Singing Sands on Ephemeral Shores

The Westwind sand is so fine, it sings beneath one's feet with each step. The following photographs were taken the day we created sand drawings on the beach. I felt the need to choose the beach drawing activity over the other offered activities--as though something was calling me to the ocean's edge. It was an exhilarating experience. I carved through the sand against the Tide's yearning to erase the drawing before it's completion. A great work out for my upper body as I pressed the rake handle deep into the beach and pulled. Watching the tide erase the art on completion emphasized the impermanence of life.

I drew a sea serpent. I did not have a wide-angle lens thus the picture below does not do it justice. My niece Nem, created the octopus with a friend (I took all the pics with my own camera except this one--I used Duncan's camera and wide angle lens for the octopus). I barely had time to drag the ladder to each creation and take a photo before the tide ate away at each creation.

 During this time other members of my family chose different activities. Miranda went on a steep, cliff-edged hike (I was envious on her return but realized Providence had intervened as some of the hike was spent on their bellies creeping towards the cliff's edge and I would have frozen up in fear), Tabs and Mist made salt from the sea. Tabs will show me how when we go to Hawaii next--I can bring home Hawaiian sea salt! We have a small stash of Westwind salt. We had concerns crossing the border with our little bags of white powder, but all was well. When you tell the border guards you were attending a Buddhist meditation retreat--they are rather friendly. In fact, my border crossing this trip was the easiest and friendliest I've encountered to date.