What a lovely way to open the month of September, Rebecca! The last days of summer are winding down, and I could just feel the bite of the cool wind on your legs. And your sunset was spectacular! I love what you did with you r sketching, too! Thanks for taking me along!
A multi-sensory banquet here this morning, Rebecca -- the breath of wind, the grit under the feet, the taste of ice cream, the vision of the sunset, the sound of the waves and the children. You set us right down in the damp sand to enjoy the last tiny bit of summer. Thank you. And what a clever way to create art -- lay down the color and then with a pencil, decide what it is. I never thought of that.
Awww, thanks, Sharron! I really enjoyed both my trip to the beach and then writing about it. And it’s really fun to make shapes and then turn them into ‘something’ - at the moment I’m all for ‘low-pressure’, playful arting, and enjoying the process.
It took ages to wipe all that gritty sand off the crayons, though! 😉 Silly me for dropping them!
I’m such a wimp when it comes to clothing - ‘never knowingly underdressed’ - I tend to wear trousers all year round! I hereby designate next summer a season for shorts!
As always I am inspired by what you write! I too have not yet been to the ocean this year!
There is so much to take away from here—my own adventure of flying a kite in the middle of a city’s “empty” parking lot and my unfortunate run in with a parked car; to maybe writing about my past week’s get away “vacation” alone to visit my daughter in Pennsylvania.
It’s been awhile since I’ve written anything. Perhaps since I am now home but still recovering until I test negative on the covid strip, I may as well make use of my down time… Stay tuned.
Oh how lovely, Gail - thank you for these very kind words!
So sorry to hear you’ve got Covid - I hope you’ll feel much better soon. And straight after your holiday, too - that’s such a shame.
Thank you for sharing your kite-flying story - gosh, that sounds scary! 👀 I’d love to know more - and to read about your trip to Pennsylvania sometime. In the meantime, get well, and rest lots. 😘
Awwww I love your rockadoodles and the beach is the perfect setting for them!!! Your writing is wonderful too! Loved the kite both the reality and the motif you made of it!!! Bravo!!! 🤗🤗🤗🤗
And thanks for your kind mention of my newsletter! 💚💚💚💚
Your observational writings about a time and place always inspire me to pay more attention and enjoy the moment. I have written this way a few times because of your example, and I always enjoy the process and my readers’ responses.
I loved Sue's Doodlebugs. And your rockadoodles are a blast. Glad the kite came to earth. Maybe someone will rescue it, unsnagging it from the hedge so some bird or other critter won't also be snagged. Sorry if that's a downer, but I worked in a wildlife shelter once and saw birds get wound up in all kinds of stuff, human or not.
That’s such a good point, Sue, thank you. The place where the kite string is caught is on railway land, which means that entry to that area is prohibited to the public, but it’s very close to the station and there are regular crews going out to remove things like that.
Speaking of snagging, over here there’s a big effort to remove discarded (or washed-up) fishing line and hooks from beaches - there are disposal units for them so that anyone coming across them can remove them safely. A long-overdue idea which I’m really pleased to see!
It marks an important change in our behavior toward the litter left behind or lost during work, such as fishing. We're going to be very busy cleaning up our "messy room" but I'm glad to see people are becoming more aware. We have a huge problem with holiday litter at our resorts and beaches here in the US. It's horrible and seems to have come on fairly recently. In the 1960s, we were bombarded with ads on TV about cleaning up our litter. Maybe we need to start doing that again.
Litter is such a scourge, isn’t it? It’s horrid to see all the stuff that people chuck out of their car windows in an ironic effort to keep their vehicles tidy - stuff that people then have to risk their lives to pick up from the verges and gutters. 🙁
Ah, English beaches…. Nothing like our Australian beauties, but still fun. I’m so glad that your Jim decided to take you camping before it got too late in the year. A wonderful farewell to your northern summer. 🤗🤗
Thanks, Beth! I’ve only seen Australian beaches on TV but oh gosh, they look so beautiful! Here on the south coast of England it’s all stones - I usually wear sturdy footwear to walk on our beaches even on a hot day - but in many other parts of the country, particularly the Atlantic coast, it’s white sand.
I can’t see that title without thinking of the John Prine song of the same name … may not be your cup of tea, and he’s near the end of his life when he records it, but it’s a sweet bit of songwriting
There are no rocks on the beaches closest to me, nor in the ground below my feet, for that matter. I would have to leave room in my suitcase, or car, to bring some back with me were I to visit your site(s). And if we were to walk either beach together, our legs would match!
Glad you got some time on the shore, and time in your sketchbook, and saw yourself as that little girl with the lost kite. I've been her, too. We have to keep them aloft in our minds!
Rockadoodles, rock on! Your sea looks so much more dramatic and romantic and wild than our tame waters. Your day at the beach sounds so wonderful, the video took me there. The grandad was wise and kind with his little granddaughter - that vignette could be a wonderful picture book illustrated by the rockadoodle star herself . . . Were you holding your hand up toward your Jim when he took the picture of his ice cream, as in, don't take my picture? 😄 The fuzzy image of you would be a fun impressionistic painting, I think. May I? 😃
I’m not sure about romantic, but it can certainly be dramatic! We often go to a place called ‘Splash Point’ at the end of our nearest beach at Seaford - it certainly lives up to its name when it’s windy!
I was holding up my own ice cream in the picture, and stretching it out to show it to Jim’s camera! And please do feel free - how lovely! 👩🎨 ❤️
Thank you for the reminder of how much I love the ocean. We have been working overtime, and will continue to for likely another month, but after reading this, I think I'll plan a trip to the ocean for treat ourselves!
What a lovely way to open the month of September, Rebecca! The last days of summer are winding down, and I could just feel the bite of the cool wind on your legs. And your sunset was spectacular! I love what you did with you r sketching, too! Thanks for taking me along!
Thank you so much, Sharon! 😊
Beautifully written and illustrated, and I love the way it ended, with a loop back to the kite episode. Masterfully done if I may say so.
Oh Terry, thank you so much. That means such a lot! 😊🪁
You’re welcome. Tis well-deserved.
A multi-sensory banquet here this morning, Rebecca -- the breath of wind, the grit under the feet, the taste of ice cream, the vision of the sunset, the sound of the waves and the children. You set us right down in the damp sand to enjoy the last tiny bit of summer. Thank you. And what a clever way to create art -- lay down the color and then with a pencil, decide what it is. I never thought of that.
Awww, thanks, Sharron! I really enjoyed both my trip to the beach and then writing about it. And it’s really fun to make shapes and then turn them into ‘something’ - at the moment I’m all for ‘low-pressure’, playful arting, and enjoying the process.
It took ages to wipe all that gritty sand off the crayons, though! 😉 Silly me for dropping them!
Fun day at the beach and as high as a kite. Well done. I started wearing long pants again three days ago.
Thanks, Dale!
I’m such a wimp when it comes to clothing - ‘never knowingly underdressed’ - I tend to wear trousers all year round! I hereby designate next summer a season for shorts!
As always I am inspired by what you write! I too have not yet been to the ocean this year!
There is so much to take away from here—my own adventure of flying a kite in the middle of a city’s “empty” parking lot and my unfortunate run in with a parked car; to maybe writing about my past week’s get away “vacation” alone to visit my daughter in Pennsylvania.
It’s been awhile since I’ve written anything. Perhaps since I am now home but still recovering until I test negative on the covid strip, I may as well make use of my down time… Stay tuned.
Oh how lovely, Gail - thank you for these very kind words!
So sorry to hear you’ve got Covid - I hope you’ll feel much better soon. And straight after your holiday, too - that’s such a shame.
Thank you for sharing your kite-flying story - gosh, that sounds scary! 👀 I’d love to know more - and to read about your trip to Pennsylvania sometime. In the meantime, get well, and rest lots. 😘
Awwww I love your rockadoodles and the beach is the perfect setting for them!!! Your writing is wonderful too! Loved the kite both the reality and the motif you made of it!!! Bravo!!! 🤗🤗🤗🤗
And thanks for your kind mention of my newsletter! 💚💚💚💚
Awww, thanks, Sue! ❤️
Your observational writings about a time and place always inspire me to pay more attention and enjoy the moment. I have written this way a few times because of your example, and I always enjoy the process and my readers’ responses.
Such kind words, Jen - thank you so much! ☺️
I feel honoured for such a lovely compliment. 😘
I loved Sue's Doodlebugs. And your rockadoodles are a blast. Glad the kite came to earth. Maybe someone will rescue it, unsnagging it from the hedge so some bird or other critter won't also be snagged. Sorry if that's a downer, but I worked in a wildlife shelter once and saw birds get wound up in all kinds of stuff, human or not.
That’s such a good point, Sue, thank you. The place where the kite string is caught is on railway land, which means that entry to that area is prohibited to the public, but it’s very close to the station and there are regular crews going out to remove things like that.
Speaking of snagging, over here there’s a big effort to remove discarded (or washed-up) fishing line and hooks from beaches - there are disposal units for them so that anyone coming across them can remove them safely. A long-overdue idea which I’m really pleased to see!
It marks an important change in our behavior toward the litter left behind or lost during work, such as fishing. We're going to be very busy cleaning up our "messy room" but I'm glad to see people are becoming more aware. We have a huge problem with holiday litter at our resorts and beaches here in the US. It's horrible and seems to have come on fairly recently. In the 1960s, we were bombarded with ads on TV about cleaning up our litter. Maybe we need to start doing that again.
Litter is such a scourge, isn’t it? It’s horrid to see all the stuff that people chuck out of their car windows in an ironic effort to keep their vehicles tidy - stuff that people then have to risk their lives to pick up from the verges and gutters. 🙁
Ah, English beaches…. Nothing like our Australian beauties, but still fun. I’m so glad that your Jim decided to take you camping before it got too late in the year. A wonderful farewell to your northern summer. 🤗🤗
Thanks, Beth! I’ve only seen Australian beaches on TV but oh gosh, they look so beautiful! Here on the south coast of England it’s all stones - I usually wear sturdy footwear to walk on our beaches even on a hot day - but in many other parts of the country, particularly the Atlantic coast, it’s white sand.
I can’t see that title without thinking of the John Prine song of the same name … may not be your cup of tea, and he’s near the end of his life when he records it, but it’s a sweet bit of songwriting
Looking it up right now, Tom! Thanks! 🎶
Always conflict in every story. The kite didn’t want summer to end. It signified its last flight before fall.
Thanks, Carissa! And gosh, yes, I hadn’t made that connection - but yes, yes, yes! 👍
You’ve captured the ever-shifting September sensation of microclimates perfectly, Rebecca!
Thank you, Amie! 🍂
There are no rocks on the beaches closest to me, nor in the ground below my feet, for that matter. I would have to leave room in my suitcase, or car, to bring some back with me were I to visit your site(s). And if we were to walk either beach together, our legs would match!
Glad you got some time on the shore, and time in your sketchbook, and saw yourself as that little girl with the lost kite. I've been her, too. We have to keep them aloft in our minds!
Hurrah for matching legs!
Our south coast is very rocky, but in other parts of the country there are sandy beaches - way more comfortable to walk on! 🤣
And yes to keeping those memories flying high! 🪁
You find all the right emojis!
🤣
What a fun account of a fun trip! Thank you for sharing. 😄
Thanks so much, Liz! 😊
Rockadoodles, rock on! Your sea looks so much more dramatic and romantic and wild than our tame waters. Your day at the beach sounds so wonderful, the video took me there. The grandad was wise and kind with his little granddaughter - that vignette could be a wonderful picture book illustrated by the rockadoodle star herself . . . Were you holding your hand up toward your Jim when he took the picture of his ice cream, as in, don't take my picture? 😄 The fuzzy image of you would be a fun impressionistic painting, I think. May I? 😃
I’m not sure about romantic, but it can certainly be dramatic! We often go to a place called ‘Splash Point’ at the end of our nearest beach at Seaford - it certainly lives up to its name when it’s windy!
I was holding up my own ice cream in the picture, and stretching it out to show it to Jim’s camera! And please do feel free - how lovely! 👩🎨 ❤️
Thank you for the reminder of how much I love the ocean. We have been working overtime, and will continue to for likely another month, but after reading this, I think I'll plan a trip to the ocean for treat ourselves!
Sounds like a great plan, Sue! And thank you!