What a great afternoon I had today!!  It has been a stressful few weeks at work and at home, and I just felt I needed some "ocean time" by myself.  So I packed some shorts, and headed for the beach after school.  It was really cloudy, and a little chilly (ok...warm for you northerners...about 70), so I wasn't sure if it would be raining before I even made it to the beach.  But....I REALLY needed to hear the waves, and feel the sand between my toes!!





I could hear the waves crashing before I even made it over the dunes...they were HUGE!  Very unusual for the gulf.  The sky was dark grey to the north and south, but rays of sun poked through over the beach.  I shared the beach with only a few people...some surfers, and others walking the shore searching for the gifts of the sea.  Even though the wind was whipping the sea into an angry froth, I wasn't cold, walking at the edge of the water.  The sound of the waves...the salt air....I could just feel my body say....."ahhhhhh".... relaxation...finally..... 





I talked to some nice people from Wisconsin (brrrr), and found some great shells for my collections.  I found a piece from a what must have been a huge conch shell !  It is only a piece of the top and it is about 6 inches long!





Well....tomorrow all the stress begins again...but at least I had some peace and "ocean time" to help keep it all in perspective...





"Celebrate the past....

Nurture the future....

Delight in the moment..."