Beachend

While many of you non Southern Californians think that the weather is sunny and perfect year round, the truth of the matter is... well... actually that is the truth. It is not, however, perfectly warm and summerlike all year round, and with the third week of September upon us, it is about time for a quick, though subtle, turn into fall. This will not affect me very much in terms of the during the daily routine. It's not as though I'm going to start wearing galoshes to work, but it does mean that the evenings of swimming the cove are coming to the end and for most, save the serious surfers who are just getting geared up for winter's swells, no more going to the beach.

I figured this would be the last good beach weekend of the summer. This thought was particularly sad for me this year for, while in previous years I barely made it out to the shore at all, this past summer it was a several times weekly event for swimming, lounging, kayaking and the general, all around, splashing and fooling around type beachery. It will be 9 long months of 60 degree weather before it's summer again. Very difficult indeed. So I made the best of this weekend, spending nearly all of it on the beach. Saturday was four hours of lying around with my friend, going for walks and, on my own since she is afraid of the water, splashing around in the waves. Good fun.

This morning I rose at no hour later than six in the morning in order to get to the shores just after seven to stake out a fire pit for Stephie B's birthday festivities. While the party wasn't until five in the evening, the fire pits are first come first serve, and the life guard estimated I'd need to be there between seven and eight to reserve one. So there I was, fully clothed, a little sunburned from the day before, sitting in my lounge chair with my book and towel, camped out by a nice pit and waiting... and waiting... and waiting. By nine relief showed up to drop off OJ and the Sunday Times (and to get the hard to reach spot on my back with the sunscreen), and by ten a beach canopy arrived, so I had shade. I read. I napped. It was hard work, but well worth it. By the time we had a full continent of people, it was four and time for the bonfire. By seven we had hot coals and it was time to enact Stephie's birthday plan: paella making on the beach in giant, Spanish style skillets.

Every-bit worth the wait.