Monday, May 04, 2009

The Joys of Walking a Beach on a Gray Day


A few weeks ago, reservations picked up for summer, but now, with all the flu-mongering by the media, most future guests are again frightened of travel. It’s true that even a glimpse of the five-day forecast for the southeast coast can discourage bookings at this time of the year: showers all week, off and on. Still, the temperature is up and walking our beaches can provide great pleasure. Patterns in the sand created by the changing tide, colorful stones and rocks, tracks of birds, evidence of the passage of human beings with dogs and National Seashore vehicles, driftwood, all can be observed despite the inclement weather. Yesterday Sven and I walked under a gray sky at LeCount Hollow. There was a gentle breeze, no rain. Under such circumstances, I tend to look up or down, not out to sea. The wind carves patterns in the side of the dune that can be breathtaking.