Postcard Friendship Friday: You Live at the Beach and Never Go?
When you live at the beach, days turn into weeks, turn into months, that you neglect to go visit, even for just the few m
inutes it takes to walk to the water’s edge. You pass on opportunities to see, smell, hear and feel what it’s like to stand on the only land between you and Europe. You probably don’t know that if you were to take a finger and run it on the globe, straight across the Atlantic, you don’t run into Spain or France, or anywhere in Europe. You would arrive on the African continent in Morocco, which sounds infinitely further away, and more exotic.
This morning Lily the Labradoodle and I went for a walk on the beach. It had been ages. In case I haven’t mentioned it before, I really don’t get out enough. How silly is that? To forget that I live at the beach? So we may not own a beach house, but the beach here belongs to everyone.
If I could send you a postcard today, I would choose this:
I never see driftwood on the beach here. But maybe there used to be, back when this scene was painted. And I really can’t stand seagulls, except unreal ones like the ones in this painting. This kind of art, along with that higher-thinking Jonathan Livingston Seagull, have mislead tourists for generations into thinking seagulls are nice creatures to have flapping around in your near vicinity. In fact, seagulls are only drawn to the most disgusting varieties of flotsam and jetsam, or to your Cheetos. They are flying rodents, and best observed at a safe distance.
But other than the absence of driftwood and those potentially plaguey seagulls, the beach looked almost like this postcard today. The sun wasn’t quite so high, but the soft blue color of the sky and the clarity of light were the same.
Oh – then there’s the fact that the two girls are wearing bathing suits that are bigger than the postage stamp required to mail a postcard. Don’t see that often anymore!
If I had done what I REALLY wanted to do today, after we were finished with our walk, I would have plopped down in the sand. No thought would be given to not having sunscreen, a towel, or the damp sand on my rear. Lily and I would have built this with our bare paws and hands:
I know, not really. But it is impressive.
I really would have liked to sit there for a while. I would have written you a postcard that said:
Dear Friend,
Having a wonderful time. The beach is beautiful. Wish you were here!
We miss you, but not the computer!
Love, Margo and Lily
PS – Sorry to be so brief, but we’re very, very busy 
Happy Postcard Friendship Friday! As usual, it’s almost Postcard Friendship Saturday, but it’s always nice to get a poscard late, instead of not at all. Be sure to visit Marie’s Cpaphil Vintage Postcards for more!
It’s nice to live along a coast. I’m about a half hour from the beach here, but we still go quite a bit during the summer.
Sounds like a great walk. Happy Weekend!
Gorgeous postcard. I’d love to live by the sea, and it wouldn’t even need to be a sandy beach. So, seagulls are like pigeons then? I can’t bear it when I see people feeding pigeons and letting them walk on their heads and arms. Ugh!
You know, living that close to the beach, you’re almost obligated to go frequently. . . and write about it. . . for the rest of us, who are, you know, landlocked. Nice posting.
I know what you mean. I’m about 150 steps from the beach and I haven’t been down there in months.
Seagulls always remind me of the beach and the dump in equal parts. Which is funny, because I usually encounter them at Busch Gardens.
That was so cute! It almost made me forget how much I don’t care for the beach anymore (I grew up near a beach). Nope, don’t miss it a bit. And “amen” to the Seagulls are flying rodents!
Great postcard! So glad you ventured out to the beach, sad that we ignore all the beauty in the world when it is at our fingertips. I live about 35 minutes from Niagara Falls,Ont. and haven’t been there for years, so sad. Your Lily is so beautiful, bet she had fun at the beach also.
Debby
It takes me 3 hours to get to the coast. Nice postcards. Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Judy
I like to find vintage postcards of kids on the beach and sandcastles too. I guess it’s because they remind me of some photos I have of myself on the beach when I was very young.
Sounds like a lovely way to spend some time. I miss the ocean some times.. alot. I agree about seagulls. I feel the same way about pigeons. Nasty birds.
You and Lily have a marvelous weekend. Enjoy yourselves. =]
I once tried to build a sandcastle. When I got done, I wasn’t happy, so I built a tiny besieging army around the castle. Then I started making additions to the castle to prepare for the attack of the besieging army.
And then suddenly I realized what an incredible nerd I was/am.
Thanks for a moment of salty air blowing my hair – in my mind.
Vic, we go in the summer too, kind of. The Carolina humidity is something else, but I’ve gotten used to it. Falls and springs are stunning, and maybe I’ll make it a point to go more now that I have the little wolf trained .. kind of
Sheila, thanks! Looking at the water is my favorite part. And Eeeewww! I hate that when people treat wild birds like they are at a petting zoo.
David, I like your way of looking at this “torture.” I do pretty well with obligations. Thanks for stopping by!
Shawn, Isn’t that weird how we do that? Seagulls love big parking lots for some reason, like the kind at Busch Gardens. Do you think they smell food and see asphalt and think it’s an ocean?
Sparky, It’s good to be happy where you are. *margo repeats this to herself several times*
Debby, thanks for visiting! I think this way of living is more common than not. Lily did love the beach! I wonder what she’d think of The Falls. I wonder what I’d think of the falls. Go soon! Then send us a postcard!
Judy, thank you for visiting as well. 3 hours makes it a vacation… which is good in some ways. But what do I know? Who says living 5 mins away can’t be a vacation?
postcardy, You may have noticed my header with my daughters at the beach in silhouette. I’m pretty nostalgic about kids at the beach and sandcastles too
Paula, you have a great weekend too! And stay away from the pigeons
TIMjenks, When I was little I used to take them so seriously, that I got pissed off at the tide that would wash them away. Beach nerds rule!
Lilaphase, A moment is enough! The beach head look is so much cuter on children than adults. My girls look like Kate Hudson while I rock the homeless person look. xxx ooo
I went to the beach today–walking with my friend on the beach. Too bad we forgot to check the tide schedule first!
We moved to within an hour of the beach because we didn’t want to be landlocked in Atlanta anymore… and we rarely go. So busy renovating the damn house, trying to build an online boutique business, trying to keep the damn house clean with 5 animals in it and trying to keep up with all the civic organizations around us.
It’s about time we stopped to smell the ocean breeze!
Thanks for the reminder!
Jane
Jenn, the tide thing can be quite the determining factor in walk success. No one wants to choose between shin splints and drowning. Thanks for visiting!
Jane, I promise to go more, if you do. I’ve already scheduled one for tomorrow morning (mother’s day) first thing
We are transplanted east coast natives living in the midwest. My husband misses the ocean terribly. I have a feeling we will probably retire near the beach – somewhere between Florida and Virginia and while we may not take advantage of beach walks everyday — just knowing it is close will be comfort enough.
I have always loved the ocean, thoroughly enjoyed her every mood.
My husband and I celebrate our anniversary every year at the beach. The odd thing is, in 26 years it has only rained once. Somehow the weather is always always wonderful.
So we’re off to the beach for our annniversary soon–and I hope the weather holds!
Wonderful Blog!