The Beach Life

I had a friend from the Midwest ask me recently what my life is "really" like.

"Um, pretty boring," I answered.

"No, it's not," she countered.

???

While I pondered what to say to THAT, she went on and on about why my life is not boring.

It's always good to keep informed about one's own life.  

She concluded with, "You can even go to the beach whenever you want.  What do you do when you go to the beach?"

Oh ... the beach life .....

Well, first of all, I don't live in this house:

 

Nor do I live in any of these:

I live about twenty minutes from the beach in a little canyon.  My house is very modest by South Orange County standards.

But yes, I do spend a lot of time at the beach.

What I actually DO at the beach varies.

I like the beach in all of its seasons, and in all types of weather.

One thing I don't do is lay out in the sun tanning.

If I have to be at the beach during the hottest times of the day (something I try to avoid), you'll find me in the shade, with a hat on, protecting my skin from the sun.

(That is, unless I'm swimming, or in the water body surfing, boogie boarding, etc.) 

I'm a melanoma survivor.  Melanoma, for those of you who don't know, is the deadliest form of skin cancer.  In fact, melanoma is one of the most deadly forms of cancer period.  It has a nasty habit of striking down people in my family.  I do love the beach, but I'm not a sun woshiper.

I'm often at the beach shooting pictures.

Sometimes I'm at the beach walking ... and walking ... and walking even further.

I storm watch at the beach - I love the ocean during a good storm.  Unfortunately, we don't get many storms in Orange County.

I also love the beach when the fog is thick and the sand is deserted.

I like to explore tide pools, but I never, ever, remove anything from them.

Meeting friends on the sand around 5 p.m. for cocktails and a picnic while watching the sunset is also a favorite activity in the summer.

Our family activities at the beach vary also.

Briefcase is a runner.  He's usually either napping or running while he's at the beach.

My daughter is usually reading, or napping, or sunbathing, when she's at the beach.

My oldest son is most likely checking out the girls while he's at the beach.  (Or swimming, or running, or throwing a football with friends.)

My youngest son plays high school baseball.  He's an infielder and a pitcher.  

Last time he was with me at the beach, he made this tower of rocks:

 

A few minutes later I turned to find him "pitching" rocks at his rock tower, trying to knock it over.  He was much more successful at this "game" than the non-baseball player friend he was with.  I flashed back to when he was about three years old and would spend hours at the beach "pitching" a tennis ball to us.  He's been baseball-obsessed his entire life.

Some things never really change.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Comments

[Karen]

Love the photos...and WOW that first house!!... can only imagine what it would be like to live there and have coffee on a balcony along that coastline every day.

[di]

The bigger the house the more square feet to clean. I'd much rather have the modest house.

Di

[Linda]

Don't you just love people who tell YOU what your life is like. sigh. I haven't commented in a while but I visit everyday. Hope you are well and enjoying your summer. Love the rock tower photo.

[Maureen@IslandRoar]

Yeah, I have a friend who is battling melanoma now. Bad scene; you're very smart.
So glad to hear your life is not boring...

[Jan]

Don't you just love it when other people tell you how you're feeling, or thinking (or apparently, whether or not your life is boring)? I know *I* do.

Just a little sarcasm for your morning.

[WebSavvyMom]

-->I live near the beach too and don't get there very often. However, I like knowing it's there waiting for me. Patiently.

~deb

[Amy (aka TheMom)]

People have a very over excited view of life in California in general. I went from being a nobody with my high school alumni to being very popular the minute they found out I had left Georgia and was living in California. Hell, I live in Livermore. Our claim to fame is a rodeo and a weapons lab. Now, things do get mighty nice to look at with all those cowboys in town, but that is only once a year. The rest of year we are left with a bunch of physicists. Nevertheless to those I left behind in Kennesaw, GA, I am hotshit!