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When I arrived Wednesday morning, the sun had climbed just two-fingers high. It was very early for me to be at the beach, 6: 50 a.m., and the clouds were blue-white ruffles shading part of the sky. I looked out and held my hand parallel to the horizon along the sea-line ahead, trying to tell just how far the sun had risen by that hour. Yes, just two-fingers high.
This was an unusual day at the beach for me for a few reasons, including the hour. Normally I arrive for my morning exercise and meditation at about 8 or so. It doesn’t even matter which beach I was at and today I won’t tell you. Anywhere from Deerfield to Hallandale, from Pompano to Hollywood, or somewhere in between, maybe Fort Lauderdale or Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. They’re all beautiful. And when you’re walking along the edge of the water, as I did today, the exact Broward beach makes no difference. Each has golden sand and endless ocean to enjoy.
But what was really different for me was this : Believe it or not, today was the first day this year I’ve actually gotten my feet wet in the Atlantic. That may sound strange to out-of-towners but locals would understand. Relatively few South Florida residents dip any part of themselves in the ocean until the water gets warmer. If you want to meet other tourists on the beach, come here in January. If you want to meet many locals, come sometime between now and October.
We’re kind of fussy that way. We’re used to warmth, obviously, and though the ocean is plenty warm in the wintertime by most people’s standards, it’s not by ours. So we just wait. Now the temp is finally just about right for us, or for me anyway, and somehow I was inspired to wander into the water this morning.
Normally, I take a fast walk or run along the brick-paved path in Fort Lauderdale, do a long meditation on the beach, then go for coffee or breakfast. Today, no one was around when I got to my chosen beach. Wherever it was. So I did some calisthenics on the sand, then took off my gym shoes and socks to stroll the waterline for a long ways before plunking down to face the ocean and clear my head. It was delightful.
If I’d worn my bathing suit, I would have taken a swim. But just getting into the sea again, if only with my feet, together with the awareness that we had entered the season when sensible Floridians decide it’s beach weather at last – all this seemed refreshing to me in some way. I have months to look forward to getting my heartrate up by exercising beside the ocean and, when I want, in the ocean too.
When I finally sat down to think, the feeling was even more satisfying today than usual. The sun glistened off the water, ducking in and out of the blue clouds all morning. Flocks of pelicans scoured the shoreline for food, as many as ten of them in formation like bombers. Nature’s own air and sea show. I buried my wet feet in the sand and made impressions that are long gone as I write this and sand stuck to my calves and ankles. I felt the cool morning seabreeze on my face and planned when I would take my first swim of 2006.
This is what it’s like to live in Florida year round. We do get spoiled. I have clear, very cold memories of jumping into Lake Champlain in Vermont on what seemed like the only day all year, usually in August, when the water temperature reached almost 70 degrees. Almost, but not quite, 70. These days, like most locals, I want water well into the nice warm comfortable 80s, thank you. We’re at that point now, a great time to enjoy the sun and surf here, and I for one am looking forward to a pleasant and sandy and wet summer.
This was an unusual day at the beach for me for a few reasons, including the hour. Normally I arrive for my morning exercise and meditation at about 8 or so. It doesn’t even matter which beach I was at and today I won’t tell you. Anywhere from Deerfield to Hallandale, from Pompano to Hollywood, or somewhere in between, maybe Fort Lauderdale or Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. They’re all beautiful. And when you’re walking along the edge of the water, as I did today, the exact Broward beach makes no difference. Each has golden sand and endless ocean to enjoy.
But what was really different for me was this : Believe it or not, today was the first day this year I’ve actually gotten my feet wet in the Atlantic. That may sound strange to out-of-towners but locals would understand. Relatively few South Florida residents dip any part of themselves in the ocean until the water gets warmer. If you want to meet other tourists on the beach, come here in January. If you want to meet many locals, come sometime between now and October.
We’re kind of fussy that way. We’re used to warmth, obviously, and though the ocean is plenty warm in the wintertime by most people’s standards, it’s not by ours. So we just wait. Now the temp is finally just about right for us, or for me anyway, and somehow I was inspired to wander into the water this morning.
Normally, I take a fast walk or run along the brick-paved path in Fort Lauderdale, do a long meditation on the beach, then go for coffee or breakfast. Today, no one was around when I got to my chosen beach. Wherever it was. So I did some calisthenics on the sand, then took off my gym shoes and socks to stroll the waterline for a long ways before plunking down to face the ocean and clear my head. It was delightful.
If I’d worn my bathing suit, I would have taken a swim. But just getting into the sea again, if only with my feet, together with the awareness that we had entered the season when sensible Floridians decide it’s beach weather at last – all this seemed refreshing to me in some way. I have months to look forward to getting my heartrate up by exercising beside the ocean and, when I want, in the ocean too.
When I finally sat down to think, the feeling was even more satisfying today than usual. The sun glistened off the water, ducking in and out of the blue clouds all morning. Flocks of pelicans scoured the shoreline for food, as many as ten of them in formation like bombers. Nature’s own air and sea show. I buried my wet feet in the sand and made impressions that are long gone as I write this and sand stuck to my calves and ankles. I felt the cool morning seabreeze on my face and planned when I would take my first swim of 2006.
This is what it’s like to live in Florida year round. We do get spoiled. I have clear, very cold memories of jumping into Lake Champlain in Vermont on what seemed like the only day all year, usually in August, when the water temperature reached almost 70 degrees. Almost, but not quite, 70. These days, like most locals, I want water well into the nice warm comfortable 80s, thank you. We’re at that point now, a great time to enjoy the sun and surf here, and I for one am looking forward to a pleasant and sandy and wet summer.
I don't what made me read this blog today. I needed to take a break from my stressfull busy Wall St work day. Sometimes I tune into the webcam to unwind and watch the lucky folks down in Florida. (FLL especially)
This posting brought me to a beautiful place like the images from the webcam do. For a few moments I felt like I had left my dull grey world and entered a sunny beautiful one! Thank you for that.
Ive been to the shore from Maine to Florida, From January to January,There is nothing like being at the ocean, any time of year. There is a healing aura when you breath the salt air,hear the surf pound,or dip you feat in the into the frothy water as you walk that magical footpath called the beach... I wouldn't say you are spoiled, waiting for the water temp to reach 80, I would be more inclined to say, you're missing lots of ocean time waiting....
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