Our biggest task
was finding the
perfect shell.
We found one.
A knobbed whelk shell
that found its way to the shore.
It was broken in the middle…
pounded again and again
by the sand and sea.
The broken place
was like a window…
A window to the world
for everyone to see.
It is a beautiful world.
Not perfect.
But, beautiful, all the same.
ALMOST THE FOURTH OF JULY!
It has been a very busy season!!! My daughter and son in law and their three children stayed with us in the month of June for about ten days. (They were in the middle of moving from house to another in our town.) It was a full house, but we had a lot of fun!
We took two beach trips in June. We spent one week at the Cape Hatteras Motel in Buxton, North Carolina. It was awesome! Our hotel room was literally ocean front, with the waves washing right up right under our room! I have never experienced anything like it. It was kind of like being out on a boat. We spent a lot of time out on the deck, just catching the ocean breeze. It is mesmerizing to sit and look out upon the ocean.
We spent a week in Chincoteague, Virginia, and we enjoyed our time there. Our son in law arranged for us to have a private tour on a pontoon boat. It was amazing! We got up close to the wild ponies, and our grandchildren surely enjoyed that. We also saw Osprey, a Bald eagle, Piping Plovers, Brown Pelicans, Snowy Egrets, and Great Blue Herons.
There is something so magical about being immersed in the natural world. Time slows. You watch the sky in the evening as day fades into each sunset. You rise early because you do not want to miss the sun rise up over the water.
We did take some long beach walks, time enough to let our cares drift out to sea. Time enough to listen to the ocean roar… Time enough to search for seashells and maybe a piece of sea glass. This time, I did not find any sea glass. It has become much more elusive to find much sea glass.
We visited many bookstores. I do believe you can never have enough books…especially in the summertime. (Of course, you need them in the other seasons as well!)
We took the ferry over to Ocracoke, when we stayed in Buxton. Our son, John, and his wife, rented a golf cart so we could tour around the island in that. (Again, it was a great activity for the grandchildren.) I must confess, I enjoyed it myself!
I can hardly believe that the Fourth of July is upon us. It has always been one of my favorite holidays. One of our granddaughters was born on the Fourth of July, and one of our grandsons was born on the fifth of July. It has certainly become a holiday with many parties!
I do wish everyone a safe and happy 4th of July! It is a special one as America celebrates 250 years! We did attend the Sail Yorktown Festival along the historic Yorktown waterfront which was held June 12 through the 14th. We did not go to all the events, but there was a lot happening. There was the Tall Ships Parade of Sail, musical performances, Living history activities, and deck tours.
Happy Summer…
Psalm 95:5: “The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land.”
“All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today.” – English Proverb
Sail Yorktown Festival (Friday, June 12-Sunday June 14, 2026)
Chincoteague Island and Assateague Island are barrier islands off the coast of Virginia. Chincoteague is a lovely resort destination with delicious seafood restaurants, hotels, shops, and quaint bed and breakfast inns. Assateague is a wildlife sanctuary which is known for its wild horses. Assateague wildlife sanctuary spans 37 miles. The two islands are connected by a short causeway, making it very easy to go back and forth. (The northern two thirds of Assateague belong to Maryland, and the southern third is in Virginia.)
Wonderful refreshing photos. An uncle was stationed with the Coast Guard on Chincoteague during WWII.
It is a beautiful place! We were there two years ago for the Pony Penning. It was less crowded right now in the month of June and the weather was wonderful!
Beautiful post! Enjoy your summer days!
Thank you! I hope you are having a very good summer as well! 🙂
Lovely all the way around. Great memory-building.
Thank you! We were blessed with good weather! I hope you have a great 4th of July!
Fabulous images, Linda! I wish you a happy 250th Independence Day. 🙂
Thank you! I hope you have a wonderful Fourth of July as well…It is a special one!
Linda, everything here – the words, the pictures – is like a poem. What a wonderful holiday you had, celebrating life and living, both the cheery and the quiet. Your opening poem is especially profound. The window in the shell made by the relentless pounding of the sea is the perfect illustration of life itself. Often life’s pressures open our eyes to what is needed, what is right for us.
It was a wonderful holiday! You are so very perceptive about the poem!!! I am not surprised that you would understand it so well. 🙂 The 4th of July always seems to come up quickly, marking our summer days…It is my favorite season of the year!!! I hope your summer days are going well…
Thank you for sharing your journeys with us, so we could enjoy them vicariously through your descriptions and photos. What wonderful memories you made with your family!
We did have a wonderful time and the weather was lovely! I took a great many pictures of the ocean! I think I take so many pictures because I want to capture the exquisite beauty of the sea. (Of course, I cannot capture but a glimpse of it in a photograph.) I know you understand after your years of living in Florida!!! You must have a lot of photos as well! 🙂
Actually, no! Those we have are from when we took the kids to the beach. The ocean/Gulf is just part of the background! 😆
I treasure family times–thanks for sharing bits of yours. I love your poem and the photos, too! My little retreat for the day.
Thank you! 🙂 In Hatteras, I also got to spend time with my sister and her family. Time passes quickly…we have to grab the moments where we can! I wish you many blessings in these summer days…moments set apart, time to celebrate the little things. In the end, the little things are really everything.
Brautiful verse & photos, Linda! I hope you enjoyed the holiday!☀️
Thank you! That ocean breeze in Hatteras was so lovely! I wish I could have brought that summer breeze back home with me!!! 🙂 I did bring home a lot of shells…as if I needed any more for my collection!
It sounds like you had a crazy busy but fun June, Linda. I love your photos of the beach houses on stilts. I remember those from when I was a girl. Glad you got to spend so much precious time with family. I hope July is turning out to be just as fun, and a little restful too. <3
Yes! It was crazy and fun, but finding some restful moments in July! It is very hot, but other than that, I am enjoying these summertime days. We have had some rain, which was much needed. I thank God for those raindrops…every single one!
It’s thundering outside right now here. We never get thunder. But the rain will keep the forest fires at bay. Enjoy your rain.
I do pray for the forest fires to stay at bay…We can go for days here without rain in summer. Sometimes, we get thunder and then, no rain.
Your time with family and the beach sound wonderful, Linda!
I was at a sort of writing retreat at a blogger friend’s Chincoteague house years ago. We did get to see some ponies up close!
It would be an awesome place for a writer’s retreat! I am glad you got to experience that!!! I love the ponies! I hope to go back soon…I so loved the beach and the quietude of the place…no crowds, just the seagulls!!!
I hope you get to go back there!
Yes! Beach days are the best days! 🙂