A day at the beach…

Yesterday, I took a bike ride along the Gary Shell Cross-City trail to Wrightsville Beach.  The route is a longer distance than driving by car since part of the ride is along a dedicated wooded trail. It’s the third time I’ve done this trip via bicycle, and now I seem to have the route down pat. My round-trip total was close to 25 miles since I landed at the north end of Wrightsville Beach (I made a few stops along the way).

After setting up my meager but necessary beach items, (a towel, book, writing tablet, and water) I quickly made my way to the water. I substituted salty-sweat for salty-water, and I definitely prefer the later! The ocean was simply incredible, ever-so-slightly cool, but after the first dip, it was a pure delight. 

I took in the sight and sound as my mind would wander. Some thoughts were shallow like an out-going tide, while others were as deep as the endless sea.

Sometimes, I just need a deliberate escape. Escaping routine allows thoughts to percolate and others to be washed away. An escape to the ocean can clear my head, as the beating sun and the sound of the waves settle me into a new time and space.

summertime

Summertime when the sun is high,

it seems to linger longer in the sky.

The eternal sun shines down its rays

while permeating the earth with warmth to stay.

The gentle sound of the waves push forward and glide back again,

leaving behind a cooling effect that hopefully finds no end.

Children splashing as they walk in the shallows,

boogie boards in tow creating a little shadow.

A woman scours the shoreline looking for the perfect shell

while another prances down the water’s edge as it begins to swell.

In the distance, a paddleboarder meanders beyond the folding waves,

in a slow and steady stride that appears to be a daze.

Everyone’s doing something and few are doing nothing

as it all seems to be happening at the beach in summertime.