This may come a surprise to some of you, but I’m not a big fan of the beach. Really. Coming from the Midwest, I was never around water much other than a swimming pool. My parents weren’t much for water. My mom used to freak out when she came to the pool with us and the waves would get much higher than her belly button. It must have really been a sight to watch my sister and I coaxing her into the deeper end of the pool. I had never even seen my dad in shorts until a year ago when my brother-in-law made him wear them to the creek with us. His legs were blindingly white! In my early teens, my best friend’s parents convinced my parents to let me spend the weekend with her at her grandparents house on Grand Lake. My first time out, I was not allowed on a boat and if I decided to jump off the dock, I had to be in a life-jacket. Thanks, mom and dad. Super cool.
I had never visited a beach until I was in college. My boyfriend, aka super-hot-now-husband, planned a surprise trip for the two of us to Gulf Shores, AL. It was unbelievable! We had this cute little home with a private beach for a week. I remember stepping out of the car when we had arrived and feeling this overwhelming drop of my stomach, the kind you get when plummeting down a roller coaster at top speed. I had never felt so tiny in all my life. It was the weirdest/coolest feeling ever. To our dismay, however, we had arrived in late July, jellyfish season. Needless to say, the shrieks heard throughout the beach kept me almost completely out of the ocean. But I did get a great tan!
Now that we’re here in South Portland, one of the things we do daily, weather permitting, is visit the beach. I love getting a tan, but I am a clean freak! Beaches to me are so dirty! The sand, salt, sweat, yuck! And then you drag it all back home with you and are forced to sweep it up for the next three days. That being said, I truly do appreciate the beauty and revere of the ocean. The consistent sound of the waves lapping the sand are like a metronome, slowly lulling me to sleep with each beat. The water is far too cold for my comfort, but the joy it brings my husband as he splashes around like a child are worth every minute.
Today we decided to take our dogs to the Eastern Promenade in Portland. We started by having brunch at a diner, though briefly before that, my husband got pooped on by a seagull while inside our car! You should check out his post on this site. It was hilarious! Anyway, the dogs hung out while we ate. Then we scooted over to the Promenade. There were plenty of people as it was one of the first sunny days in about a week. We walked past sunbathers in the park on Munjoy Hill, sea kayak rentals (something we will be participating in soon!), joggers, sightseers, the works. Then we found a nice spot for the dogs to play unleashed while the hubs and I enjoyed the sights of the bay.
Michael and Lulu fighting over who actually gets the stick.
Winslow, keeping watch, a safe distance from the water I might add.
Me trying to deceitfully convince Lulu that the rock I’m reaching for is the stick.
And the train on the walk back to the car allowing tourists a glimpse into what is now our new life.
Today, baseball games, more beach time, and fantastic food and wine. Yep, just livin’ the dream, folks.
According to Holly 