For me, when I want to unwind and relax, the coast is the ideal setting for the discipline of rest. There is just something about the sound of the ocean waves striking the beach in rhythmic time that calms my soul. So, last weekend we headed out for a weekend of camping at Ocean City State Park in Washington. We tent it, and deal with the repercussions. We do live in the Northwest, and weather is always unpredictable on the coast. The ocean is cold and wild. When all the forecasts say cloudy and no rain, expect rain. And guess what… it rained. We anticipated it though, so when it did rain, the tent was protected with a rain fly and ground foot print, and we had a pop up canopy rain fly over the picnic table. The temperature was not bad. At the beach, we wore our wetsuits and brought our new pump up surf board. The surf was a little subdued on Saturday so surfing wasn’t super successful. I just boogie boarded, and it was a blast. After 70 minutes or so, the cold did get to me a bit, and we had to abort. Changing on the beach is always fun: a big towel is a must. Just so you know, as with everything, there are numerous Youtube videos on the different techniques for men and women, and for shy folks. I would never recommend changing in the HoneyBucket. You should be nodding in agreement right now and if you are not, then you have never been in a portable latrine. Bad idea.

Always keep your eyes open for the unprepared neighbor. Five 20 something young folks had a tent with basically no rain fly. I walked back to my vehicle and grabbed my extra tarp and offered it to them for the night. I was happily informed that all were dry the next morning and that they learned a “Be prepared” lesson from their adopted camp dad.

I love camping food! I cooked with our propane stove and then we had a nice campfire as always. We like to bring home cooked meals in canning jars and just warm them up for healthy fuel. We topped the day off with some s’mores. Then everyone hit the sack, while I sat up and watched the fire with the distant sound of surf in the background. Peace.

My morning walk with the dog, who had a record breaking wet dog smell, was full of some natural wonders. The rain stopped just after we started off, and then came some sun breaks.

Yep. That’s a bald eagle checking out the beach.

Swamp flowers, deer, and lots of sand.

By Sunday evening, as I was sitting at home, wiped out from the weekend of fun and the unpacking phase of camping (so much wet gear!), I truly felt relaxed and ready to head back to work.

I finish with a shot of my daughter hitting the waves: focused, at peace with nature and the rhythm of the sea.