We went to the gulf beach last night to watch the sunset because we are leaving tomorrow for Michigan. I went to say good-bye until next fall. It wasn’t much of a sunset because of clouds on the horizon, but it was a perfect evening.
We are leaving a week earlier than I had planned because of the unusually warm spring. That is an understatement because the temperature has been in the high 80’s (Fahrenheit) with high humidity every day for the past month or so. I find these high temperatures as difficult as the winter cold up north, and I get tired of living under air. But the heat made for a perfect evening on the beach.
As we walked towards the beach I could feel the calm. There were less people as most of the tourists have left along with a lot of the seasonal renters – and everyone was moving to a slower, quieter beat. I could feel myself walking into the calm, every nerve in my body relaxing. The water was sheeting the shore, inviting me to walk in it’s shallows.
At 8:00 the temp was still 81, and the water temperature was 83. It is such a strange experience to feel warm water coming to shore from such depths. I spent a lifetime in the Great Lakes, and that water is always cold, unless it is colder. I don’t expect an ocean to be warm.
I didn’t want to focus on the intensity of a setting sun, and I didn’t want the distraction of being with people on the pier. This evening the gentle surface of the water is what fed my soul. It is moments like these that I am filled with awe and wonder of the world. It is moments like this that confirm my belief in a God who knows how to create great mysteries, mysteries I experience beyond my understanding in these calming walks at water’s edge in the still of a warm evening.
Now I am ready to move on to the great mysteries of the Great Lakes.
A New Day: Living Life Almost Gracefully 
PLEASE don’t forget to pick me up in the fall. 😉
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Of course not, RoSy.
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There are few things quite as calming and satifying as a walk along the waters edge. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and these photographs. I can almost feel the cold water on my feet.
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Maybe not the most spectacular sunset, but such beautiful colours, and very tranquil. Enjoy your journey north, and I hope the climate feels kinder there.
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Sometimes I enjoy the colors of the less spectacular sunsets better. We haven’t learned to read what kind of sunset we will get from looking at the early evening sky. We are about a five or ten minute drive from the beach depending on lights and traffic.
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I love the subtle pastel tones and beautiful soft light…these images feed my soul, Pat.
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Each of these is just so beautiful, Pat.
Thank you for sharing, and travel safe.
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Thanks, I excited about being on the road because we are going into the mountains and taking some scenic back roads.
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The top shot is my favourite – lovely sense of freedom
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Thanks, Graham. It is so much fun to capture the sense of time and place.
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There is something healing about water especially the beach. Safe travels Pat
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Thanks, Nora. I am looking forward to seeing Spring unfold in reverse. 🙂
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Have a safe trip north…looking forward to more stunning photos.
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Thanks, Charlie. I am looking forward to collecting the images the northern landscape provides. 🙂
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I lived in Saginaw, Michigan for over a year, which was close to Lake Huron. Although Saginaw Bay was not safe to swim in (sadly), we did head to the upper peninsula and visited Mackinac Island. The water up there is crystal clean and, of course, cold. So pretty!
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Thanks, Carol. Yes, the water there is cold but Lake Superior is even colder. Because it is what I grew up with, I really love the Great Lakes sand beaches. The shell sand here is sticky so it is difficult to get off feet and shoes. I also like fresh water better than salt – but people who grew up by the oceans love the salt water.
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Lovely. I experienced the warmth and beauty vicariously.
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I’m so in awe…
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Oh good, Amy. That describes my experience so well. I was in awe.
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ethereal!
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Yes it was, Cindy. I am still feeling the glow.
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