We left the South Carolina on Halloween, 2014. It was a cold day, temperatures started out in the 40s but warmed up considerably as we moved south along the US East Coast. That was the last time we experienced anything even close to Winter. And that's just how we like it!
We may walk this beach a thousand times,
And each time...
It will be different.
My mind has entered a state of perpetual Summer. Most of the time, I forget that some places in this world are even still participating in Winter. I see it on Facebook mostly. And it's always a shock. I can't even conceptualize it. So here we are, on a typical day in January. On an island in The Freakin' Caribbean. And on this day, my thoughts turned to sympathy for all of those people who are still living where Winter happens. Well, you can keep it!
Only worry, is the tide gonna reach my chair butt...
He's out there doing the breast stroke...
It might look like we have no worries...
And most days...
It seems like we don't! But of course that's not true.
Even in January, when the sun is shining here in Puerto Rico, it can get pretty warm. Especially when we're out exercising. Mostly the Caribbean Breezes keep us cool, but some days, we are lucky enough to have almost complete cloud cover to make our walk a delight. Back in our cruising days, we never even made it to breakfast without checking the weather. Here, we go weeks without even thinking about it. (Unless it's hurricane season, but that's another story) We live on an island. In The-Freakin'-Caribbean! Of course it's going to rain today!
Our first steps onto the beach today brought the excitement of a new place. Yes, we've walked this beach many times, but it always surprises us how the forces of nature continually change our beaches. We haven't been here in many weeks, and we were a little sad to see that during our absence, we lost quite a few huge palm trees!
After a little entertainment, we took off toward the mouth of the Rio Maunabo. Along the way, we found a few things of interest, but very little sea glass. This is one of the beaches where I often find a nice handful... but not today!
Lichen of many different types grow on the dead tree trunks.
This is where palm trees come from!
The Black Sand is my favorite!
Kind of looks like a heart, doesn't it?
A little black sand, a little beige sand...
Never. Gets. Old.
We covered the distance to the mouth of Rio Maunabo relatively quickly with no sea glass to slow us down. So many missing palm trees, and quite a few just lying where they fell! But there is a lot more new sand than we found last visit, so while Mother Nature takes, she gives also.
Amazing! Where a high bank with the river cutting through the multicolored layers once was, there is now a flat bank of sand with waves pushing their way into the river. We enjoyed the new view and rested for a little while. As I relaxed, drinking in the beauty of our surroundings... my gaze focused on the line of rain that was rushing across the water, headed directly for US!!!
Break time is over!
Here comes the rain!
We scrambled up the embankment and into the protection of the palm forest! While it didn't provide complete cover, it kept us mostly dry. Well... maybe just kept us from getting soaked to the skin! But it's OK, because it's still in the low 80s anyway... and who doesn't love a refreshing shower?
Once the rain had passed, we came out of hiding and headed back to the car.
Back at the car, we took off our sun shirts, and rinsed the sand off of our feet, then we set up our chairs and brought out our picnic lunch! This beach, one of our Secret Beaches, has the perfect picnic spot! We enjoyed the breeze, and the play of the clouds and sun across the waves, until the sun came out for good! Suddenly, it was getting HOT! So, we packed our stuff and called it a day!
OPB used to mean Other People's Boats. Now that we don't have one of our own, that's pretty much the best kind of boat to have! But now, I've discovered another meaning for OPB... Other People's Beaches!
You might wonder why, with a beach in our own back yard, we would need to seek out other beaches at all... But, I have discovered this. You can NEVER have too many beaches!
This morning, for no reason, we sprung out of bed and packed up for a return to one of the new spots we found on our rainy Monday expedition. This little slice of Paradise is about 10 minutes from our house, and after today... it will be on our regular visitation route for sure! We parked the car and put on our sun protective gear... and headed for the sand!
I noticed a man sitting beneath the shade of a covered patio at the edge of the neighboring property. He was singing very loudly, and jammin' in his chair... and as I passed him, I asked if it was OK to park here. He told us that of course we could park there, and that we were welcome to enjoy the beautiful beach, and that everyone should be happy!! Noted, and plan executed!
When we first discovered this place, we were at the end of our day, and we split up, with Bruce going west, and me walking east a short distance. Today, we stuck together so that we could cover a larger area in our search for more sea glass!! We walked slowly west until we were greeted by a very nice woman, Teresa, who joined us in our collecting for a bit. Not only was she very welcoming and friendly, but she even showed us how to dig for sea glass pieces!! We met her husband, and chit-chatted for a bit.
When we said our goodbyes, we turned back to walk the other direction, passing our access point, and continuing on, with our collection bags growing more heavy with every step. While our forward progress was slow... the workout we got with each bend and reach for another treasure, must surely count for something!
All along this beach, in each of the strips of high-water deposits, and in each of the rock piles distributed by the waves that made it past the protective reef, we found wonderful bunches of sea glass and tiles. Today's treasures included several rare blues, a couple of small reds (even more rare) and a lavender... I've only found one or two lavender before today. But the most rare of all, is a large piece of Bonfire Glass!
We didn't make it to the end of the beach before we began to wilt. It was warm, and we were really picking up a lot... my back began to protest and Bruce was happy to comply with my suggestion that we save the rest for next time! We will let the beach rebuild her trove, and come back for more... soon! No need to be greedy!
Back at the car, we stripped off our sunwear, and were just about to leave, when I went over to the fence to say goodbye to the nice man. He came over and we began to talk. That lasted another 20 minutes... and ended with exchange of phone numbers, an invitation to just come on in and enjoy his shaded patio, and even a promise of some plants for my yard! Puerto Ricans are just the nicest folks on the planet! So now, whenever we get bored with our OWN beach... we have a new place to come and enjoy... Alexander's Beach!
