Saturday, May 16, 2009

Free Parking :: The Beach


Could you tell I was working up to another visit to the beach? Free parking is a premium at most beaches, so I was determined to make our after school excursion work, by getting to the beach before the commute traffic and Cove swimmers descended. It worked! We pulled in to an empty space, close to our destination, at 3 PM, where we could stay for three hours maximum until 6 PM. After six o'clock we were free to stay as long as we like. Get it? By arriving at three, we could stay as long as we wanted without fear of being ticketed or towed. Isn't this a boring, detail laden description? Yes... yes, until we sink our feet in the cool sand and begin to inhale the salty free ions, our minds and spirits are congested and weighed down by hundreds of boring details, rules, limitations, ifs-ands- and buts.

Max and Maria swam and William did too. I did not swim, but I was Maria's flotation device, keeping her bobbing head above water. Alex collected beach glass. William walked and took photographs. Maria made a friend and made a hole and made joyful noises. We were stalked by two sea gulls. We made sandwiches and drank lemonade. We contemplated living there... on the beach, near it... a modest bungalow with sweet peas growing on pickets, or maybe a balcony and shutters. We watched stories stroll by... the children and newlyweds, the swimmers and divers, the timid, the dark socked foreigners. Question: We know out of towners by their dark socks, so should I wear brown and blue and black socks in Europe to fit in? We stayed until we did all the things we could, short of building a fire and trying roast seagull... just kidding, but you know they do look like big beaked chickens! Enough boring details... here are the pictures. Enjoy.










































Okay. So we can't live here, but the free parking makes me happy enough.

5 comments:

Tiglizzyclone said...

Those are really great photos of you and your family at the beach! Those shells are cool! I am a collector of shells too!

Tiglizzyclone said...

Also love the last photo of you in the mirror!

Sara said...

Ah, I was trying to guess what beach you went to, not having read your previous post. I thought to myself "that sure does look like La Jolla cove...."

Looks like you all had a great time.

In one week my DH and I are flying to England for three weeks....not knowing your travel schedule, I can't help wondering if we might cross paths one day in London...wouldn't that be a hoot!

Enjoy your upcoming gallivant around Europe...how amazing and wonderful to be doing that as a family.

judy in ky said...

When we retire, I want a little bungalow near a beach... and we will throw out all our dark socks.

Julie said...

Fun post! Interesting observation about tourists in dark socks. Pretty funny. Love all the pics.