AllHisBlessings

It seems like I'm always writing about the beach. Perfect beach days, and horrible beach days, and horrible rainy beach days, and revenge-of-the-attack-seagull beach days. In actuality, I've only posted around five musings since 2006 that had anything to do with the beach, so I think I'm allowed a few more. And really, I can't help it. I live in a coastal area. The sand and water beckon to me often these days when there really isn't anything else to do outside without dying of heat stroke.

The daily reports of the terrible, tragic, oil catastrophe have put the beach even that much more on my mind. As it stands, the coast from Louisiana to Pensacola Beach, Florida, is covered in the toxic sludge. We talk about it. We wonder about it. We send each other news articles and photos of the ever-encroaching puddle of black gold. Not to mention, the reminders are beginning to touch my own sphere. Economic problems are looming because of tourists and wildlife disappearing (gosh, I hope the tourists didn't get slurped up by the oil, too). One of THESE has popped up in the nearby town, next to the pet store and the County Courthouse.

And so I think, will this time be the last time I get to take my kids to the beach? I should go today. And Wednesday. And maybe Thursday too, because, who knows when IT will get here. And then it's over. No more lovely white sand. No more floating on the cool waves. No more drippy castles. No more watermelon slices and smiles and beach towels and sand dollars and burying each other and colorful kites flying and

*Sniff*

Don't mind me. I was just having a moment.

Last Friday, I convinced my mom that she should cast her cares into the wind and come to the beach with me. It was a tough sell, but I did it. Mom frowned at the List of Things to Do Before Teegan's Adoption and the half-painted wall before her. Then she hopped in the car with Tabitha, Tobi, and some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and was headed my way.

A thirty minute drive from my house brings us to Carrabelle Beach. I think of it as a compromise between the longer haul to the lovely St. George Island and the quick jump over to Mash Island or Shell Point, where the water is shallow and very hot this time of year. Carrabelle's water is cool and refreshing, but the first thing I noticed when we arrived were the bright orange strips floating out in the distance.

Another reminder of the oil, these "booms" will supposedly help keep it off of the beach when it gets here. Since BP hasn't yet figured out how to cap off the still gushing pipeline under the gulf, the oil will continue to spread. I can't quite see how these orange floaties are going to keep anything off the beach since (a) they are only about 2 feet underwater, and (b) they are attached to a tree on the beach and are anchored in a semi-circle around part of the beach, but only part of it. The line of orange stops randomly out in the water.

Last time I checked, water could flow around things and over things.

But, we were able to have fun encircled (sort of) by our protective orange bubble and not think too much about the future. We enjoyed our watermelon and drippy castles and floating on the waves because today is today and tomorrow is.... well, not promised to us anyway.

I gave the kids the waterproof camera, whereby they promptly took 36 photos of their fingers, 18 pictures of sand, and 5 pictures of various rear-ends. They also took a few pictures of other things.

As you can see, it was a lovely day. Everyone enjoyed the last beach day. I'm just hoping it's not the last last beach day. For a while.