Happy first day of Summer! (yesterday.) Did you celebrate the sun?

We made a quick trip to Florence yesterday morning to run a few errands. In the back of my mind I thought of the beach and then when we saw how beautiful it was at the coast, we decided to make a detour before we headed back home. Jeff bought a watermelon at the grocery store to celebrate the occasion. We chose a beach where we could park right by it and not have to walk a long way to get to the water, since we were making a brief visit. Luckily I had a little beach bag for Bracken (with a shovel and a bucket etc.) that I keep in the car at all times, just in case. 

When we got there, we ditched our shoes. We felt the wind in our hair (though it wasn’t too windy, which was wonderful.) We breathed in the ocean. Ahhhh. And then I asked myself the question I always ask when we go to the ocean, “why don’t we come here more often?!” It feels so incredible, doesn’t it? So healing and rejuvenating. A refresher for the soul. There’s a feeling at the ocean that you just don’t get anywhere else. I see people walking along the shore and notice that so many of us gravitate towards that place where the sea and land meet.

 Jeff had a nice little recliner for himself in the sand dunes. He got out his pocket knife and cut slices of watermelon to enjoy. He didn’t even take off his socks before he started diving into it.

 Bracken and I walked to the water. (While Jeff lounged in his sand seat and ate his watermelon.)

 I love to dip my feet in the ocean every time we visit (though I think I skipped that part over the winter.) The water wasn’t as cold as I was expecting this time! It felt incredible. Bracken was on my hip and wasn’t interested in being anywhere else the first time we went to the water.

 Then we walked to the water again with Jeff.

 I held Bracken while Jeff and I dipped our feet in. I asked Bracken if he wanted to and he let me hold him so that his feet dipped down in the water. Then he walked next to me in the water for a few moments before he wanted in my arms again. He dipped his feet in the ocean for the first time in his life! It felt momentous. (He’s always loved water, but when it comes to large bodies of water, like oceans and rivers, he wants to be held.)

That brief visit to the ocean was just what we all needed and was the perfect way to celebrate the first day of Summer. We talked about how we’d like to pack a picnic and spend most of the day there next time. 

I’m happy to be able to say that Summer is here!

P.S. Yesterday morning as we left our home, we saw this deer right by our house. It was standing on the railroad tracks, still and silent, watching us as we drove by. Jeff stopped so I could zoom in with the camera and try to get a picture. He was so majestic looking with his antlers. Bracken has been talking about the deer ever since, wanting to see it again.

P.P.S. As you can see, we are not at market today. We needed a weekend at home to get caught up creating to get our booth filled up with good things for when we return.