August 23, 2011
Vacation: Day Two
Yes, yes, it’s my birthday.
44 years old.
There.
Enough said.
Yesterday was spent exploring our beach.
And it was quite an exploration.
I wish I had my camera.
Again.
After a nice, long lie in we hauled ourselves out of bed, had some lunch (yes, it was that long of a lie in).
Impatient to get on the beach during low tide, I was out the door with the dogs as soon as the last dish was dried and put away.
I didn’t even wait for Stephen to shave or change his clothes.
Frankie was so excited, that, seeing there was not a person in sight, I let him off the leash to run down the stairs to the beach on his own.
Either that, or have him drag me down face first.
Three hours later, he climbed back up those stairs much calmer than when he came down.
With the tide out, we were able to walk, and walk, and walk.
And we did.
There was not one inch of the beach in our vicinity that wasn’t explored.
With plans to explore even further along the coast in the coming days.
This shore line has such different terrains.
Our beach is soft sand.
But to the right and left of us are massive rocks delineating the boundaries between properties.
And even the rocks are different.
On the left are huge boulders, big enough to walk on, sit on, but hidden nooks and crannies where the rocks meet.
Or almost-but-not-quite-touch.
Bits of shell, smaller rocks, twigs are among some of the hidden treasures living in the nooks and crannies.
Sometimes bits of sea glass wedge themselves in there.
And we have found piles of sea glass since we’ve been here.
Only two days.
I can’t imagine what we’ll have collected by the end of the week.
On the other side of these rocks is another sandy beach.
And in front of the rocks, moving into the ocean, are piles of seaweed, little pools of water, lots of places for Tikka and Frankie to investigate.
There won’t be a spot of beach, ocean floor, seaweed, rock, hermit crab that won’t experience being sniffed by at least one, if not both, of the dogs.
Not a bird that won’t be chased from its sitting place by Frankie, who always looks so confused when he can’t get one.
To the left are layers and layers of sedimentary rock hardened by centuries of waves crashing against them.
The rocks are actually layered to mirror the waves.
And they must be 12 feet high at their highest point.
Luckily, they are formed in such a way that they’re graduated forming steps to make getting up their easier.
And in a couple of places, there are deep, pool like spots in the rocks, making the perfect spots for long sits, watching the tide come in, talking or not talking, staring off in the distance at the never ending ocean or the Confederation Bridge and Frankie cavorting in the ocean.
We must have stayed there for an hour at least.
At one point, we got up to check the tides, not wanting to find ourselves in a position where we had to swim back to our beach, as opposed to walking. . . .
Stephen announces there are two other people walking in our direction and I should leash Frankie.
I check to see how close these two people are.
Keith and Em.
No glasses means Stephen can’t see who is coming.
Just that people are coming.
Stephen! It’s Keith and Em!
Frankie hears Keith and Em and is off like a rocket to greet them with an enthusiasm most people reserve for rarely seen family members, and to invite them to come see these awesome, amazing rocks Mummy and Daddy found.
The four of sat companionably.
Keith found a stick for Frankie which meant lots and lots of entertainment as Frankie ran into the waves to retrieve it.
And Tikka attempted to get it from her.
I didn’t want to leave.
But a smattering of rain, and hunger drove us to finally accept that we’d have to leave the rocks for the day.
Knowing that we’d be back tomorrow.
Definitely.
Keith and Em BBQ’d hot dogs and zucchini for dinner.
I boiled beets and new peas.
Such a feast of fresh veggies and processed meat.
I told Stephen to enjoy those hot dogs because he won’t be getting them for at least another year.
After taking the dogs to the beach, and everyone getting themselves showered, we are going to PEI.
We can see the Confederation Bridge from our beach.
And it’s only about 15 minutes away by car.
I’ve actually never been to PEI.
Something that astounds Stephen.
So off we go today.
A rather nice way to spend a birthday, I think.
Title Lyric: San Francisco by Scott McKenzie (the number one Top 40 song the year I was born)
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