Beach Days

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.)