Summer evening.
A Maine beach, the slanted setting sun’s rays highlighting parts of the shoreline as it lowers in the western sky. The last hours of the daylight fading, the tanned bodies holding out, still savoring the last moments of the day at the beach. Picnics eaten, the last games of catch being played, the dogs romping in the water (only allowed at day’s beginning and day’s end) their owners relieved hoping all that running and playing means settled, sleep-filled nights.
Many couples walk at sunset along the hard packed sand, their pace a stroll at this hour unlike their earlier workouts. Skateboarders are still out on the road working their way around cars moving slowly, drivers gazing at the water, and surfers catch the last waves while they still have enough light to see them coming.
The gulls flap and circle looking for snacks before dark, hoping for discards, sandwich parts or soggy chips. Junk food addiction effects more than humans.
Mostly, the little ones have been gathered, packed up and now fed, clean and sleepy, safely tucked in beds in rented spaces early enough to ensure tomorrow’s daybreak awakening. Is there anything more wonderful than watching children playing endlessly on a beach?
Arms flap trying to swat bugs away as the sun sinks and mosquitoes actively search for blood now the heat has backed off. Beach chairs, backpacks, water bottles and slogan covered, chocked-full bags of every description, soaked and gritty, draped over departing beach goer bodies. By tomorrow those wretched looking bags will be dry and ready to be filled, to head out again, each day repeating the pattern until departure day. The memories of sand and sun and water, laughter and sunblock, ocean dunks, salty water swallowed, and boogie board triumphs, these are the things we remember, what we hold close to our hearts.: vacation. Many months of photos and reminiscing ahead, the knowledge of icy cold sand, horizontally blowing snow, and sparse, hungry birds remain unknown. Winter beaches are south not north, the feel slightly similar yet there is always something extra when it’s summer.
The Marginal Way 