Flashback - Ocean Shores

Until I learn to faithfully blog as I go, I will "flashback" special times and photos I want to post. While granddaughter, Brookelyn, was testing the waters, the rest of the family was also enjoying a special day at Ocean Shores, a beach on the Pacific Ocean.

I love all the patterns in the sand, the water and the clouds. The sights, smells and sounds of the ocean are so addicting, so calming, so alluring, especially for those of us who grew up landlocked in the upper Midwest.

Jon tried, and failed, to outrace the waves. Between the baby spitting up, Brookie having accidents and Jon swimming in his clothes, we ended up doing a load of laundry that night at the hotel.

Baseball, America's favorite pastime, is so much better when the hot sand is silking between your toes as you lunge, toss and roll in an imaginary game in which you are always the hero.

Horses on the beach are always an intriguing site. The piles of horse poop on the beach are not an intriguing site. Since we refuse to pay $25 a person for a horseback walk down the beach, I took pictures of unsuspecting strangers.

The early morning wooed us to the beach so we could stroll and pick up shells almost alone. Beka and I had fun filling our bags with sand dollars, some plain white shells and occasionally crab pieces. These beaches aren't Floridan, the water isn't warm, they don't have a stunning variety of shells, but, hey, it's an ocean and you can drive on the beach.

Speaking of driving on the beach, this is Scott picking up shells in his own style. Man style. The "I'd hate to break out in a sweat" style.

Our perfect day at the beach ended with a stop to McDonald's. This is what happens when your son-in-law throws his so-dry-it-cracked bun from his burger on your windshield.

This is from our first visit to the ocean in 2005. Scott and I sat in lawn chairs, the camera on a tripod, and snapped the sun's burning descent, enjoying our first, and very romantic, Pacific Ocean sunset.

At first, I was very annoyed that this person would walk in front of our camera. There were miles of beach to walk on. But, it soon became my favorite pictures and I have learned to let the picture happen.

And each day ends with the glorious knowledge that the sun will return the next morning, in another show of color, warmth and hope of a "new day with no mistakes in it."