A Rainy Day on the Beach

During the day I kept hoping that there would come this lessening of rainfall. Still better a temporary break, a bleak sun. Just enough time to rush up into the dunes, run down the beach to the surf, undo myself of all these clothes and splash into the surf. But no, no change at all did present itself, the rain-radar still announcing more to come. And than at 5 PM I decided to take my own initiative. I simply took my bike and all through the drizzling rain, I went to see if there was anything going on. There where I can always meet the unexpected to transform into my BlipJournal.

What a sight: all grey and misty. Tide halfway, four people walking to the North under their umbrellas. Too small to get into my wet lens. And that was all there was to see. So as an illustration of that uninspiring fact of life: on rainy days nothing will be to see at the beach, I visualized the grey non-panorama of the seaside from the empty wet terrace of my favorite beach club. Nobody there of course except some maintenance-workers. From there I descended towards the surf, where I decided not to make all this fuzz for a swim in the rain.

And O yes, I nearly forgot, looking up I saw a large gathering of big black backed gulls. Where were they standing? Out there at the surfline in full rain? No, they were gathered at the foot of the dunes at the lee-side, rather comfy. As if they had found their own sheltered terrace there, on the same level as the empty beach club.

So, maybe this could be my observation of hope for today: these well skilled practical survivers have developed a form of intelligence we humans are too spoiled for: indeed, even on a rainy day there is an opportunity to fly down to the beach and have a good meal there, and have a nice chat with your fellows even in a windfree corner. Bon appetit!