Pessimists like the phrase “Life is a Bitch and then you die.” I can’t imagine living life with that motto or slogan. Too depressing. Isn’t there enough negativity in the world without such a negative viewpoint?
As the weather turns colder here in the Northeast, I like to revisit some of my images from some of my favorite beaches in Florida, Prince Edward Island and Hawaii among other places. “Life is a beach” is a much more positive way to look at the world – sun, sand, waves.
Weather your sitting pretty with a beach house on the coast or just visiting for the day, nothing beats a walk along the shore looking for dolphins, sea shells, rounded rocks or making sandcastles with your kids.
Watching the foamy waves of high tide crashing on the sand after a big storm or watching the skillful surfers ride nature’s swells in over coral reefs of Hawaii, or simply watching the fisherman prepare their boats for the next day at sea. There is always something interesting going on at the beach.
I’m not a big sun tanner these days. We still like to make sandcastles but I’m not one to sit still much. I’d rather walk down long stretches of beach, taking in the shore birds busily working their beaks for small clams or watching the pelicans dive in for supper.
I was born in Hawaii and have lived all around the country but never too far from the ocean, except for a year in Fort Leavenworth Kansas.
I was able to return recently after nearly 50 years away from Hawaii, just for a Christmas break and it was heavenly. We stayed on Maui in a condo near the beach and explored bit of the island from the top to bottom.
But I also grew up around the Connecticut shoreline in Old Saybrook and Westbrook, Connecticut as well as living in New Jersey not far from the shore and the Boston area.
And then of course later living on Mount Desert Island for seven years with an inlet right behind the house and Seal Cove a short walk from the house. We could taste the salt in the air living next to Acadia National Park.
I always think of food when I think of the beach or trips to the coasts. Fried clams, lobster rolls, chowder. In Maine we had the luxury of living among working lobster men so had our fill of fresh, boat priced, lobster as well as easy access to fresh picked crab meat, tiny sweet Maine shrimp during the 30 day fishing season as well as fresh mussels picked off the rocks and walked back up to the house.
Prince Edward Island, Canada is another favorite stop for a trip, especially when Bar Harbor filled up with tourists. Driving north one experiences fantastic empty highways and uncrowded space. Prince Edward Island has the added benefit of warm water that is bounced off Cape Cod. In the Gulf of Maine the water is freezing cold and unswimmable for all those except the heartiest but up north in PEI its nice and warm.
Plus unlike Maine’s rocky coast, PEI features miles of sandy red iron rich soft sand. And plenty of out of the way beaches where one can have some breathing room.
When you reflect back on a life of moments spent at the shore – life really is a beach!