Tuesday, July 18, 2017

More vacation memories

I've had some pretty bad luck when it comes to vacation weather. Five years ago, Husband and I went to Belize in what we thought was the "dry season" and had six straight days of heavy rain. When we went to Tuscany a few years before that, we had a week of cold, rainy weather in June! So imagine how thrilled I was when we had 6 days of beautiful, sunny weather when I was on vacation the week before last! It was perfect for someone who likes going to the beach as much as I do.

In my last post, I shared photos from our time at Broad Cove and Cherry Hill Beach. This one includes photos of Risser's Beach (my favourite place in the world) and Hirtle's Beach.

I actually made it to Risser's Beach a few times. The first day, Husband, Jackie and I were there all day but I wasn't able to take photos because I'd forgotten the memory card for my camera. I headed back on my own a few days later, which is when I took these pics.

No, she's not talking on the phone - just tucking her hair behind her ear. 


Low tide was super low. I've rarely seen so much of the foundation of the old wharf that used to occupy the far end of the beach.



It was a windy, coolish day - cool enough that the lifeguards were wearing their long jackets.


Fortunately, the air temperature didn't bother the young folk who wanted to swim.


We spent our last full beach day at Hirtle's. Though it was overcast, the day was mild and we thoroughly enjoyed having the beach mostly to ourselves.


Many of the people who were on the beach had dogs with them so Jackie was in her element - begging to play with every pooch within barking distance. 




The old gal in the stroller was traveling in style. Her owners explained that she'd been hit by a car a few years before so wasn't able to walk much. Fortunately, they love her enough to push her up and down the beach.


We had the pleasure of watching these two play on the beach for a good part of the afternoon. The dog's a cross between a golden Lab and a Irish setter - and does he ever like to chase balls!





By the time we packed up and headed for home, I felt happier and more relaxed than I have in some time. There's nothing like being on a beach to take my mind off work.


On the Sunday before I headed back to the office, we made one last foray to Risser's Beach - this time settling in for a few hours on Little Risser's. It was too cold and windy to swim but there were marvelous waves that drew everyone to the water. I enjoyed watching the little guy in the red hat practice karate by the shoreline.



Years ago, a friend asked me why I like going to the beach so much. Of course, I enjoy the sun and the sand but, for me, the magic is in the sound of the waves - which is why I love south shore beaches so much. You can nearly always count on them for significant wave action. For example, here's a video I recorded while we were sitting on Little Risser's last Sunday. 


On the home, Husband stopped the car so I could grab a few pics of sailboats on the LaHave River. It was at least 15C warmer here than on the beach just a few kms away. 



After supper the same evening, we took Jackie for a walk along the Centennial Trail. I'd spotted a family of osprey on my run that morning and wanted to see if I could grab a few photos of them. Unfortunately, I didn't have my tripod and they were too far away to get a clear shot.





To top off the week, I was treated to wonderful views of a super moon as I drove back to the city that evening. Though I was anxious to get home and prep for work the next day, I couldn't resist stopping to take a few photos.



In addition to all the great beach time, my week off was filled with fabulous food, mellow runs along the river, birdwatching from the back deck, jazz on the riverbank, and a heaps of reading and playing with Jackie so it was a most excellent vacation altogether.

Hope you're enjoying summer wherever you are! Happy running and writing!

No comments:

Post a Comment