Snapshot of today: low tide with white caps that matched
those of the Olympic Mountain peaks in the background & sunny smiles of
kind passersby who simply requested the memory of their journey to this place
be captured in a photograph.
Lawn daisies interspersed with dandelions and discarded
mussel shells dot the carpet of green beneath my feet.
While I sit back and relax on the Rockie Burgess Memorial
Bench, I am prompted to wonder who Rockie was to have once loved the same view
that I do now…
Scuba divers trudging off to the shoreline to the right of
me, bikers inspecting their pristine machines to my left.
Tied-in-place kites sailing on the wind to the north, while
the owners constructed castles in the sand to the east.
Dogs leashed-all sizes, shapes and colors of fur.
Kids unleashed-all sizes, shapes and colors of hair.
A lady who looked like she stepped right out of a magazine advertisement
from the early 1950’s, with meticulously covered tresses, seemed like a serene
time traveler lost in thought gazing out over the waves. She walked by me with her daughter, both in
simultaneous graceful cadence.
Wheelchairs, strollers, bicycles; it doesn’t really matter
what type of wheel as long as it gets you closer.
Lovers strolling along draped around one another, while
others engage in quiet conversation holding hands and resting on a driftwood
log.
Some carry a water bottle, others an entire cooler. Some are
eating an impromptu snack, while others indulge in an elaborate grilled picnic.
Sisters & Fathers & Uncles & Grandmas
In
Hoodies & Jackets & Sweaters & Blankets
All
Laughing & Sauntering & Socializing & Searching
for their own beach treasure
An hour ago, my hair had been cut and styled, but now it is
tossed about by the fickle breezes, the strands bestowed the gift of the
fragrance from the sea, as well as, a
glistening kiss from the sun’s rays.
A hiker with a backpack sits in almost a yoga pose on the
warm sand while taking pictures of the next interesting thing.
A few sailboats and motorboats dot the wavy landscape as if
meandering adrift. But soon my eyes strain to see something smaller on the
horizon. Slowing coming in to view were 3 stand up paddleboarders. They looked
hearty enough when they landed, albeit somewhat fatigued. They also looked foolish
without lifejackets in surf this rough.
And, as always, the
crows follow me everywhere. I pretend not to notice their noisy display trying
to get my attention…it’s a game I play with them…as in the past I’ve cast them
a tasty tidbit. They remember faces, you know.
Only once was the atmosphere pierced by the tinkling tones
of a cell phone. The owner was the lone person I observed using an electronic
device in the entire park. How delightful it was to have this preserved bit of
natural paradise just be all the entertainment that actually was required for
this afternoon.
I came to be mesmerized by the cry of the seagull and to
breathe in the salty air and thankfully I was fulfilled to satisfaction with
more than enough beauty until I dwell within the dreams of it tonight.
***I have had the distinct pleasure of enjoying Washington’s
State Parks for the last 25 years. The
Parks celebrated their Centennial on March 19th, but have endured
very harsh budget cuts of late that have devastated staffing, safety,
maintenance, trails/camping areas, nature programs…you name it! In the Seattle
area alone, there are some very famous entrepreneurs that have achieved
greatness in the financial arena. I would love to see them come together on
behalf of saving our Washington State Parks from almost certain ruin by
stepping up to the plate and investing in the NEXT hundred years of their
development. I wish that all the impetus of effort and money that is currently
being poured in to bringing the Sonics basketball team back to Seattle, be also
applied to the Washington State Park System, as well. Future generations, like
the young people in my picture, need to have the chance to discover and to
enjoy the multitude of one-of-a-kind
natural experiences that the Washington State Parks have to offer. If the Parks don’t survive, shame on anyone
who could have easily presented a cure, instead of neglecting and abandoning
them in to obscurity.
Learn more about these fabulous places at:
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