Surrender. At the beach?
Surrender.
That word popped in front of me twice in the last 20 minutes. First, in a note from a friend about mining our artistic talent and another in a comment on another blog I read.
I didn’t surrender very easily when younger. I still think of it as a word of weakness. But when looking over the prompts for MamaKat’s Writer’s Workshop:
5.) Show us what winter looks like in your neck of the woods!
I got to thinking.
This year we went to the beach on Christmas day and stayed for a few days.
Now we didn’t drive south for 10 hours.
We didn’t fly toward the equator for two hours.
We just drove for three and a half.
To Tybee Island right off the coast at Savannah.
As you can tell, it wasn’t a balmy 80 degrees.
Here I am with my oldest, the ardent fisherman.
He was on the pier a little bit every day.
It was cold. And to tell you what a baby I am — looking into the churning water crashing into the pier and the cold wind biting in my weathering hands — all I could think of was those Deadliest Catch fishing boats. And how bloody cold it must be.
It was probably only 50 degrees on Tybee that day. But it felt like I was in stationary boat in the Bering Sea without fear of being washed overboard into the icy depths. Thank God.
Yes. It was winter at the beach.
And I loved it.
I loved the gray skies.
I loved the wind.
I loved desolation mixed with the enormity of God’s creation raucously reveling in cold water and gray sand and gray boardwalks.
I had surrendered to the beauty of the beach at winter.
Not feverishly searching for sun. Not neurotically scanning the forecast for 70 degree days. Not fantasizing about what it would be in this exact spot five months from now.
Okay. There may have been moments of daydreaming but I didn’t dwell on images of brown bodies smelling of coconut oil wrapped in colorful bathing suits.
What can I say? I’m a writer. We live to imagine stuff.
No.
For the most part, I walked and walked. Smelled the mix of salt and musk. I ventured out each night at dusk and absorbed the twinkling lights on brightly painted cottages.
I surrendered to winter at the beach.
And it was good.
Ever been to the beach at winter? I mean real winter, not Miami winter.
It looks like an absolutely beautiful way to spend the winter and a stark contrast to mine! Love your writing by the way, beautiful descriptions – I almost felt like I was there!
Thanks Jen. The beach is my inspiration. Even in the winter.
I’ve been to Wasaga beach in Winter and Centennial in Barrie, Ontario. It was cool because you could walk across the whole lake. It was completely frozen into a layer of thick ice and there were some fishing huts on it.
Love your photos. Very pretty. I love water fronts. 🙂
I live by Lake Michigan, so I’ve been to beaches when it’s cold. I’m not sure I’ve ever gone to the actual beach in the winter, because the snow and ice would make it hard!
The two times I went to the Outer Banks while visiting my best friend in North Carolina, it was early March. The off-season suited me well. The cheapskate in me loved the reduced rates. But, more importantly, the part of me that hates crowds loved the desolation.
We love going to the beach in the winter. It is always so quiet and peaceful. Even in the cold.
Wow, you have such a wonderful way with words. I’ve been to the Pacific Ocean in winter, but that’s it. It was stinking cold. Being on the East Coast now, I’d like to see the Atlantic on a wintry day. My boys would be fishing on the pier, too, if given the opportunity. I’m sure the beauty of God’s handiwork stood out beautifully! I can’t even begin to imagine the cold of the Bering Sea, but I’m guessing it’s similar to the cold with windchills in Minnesota, something I’m also used to. =)
And best benefit–no swarm of tourists.
I live on the panhandle Gulf Coast about 15 miles from beaches.
I remember seeing huge lakes frozen over one winter visiting my husband’s home state Minnesota. The ice fishing houses — it was amazing to a Florida girl.
Snow and ice and the beach. Something very normal up your way I guess. I bet it’s beautiful. And cold. 🙂
We ventured to the Outer Banks a long time ago one September. A tropical storm was churning way off in the Atlantic and the waves were huge. It was pretty though. Sure the area has built up since.
Minnesota folks would have thought my beach jaunt not so bad. Balmy even.
We love the Panhandle beaches. We spend a week each summer at St. George Island. And our favorites are the white sandy ones around Santa Rosa, Destin and Seaside. But that’s a good 7.5/8 hours by car.
I’m jealous of the beach! We’re buried under snow with subzero temperatures!
I have always wanted to go to Tybee Island. Amazing photos – thanks for posting. As for the beach in winter, I never realized until I moved to Maine that there can be ice on the beach! It’s beautiful but way too cold to go often. You’ve given me a great idea for a blog post, though!
Beautiful Jamie.
Thanks Kimme. 🙂
Would love to see that ice Julia. Makes me think of your video reports.
It does look really cold there, but so beautiful. I need to see pics of your redone kitchen! Can’t wait. xoxo tiffani
It looks beautiful even being only 50 degrees!
Oooooh! I have NOT been to the beach in winter. As a Kansas girl my beach time is pretty limited though I do love it. I had not ever thought of making the trek in winter, but now you have planted the seed. Bucket list!
There’s something peaceful about winter on the beach…nobody really shows up. Much quieter. I love the picture of you and your boy. Look how much bigger he is than you! I can’t imagine my own son getting so big!
Yes. My first born is not that little anymore. Now that we’ve navigated the teen years, it’s really fun to be with the young man is has become.
I’ve often thought how would I survive if I moved to the middle of the country a few days drive from waves and salt water. I guess like everything — I’d adapt and find wonderful things outdoors to fill that void.
Probably like a summer day. 🙂
Looks beautiful!
Love the pics! I love taking pics of pretty clouds. 🙂
Only been to a FL beach in the winter. We’re very much looking forward to it this year, what with the up to -25 degree wind chills here in western NY state. Brrrr!
Jamie,
I actually ran along the beach in the dead of winter when I lived in Brooklyn NY (yes NY… LOL) I lived on the water and there is probably about 10 miles of beach starting at Coney Island. Anyway, it was a great run even though it was only about 18 degrees out. Still loved it though.
[…] travelled down to the Georgia coast around New Years. We did this a couple of years ago and it was a blustery, cold, typical late December, early January at the […]