Sun, Sand, Surf and Stingers....

Adrian and I headed off to the Gold Coast this past weekend.  I used to live there a millenium ago when I was a teen, thin, sexy, blonde and a surfie chick.  Oh my was I ever really all those things, um sexy...nah, the rest oh yeah you better believe it.  BC  I say before children, no stretch marks in sight and a heck of a lot more will power accounted for a really hot, yeah I said hot, a really hot body.  Hey I was 16 ok, who knows what I really looked like, but believe me I thought I could rule the world, oh for the good ole' days.

Now well, the sun is sooooo hot these days, how did that happen, and the sand gets on my bum and yuk, that is just gross and all those frisky, skinny, well anorexic really, they are aren't they, or voluptuous not fat, that's just me they are voluptuous, beauties, it's all just too much.  So I walk on the beach in shorts and sunscreen and I would wear a hat if I had a hat head, which I don't so I almost get sunstroke.  And I take photos of everything and everyone who lets me, or I sneak them in, and the good old days of laying in the sun from early in the morn till way late in the day are soooooo over.  I love the beach I do just in a different way now.  Anyway there were bluebottles everywhere this weekend, I stamp on them love the pop they make.  This one is huge, the length of the tail eeww!! Ouch.

And all these tiny ones, honestly there was no way you would have gotten me in the water.  Our friends swam though and no one got stung so go figure.

I took my usual reflection photographs, I love them and once again I have the pictures I adore most in the world of my beautiful girls, even though Alicia wasn't with us this weekend and their Dad on the beach together.  Skimming stones, talking, walking I love it so much.

We met up with our friends from Darwin.  We only met them in December 2008 when we flew to England to see our kids.  We ate Christmas dinner together at the hotel where the children worked and then spent a little time together in England.  But since then we have seen them once, emailed, facebooked and talked on the phone and now this weekend we spent the day and evening together.  They are wonderful people and we really enjoy their company.  So Carmel and Merv, thanks for the great weekend.

It was a great weekend, beautiful sunrise and great to have this short time away before we begin the huge task of moving, selling etc., oh what fun.  Good times.

Beach combers

We are back from our beach wandering.  I never cease to be left with such a sense of awe after we visit the beach.  The waves crashing and pounding the shore.  The smell of the salt in the air.  The crunch of the shells under our feet.  The colours of the ocean and the sand and the clouds in the sky.  The gathering of people from all walks of life on the beach.  Weddings, family, young and old everyone finds a place.  I love the beach.  I don't love the heat but in the afternoon or early morning as the sun comes up or goes down I love the beach.

I have no clue who this little family is, but they made us smile.  The dad dutifully baiting the sons lines.  The dad dutifully and tirelessly, rebaiting and untangling the lines.  The dad trying to fish himself and having to rescue his boys lines from the snagging rocks.  I remember my own dad doing the same for my sister and I on our boat.  Untangling lines and bating and rebaiting hooks.  Rescuing tiny fish we were so proud of catching, man he had patience.

Not our dogs, stangers really but they were so happy I just had to snap them at play.

I love the wandering and discovering, the beach glass and the shells.  I have collected thousands of shells over the years, some have been beautiful, some have smelt, as unbeknown to us they have harboured crabs and things from the ocean, that when we have gathered them up have died.  Not nice.  But oh the excitement of finding that perfect unbroken shell.  The one with the rainbow inside, or the one that whispers in your ear.  The magic of rockpools.

Then as the sun sets, the boats tie up for the night and the beach becomes quiet but for the waves.  It is a magical place.

Then this morning the sun is gone and it is raining oh how we need the rain.  I am so glad it has finally come, the grass was crunching under our feet, the trees and flowers were dirty, I love this rain.