A Perfect Day

I took a chance on heading out to the beach before the storm hit.  I made it just in time for the low tide.  The conditions couldn’t have been better.  The storms churned up a bounty of goodies, there were very few people on the beach, and the cloud cover made spotting glassy jewels easy.  I spent all my time in an area about a 1/4 of a block long. The spot was so juicy I got down on the ground and sifted through the pebbles.   

I knew it was time to go when the tide started to cover my “patch”, it began to drizzle, my pockets looked like they held baseballs (so heavy I had to keep pulling up my pants), I ran out of tissues, and for some reason I kept smelling the paints waiting for me in my studio.

Solstice Walk

 Okay, so it is not officially the solstice anymore, but I'm calling this my solstice walk anyway.  I ended up spending the actual solstice visiting friends, connecting with the light and warmth of others. 

Today I visited with the sun, birds, fresh air and beach.  The wind was a bit cold, but it was tolerable for the most part.  Here is what the low tide blessed me with.

Chasing the Sun

We arrived at the ocean just before sundown.  Just in time to see Arjuna in his chariot racing Northward, perhaps off to some distant battlefield or that legendary conversation of The Bhagavad Gita.

The beach was gorgeous.  I told John “I’m heading south” and trundled off to a swatch of pebbles near the low tide line.  As the sun went down I had the sensation of being in a dream, floating in rosy glow, lost in the crash of waves.  I sang David Bowie songs out loud as I knew no one would hear me.  I found some large pieces of white glass and a few other treasures.  I could have stayed for hours, but it was dark, and we were hungry.  At times like this I am reminded of how lucky I am to live in San Francisco.

“When one sees Eternity in things that pass away and Infinity in finite things, then one has pure knowledge.” -Lord Krishna in “The Bhagavad Gita”

Treasure Hunt

I’m a beachcomber.  It started when I was 8 during my first visit to San Francisco. I found my first piece of sea glass on Paradise Beach.  The ocean and bay were an awesome sight to my young Midwestern eyes.  Yes, there are beaches on Lake Michigan, but I don’t remember ever finding anything but loose change, crowds of people, and trash.

Often you will see me on the beach when there is a minus tide.  I’m out there with the clam diggers, fishermen, surfers, joggers, and dog walkers.  My hands are in my pockets, nose pointed down, and I’m walking slowly.  The beach is different every time I go.  Sometimes I find fistfuls of colorful glass, pebbles and shells.  Other times there is nothing.  A low tide is no guarantee of a “good haul”.

Yesterday, even though I went with the sole purpose of photographing the sunset, I found myself scanning the sand, looking for my favorite colored jewels.  Occasionally I’d remember to look up, and snap a picture or two.  The tide was low and I found a glistening piece of sea foam green glass.  Oh joy!  I also found a large intact razor clam shell and other precious things.  Perhaps they will become the subjects of future paintings, or maybe I will just hold them and admire their beauty on a cold rainy day, like today.