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!

C-C-C-limate Ch-Ch-Changes

I'm surprised that we have any horse left! Because the weather has turned warmer (well,  maybe not tonight but it is supposed to up to 60 degreess by Wednesday!) Crispin started to shed his impressive winter coat- with a vengence. I began to casually curry him on Sunday and 45 minutes later, I was still coming up with clumps like the one above. I left wads of horse hair around for birds to use as nest making materials. I am certain that Crispin enjoyed getting a lengthy grooming session as I'll bet all that departing fur is itchy. He was less crabby for a little while.
Has anyone else noticed that there are a great deal of spring birds singing already? We even have ducks on our mini-pond. Last year, they had to be satisfied with swimming on the stream as the pond was frozen solid and under snow. And they're back so early!
On a particularly warm day a few weeks back, I spied a snake on the dirt road. Talk about bad luck! Not only does the snake come out on a 60 degree February day, but then he gets run over by one of the two or three cars that travel down that road on a typical day. I returned the next day, armed with my camera, but the snake was long gone. No doubt someone else's lunch.
I had to go back and read my several previous blog entries as I couldn't remember if I posted about the snake or not. I've told a few friends the snake anecdote and let's face it; the weather this winter has been super or scary depending on which side of the bed you wake up on. A friend reported on blooming crocuses and we've heard stories of all kinds of other anomolous spring appearances. I saw a forsythia bush blooming on the way to my mother's house. I'm glad to embrace an early spring (despite groundhog prognostications) but I'll be the first to admit that it also alarms me that everything is a month or so too soon.
And then a friend reminded me that they're changing the time this weekend. Am I crazy? Didn't that used to happen a month later too???