This past week I had the good fortune to find a few days and a great cottage at the beach in North Carolina. The good fortune continued because even though the weather was not the greatest, we chose the weekend of the NC Oyster Festival that takes place every year at a nearby beach. As several of the restaurants had entries in various oyster dish contests, it was hard not to be caught up in the excitement and anticipation while dining out.
Saturday dawned sunny and warm just in time for the festival. My husband loves oysters and other mollusks; me, not so much. But there was plenty of non-mollusk type food so I was gastronomically content. We also got to spend time with our youngest son who we don’t get to see much and his lovely girlfriend.
Molly, our soon to be five year old Border Collie also made the trip. This was her first time at the beach and she loved it! The rental company provided a welcome packet that included a water bowl, snacks and a bright red tag that reads “I’m on vacation and staying at ______” with the address of the cottage written in.
When we pulled in everyone said, ”The cottage is pink.” In the light of day, the cottage is actually a peachy, coral color, but, no matter, because I love the bright colored houses at the beach. The inside was bright and airy and had easy care tile floors so I didn’t have to worry about sandy feet or wet paws. While Molly loved all the new smells and chasing the sea birds, she very purposely ignored the ocean itself – she doesn’t really like water; bath time is a torture.
I had a lot of time, among the wild dunes and along the sandy beach, to enjoy simple pleasures. Like watching the sea gulls poking in the water for tasty morsels and looking down the crab holes to see if I could spot a claw or eye stalk and long walks with the roar of the mighty sea my constant companion, combing the beach for sea strewn treasures.
While reveling in my peaceful solitude, I realized we have all been locked in this endless political slugfest for over a year now and I am tired of the constant battles over healthcare, energy, global stewardship, war, peace and contending with those who have their own twisted agendas and continue to stir up the ignorant against whatever offends their prejudices; homosexuality, interracial marriage, certain books, liberals…
The baseless hysteria over the imaginary loss of freedoms and the imaginary destruction of this country and the imaginary coup by the socialist government – there is simply no rational way to respond and I don’t think any real, meaningful debate is possible because all issues are politically polarized.
I want to pull my head out of the political cesspool and breathe a little fresh air and focus less on the negative energies of others for a while. I want to use my blog time and space to highlight more positive events and people. Not to imply that I’m no longer engaged. How can I not be when my country and my countrymen are in need? But the rantings and ravings of the right have taken up enough time and energy. I know there is joy and kindness and hope and courage out here in the universe and I feel the need to find it and savor it and share it with all of you.
Peace and love, Rocky.
It looks and sounds lovely, Rocky. So much so that I'm terribly jealous.
ReplyDelete(sob) One of these days, I too will make it to some beach, any beach... Till then, I'll take vicarious pleasure in others' waterfront vacations.
So I'm glad to hear you had such a fantastic time. (And I love Molly. :) It's good to remember that there is a world free of rants and politics, at least on occasion. Thanks for the reminder!
I hope you have a wonderful, restful vacation! Look forward to reading your positive news, the world sure needs it!
ReplyDeleteVacation? I remember those.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you posted this when you did. I'm finding it harder and harder to sit in front of this machine on beautiful mornings instead of enjoying life in paradise.
ReplyDeleteI'm tired of the anger and self-righteousness and stupidity and tired of caring.
It's good to see a place where coastal life isn't about high rise condos and concrete but I guess not living there all the time you appreciate it all the more for the ease and simplicity and opportunity for solitude and food you can pull out of the water.
I'm trying not to be too Wordsworthian but the world and it's politics and striving and anger is much too much with us and sometimes we need to just open the door and walk out to the beach or the hills or the woods or the lake or the ocean. . .
Thank you, we did have an enjoyable, relaxing vacation. And Elizabeth, in case you can't tell, we love Molly, too. She's like having another kid.
ReplyDeleteSB - I look forward to the challenge of finding positive material for posts. I also look forward to feeling hopeful again.
Matt - if vacations are just a distant memeory, you are long overdue. Take one, now!
Well said, Capt.
ReplyDeleteRocky, I hope you enjoyed your oysters with a good bottle of dry champaign, the way the French do it.
ReplyDeleteHere is my Beachcomber and Sea Bean Symposium coverage of this weekend. The speaker was Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer, the renowned oceanographer.
What I learned: If you are afloat on the ocean (pick any point), you will drift on average about 8 miles per day. Global climate change is altering the balance of the ocean; wave action is much higher within the last decade - 100 foot waves are common - threatening the world's merchant marine fleets. There are 7 main circulating gyres, 4 in the Atlantic, 2 in the pacific, 1 in the Arctic region. Warming trends will change these over time and threaten everything from fisheries to regional climates to coastlines.
There are 3 huge garbage dumps, the closest being the Sargasso Sea off our coast. These accumulate tons of plastics each year which also threaten the biodiversity of the seas.
Bottom line: Big trouble unless the human species wises up real fast. Glad I am a cephalopod. Wanna learn how to become one too?
8pus, sounds like you had a very interesting, informative weekend. With the adverse effects of climate change, I should consider being under the sea. I think I would make a good nautilus; they are free swimming cephlapods who feed mainly on crustaceans - that's me!
ReplyDeleteMy last night at the beach I had a dish called a Cluster of Crustaceans - crab cake, fried soft shell crab and two clusters of snow crab legs. I ate myself silly.
So, if I were to be under the sea in our (O)CT(O)PUS'S garden would I have enough crustaceans to consume?
Do we serve crabs, Rocky asks? Of course we do. We serve everyone. Hah!
ReplyDeleteLovely post, Rocky. The sentiments expressed - I share more than you may know. Thanks.
ReplyDelete