A Day at the Beach

Bob and I are not beach goers. I believe we set a record for sheer number of years not going to the beach; it was something like 25 years. Last year, we out did ourselves by (shockingly) going three times, all within the space of three weeks. We rested easy, thinking we would probably not go again for another twenty years or so. But then we attended my sister Cathy's birthday party and it was... at the beach!
I actually brought the camera and in a fit of late summer, salt water inspired enthusiasm, I took pictures to prove that under duress, we actually do the whole beach thing.

That's me, shadowed on a boardwalk, still wearing socks and shoes. I never did remove them (an aversion to sticky, sandy feet? Unlike my reckless sibling pictured above!), but we did have a remarkably good time. It was a nice break from work, studio work, gardening, household projects etc, etc. We all know how that goes: Winter ends, spring happens and then poof! the summer is gone and you never did get to do all those fun and exotic day trips you had planned.

(Is it me or all beaches look sort of the same?) But it was nice and the weather agreed with us and Cathy got to open gifts and we all ate sandwiches and pie.

And after eating and walking up the beach for just long enough, we visited a Nature Center that was entertaining and informative. (For example, after viewing a (safely glass tank enclosed) copperhead snake, we learned that said snake is venomous, not poisonous. Who knew?! And here s/he is to tell us all about it:

(Confession: this is a different snake as the copperhead was just sort of laying there and this was one was much more animated. But it's a snake!) And then there was this delightful flat fish that kept putting his head above the water in the tank, as if trying to escape.

So the day was a success. Who knows, maybe next year we'll go for broke and destroy our record and go back to the beach again!

Piles

Oh no! Sort of deja vu all over again... I think I'm seeing piles of sand and gravel. It must be last year and we're only starting my studio project! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
But wait; could it be that we're finally embarking on the famous "Blue Plate Special" Walkway Project? Bob and I spent yesterday morning (which you will remember as being incredibly hot and sweaty) procuring- and then unloading- an impressive pile of gravel and sand. This took two trips to our local sand and gravel emporium; that's quite an exciting field trip! Towering heaps of all sizes of gravel and dirt and sand and giant trucks (which dwarfed our full sized pick up!) and large hoppers and conveyor belts delivering tons of processed rock. Altogether lunar and very dramatic! They load you up with a huge scooper bucket loader that appeared bigger than the truck.
All I can say is that I was altogether exhausted and on my third tee shirt by the time I had unloaded and then completed excavating the remaining dirt on the soon to be walkway. Another pile was created:

This may not look that big but what with heat and humidity, I was too exhausted to even spread the gravel out into the walkway. And that would have been very satisfying and impressive. Instead I made the mistake of taking a break and visiting my horse, who had thoughtfully provided me with several "piles" in her stall. This was to remind me to clean the pasture.

A woman's work is never done!
But here's a shot of the completely dug out walkway, awaiting Fourth of July gravel:

I made it with a unique and swishy lopsided sway, that I thought referenced those "Stella Doro Breakfast Treats". (Kind of an expanded S). I get my inspirations every where!