March 22nd, 2022

This is what our beaches look like right now most of the time. Wall to wall people. I totally get why. The weather is gorgeous and well, it's the beach! Who doesn't love going to the beach?  Especially when it's still very wintery where you live and you are on vacation, right?  So quite honestly, even though it's just a few blocks away, while I often find myself driving or walking by the beach, right now, I'm not spending much time actually on the beach.  Just too crowded for my taste. I will wait until it's either stormy, rainy, cloudy or too hot and humid for most folks.  Those are my beach days. That's when I have the place pretty much to myself. I like that.

However, in the first week after my surgery when I not only wasn't allowed to do much, I didn't really feel like doing much either, but still I was starting to get cabin fever, we drove by the beach quite often.  And when we could actually find a parking place (tricky this time of year which why it's awesome to live here so we can just walk over!) we made it a point to spend time at the jetty.

You know how being by the ocean is so very peaceful?  I find that it's also very healing.  Whether your injuries are inside or out, being by the water sometimes is just exactly what the doctor didn't prescribe (but should have)!!

It's always a beautiful place where you can watch the boats and the seabirds and there is that expansive feeling that comes with being able to see the horizon, that place where the water and the sky meet.   We relished the tangy fragrance of the sea and listened to the water splash and then, suddenly, saw a dolphin breach.  Now instead of just relaxing and breathing it all in, we were more alert.

Oh look, there's another,  and another, and unbelievably, Another!

It was dolphin day!  It's not at all unusual to see dolphins frolicking in our waters but on this day there weren't little groups or two or three.  Nope, there were dozens. That's dozens with an "s" on the end.  Oh my goodness!  It was awesome!  They seemed to be everywhere.  Every time we thought we had seen them all, other's would pop up.  It was a Dolphin Extravaganza!

It's hard to get a good dolphin picture.  I never know where they are going to pop up next.  And I  never know what sort of shot to prepare for:  is it going to be a slow and gentle breach or are they going to do that sillyfun twisting jump up into the air?  Is there one? Two? More?  I was surprised that we got as many photos as we did.  

We sat and watched them for a very long time.  And in fact, the dolphins were still having a grand old time when I pooped out and was ready to go back home. But what an exhilarating day!  

We never know what we are going to find on a visit to the jetty.  It's not like dolphins are on the clock.  Some days we see none.  On this particular day........so many!   It was awesome and it was 
exactly what I needed.

Just a few days later, we went over again, for the same reason,  just finding a place to be that was outside of our four walls for a little bit.  It was a completely different kind of ocean that day. It was grey and windy and wet so there were  no dolphins.  But on the other hand, there were some great waves:

Once again, exhilarating!  The sound, the smell, the sight, the feel makes it a full sensory performance. It was also a lot less crowded.  Not  as many people are drawn to the water during a storm like we are and that is just fine with us!

It was just another wonderful and healing visit to the jetty. It is absolutely my kind of place.  
​They say that laughter is the best medicine and I won't argue the point. Laughter is pretty dang awesome, but a visit to the sea must come in at a close second. I know it made me feel better :)