pick up beach shells and ocean glass- bits of glass that wash up on the beach that have had all of the sharp edges worn off by the constant pounding of the sea. Occasionally people will show up, especially on the unseasonably warm days. If I'm just in my bathing trunks, or sitting in the sun in bathing suit and shirt (or shirtless) they invariably want to talk, or at least make a friendly comment. I guess that's OK, but I really prefer to be alone- I feel like the ocean belongs to me. I have taken possession of it, simply by routinely being there when others aren't. I go into the water at least one time each calendar month just for the hell of it. The people who own the multi-million dollar beach homes that line the beach, who only show up in the summer- they are the true interlopers. The beach belongs to me. Here are my winter beach tips: 1. Always dress warmly, and pare down to the weather. 2. Take along coffee and food. Flavored coffee holds its taste even after it cools off. 3. If there is no wind, take the plunge. You'll be surprised at how refreshing it is and how good it makes you feel. 4. Go early, leave early. 5. Take a camera. Digital cameras are cheap now and take beautiful pictures. I'm going to try to post a couple here, but don't hold your breath. 6. Enjoy the ocean. I'm sure there are all sorts of other activities that can be done if you go when no one else does. But the beach is the one I found, and I'm enjoying it to the hilt. <img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e123/marvincat 10/TBBFamBeachFEB020.jpg" title="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e123/marvincat 10/TBBFamBeachFEB020.jpg" target="_blank"http://i38.photobucket.com/al..."> <img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e123/marvincat 10/TBBFamBeachFEB033.jpg" title="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e123/marvincat 10/TBBFamBeachFEB033.jpg" target="_blank"http://i38.photobucket.com/al..."> Please check out my novel at www.tahoebasinblues.com (if you feel like it).
|
