Surf's Up

Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain.
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end.
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend,
But I always thought that I'd see you again.
~ James Taylor

I’m in horrific Anniversary Land. This is the day, four years ago now, that The Amazing Bob died the first time.

To distract me (and give my tear ducts a goddamn break) Jen took me down to, now open, Nantasket for sunrise walkies. Despite arriving at 5AM there were a dozen (!!!) fellow daybreak gazers out and about – ALL unmasked. Yes, it’s a big beach and it’s easy to stay a zillion feet apart but still – mask the fuck up, motherfuckers! This ain't no party, this ain't no fooling around. This is a goddamn plague mes amis!

One interesting bit – here on Valhalla’s shoreline and on Nantasket – folks are standing in the surf, fishing. Not a lot of people (Valhalla anglers have always done their business off the dock on Nut Island) but still – this is new. I guess, with human types less wretchedly ubiquitous, the fishies are coming in closer to land. Huh. Cool.

Now then, the light and reflections at sunrise are glorious but my absolute fave time is about 30 minutes earlier. Ya know, when the water’s bathed in shades of deep purple, dark cobalt and alizarin crimson, when there’s not a soul about, when the seagulls are gathering in the shallows for their union meetings.

I become hypnotized by the incoming waves – how the dawn light reflects and pierces them; how they rise, curl, crash, cover the beach and recede. I could, in a state of perma-fascination, watch them all day.

Here at home, the waves (unless we’re in the midst of a big storm) are much smaller. They gently pet the shore. Totally cool BUT sometimes ya just gotta crank it up to 11. Nantasket, after a storm, is molto impressive but, even then, it’s got nothin’ on Maverick's, in Half Moon Bay, California.  or even Whitecrest Beach down the Cape.

If it’s ever safe to travel again, I think I’d like to spend a week at Maverick’s just staring at the curls, taking pics, sketching, watching the surfers and chilling.