the ocean breathes salty

"The ocean breathes salty, won't you carry it in?
In your head, in your mouth, in your soul.
And maybe we'll get lucky and we'll both grow old.
Well I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I hope so. "
- Modest Mouse

day two in the weekend avoidance of all things pertaining to the coming week: the beach. just one week out from labor day and already the crowds have waned. a cloudy morning kept some people home, too, i am sure. by one o'clock the sun was soaring in one of the most blue skies i've ever seen at an east coast beach. kids were running along the shore collecting dead horseshoe crabs of all sizes. last week's storms must have blown them in from closer to the bay, where they make an annual migration. the prehistoric looking creatures were being gathered into "graveyards" by the children. some pulled the larger ones along on their boogie boards. as the day wore on, the families started to leave, the tide came up higher, and the shells were once again taken out to sea.

the water felt warm compared to maine, though i must admit to having been spoiled by the bathtub-like temperatures in costa rica. we played in the waves, body surfing and swimming around. the breeze made it difficult to warm up afterward and kept me from going back in, but the temptation was there. the salt water seems to be able to heal all wounds, physical and mental, for me. i didn't worry at all on sunday, as long as we were at the beach.

i walked north along the beach to the area where people had driven their trucks for fishing. i scoured the piles of sea treasure and was rewarded; i found one of the most perfect skipping stones along with three small pieces of sea glass. i pocketed the sea glass and turned the skipping stone over to rotten because i knew he'd know a good stone when he saw one.

i looked over my shoulder as we walked back to the parking lot, yearning for one last glimpse of the summer ocean. it was brilliantly blue and waves were crashing in succession, creating that calming soundtrack i grew so used to hearing nearly constantly while on the osa. i love the mountains and seek out their presence to level me out and make me humble; the ocean has also carved out a similar spot in my heart and i'm thankful to have had the chance to visit it so much in the past year.

i wish i could be there today.