Once Upon a Beach
CBMUSED at 3:23 pm Category: Blue Ink, GeneralTags: beach, cbmused, familiarity, locals, sand
The beach is scantily clad with locals. A sense of welcoming familiarity washes ashore with the unexpected wave that disturbs the plump seagull from the sunken footprint it has made for a bed.
It feels good to reclaim the beach.
The wooden spoon man takes his place near the shore and ingeniously uses the implement to apply suntan lotion to his back. The thin man in old leathery skin and dark Speedos makes his way to the crystal waters. The bald dark bouncer with his solid thighs and upper chest clumsily dries himself, always in a long-sleeve swim top to avoid more colour. Two European gents with white chest hair and gold necklaces stop and gesticulate their animated discussion, later calling it truce over green olives and red wine.
The look-at-me bloke of three yester years struts by, stopping and posing to show off a body now beefed up on too much gym and steroids.
The Northern European couple in their 50s arrive looking rather striking as usual. They strip down to a one piece, bikini bottoms for her and a thin g-string for him, in matching fluoro colours.
A perfectly sculpted bare chest emerges from beneath the turquoise waters, long enough for the water to glisten down its bareness then he goes under.
The midday shadow floats lazily across the stretch of powdery sand. It stops at its usual vantage point and disappears over a carefully laid out towel, notebook and pencil in hand.
Once… upon a beach.
March 14th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Once upon a day … I will be on a beach instead of in this frigid weather, dressed to the nines in parkas and boots and hats and mittens.
March 14th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
So you don’t like the macho bloke? You have such great attention to detail my friend. I saw a Ducati yesterday and of course I thought of you.
March 14th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
The beach, in this heat, is more than a welcomed distraction. If only for a moment to forget that the rest of the world weighs heavily on my mind. The rest of the world…and the stuff in the house that we have to move in this 39 degree heat.
March 14th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
EM: Amen to that!
Egan: Not any more, too much of a poseur and full of it. And thank you, writing has made me a lot more observant than before so it can only be a good thing.
Ah, Ducatis! It seems such a long time ago…
Kami: 39C! Poor you, I hope the stuff doesn’t melt!
March 15th, 2008 at 4:48 am
Awesome description, as always! I really don’t have anything more to say than that. Unless that last sentence was the “more to say”. If it wasn’t, then ignore the latter sentence. But do not ignore the latter sentence to this sentence, or you will not know to ignore the sentence before the latter sentence.
March 15th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Glad to see you again!
Just one question about the beach: Can I go too? I can swim, so if I have to, I’ll swim to Oz. Yep, I’ll get a waterproof passport and drink plenty of fluids. Might take a few days, though!
March 15th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Just checking in with the correct url. Love the new site, by the way.
March 15th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Jarod: Thanks you, I am very humbled.
The last sentence was deliberately left to the imagination and interpretation :).
Eric 1313: How about somewhere in the Pacific where the swimming and snorkelling is great? Let’s go!
Eric 1313: No worries, I’ve fixed the previous urls for you. The advantage of being on WordPress now.
When you get the chance, please check out the Martini Lounge. One of your old comments launched that page
March 16th, 2008 at 2:12 am
You definitely enjoy the beach! Can’t blame you…
March 16th, 2008 at 2:29 am
I could use the beach right now. I’ve been indoors for so many months at work that I have gotten very little sunlight and I have a very white complexion to prove it. Maybe in a few weekend when I am in Miami….
March 16th, 2008 at 5:06 am
I’m not the world’s greatest sun lover, but it’s a fine picture you paint in this post, Clea.
My beach preference would be for an autumnal walk along the sand with a fresh breeze blowing…
March 16th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Stuff? I was more worried about myself melting.
March 16th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
I was at the beach a few weeks ago. It was raining, in the 50’s and I was wearing a bright yellow rain slicker that I had just purchased because I was wet and cold and the thing happen to be on sale. When I arrived home as luck would have it I sold it to a friend who needed a good rain coat. I did not profit from this transaction other than I got rid of a jacket I would have most likely never worn again.No memory of a many spoon lotion on his back with a wooden spoon.
March 16th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Sidney: What can I say… it was ingrained in me as a child. Maybe one day I’ll write about it, and how it all started…
GSR: Miami sounds like a lovely warm and sunny place to recharge the batteries. Not that I’ve been there, but I’m told it’s full of old retired people. It must have quite a buzz!
Simon: and so do you… You make me wish for those autumnal walks along a beach promenade. In fact, it’s made me dream… and that’s a good thing
Kami: oh gawd, is it that bad? Just make sure your hard drive stays cool
JW: Sounds like you’ve made good $$ out of the experience! If you ever see a man applying suntan lotion with a wooden spoon, don;t let the shock factor get to you. It is rather ingenious… well, I can say cause I’m glad he didn’t ask me to do it …
March 17th, 2008 at 12:57 am
Actually, just north of Miami (into Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Palm Beach) there are tons of retired people. The “South Beach” area in Miami is filled with the celebrities, the young tanned bodies, and is generally regarded as one of the most exciting night spots on the eastern side of the U.S.
I, however, will be looking for the quiet beaches that are filled with retired people….
March 17th, 2008 at 9:43 am
GSR: That doesn’t sound like much fun! But if you spot an old man with a wooden spoon, remember you read about it here first…
March 17th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
It’s great how you get to know the locals, like they become as much a part of the beach as the high tide mark or the cluster of rocks at the southern end. I have my own band of course, some I know very well and others I have never spoken to - I just see them there all the time.
I am interested in your reply to Sidney (14th comment ), and having had a very similar experience would love to read about yours.
BTW, I highly approve of placing various parts of one’s anatomy between camera lens and the ocean.
March 17th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
GBoy: You are one up on me here. Where I come from, locals don;t speak to each other on the beach. We often nod in acknowledgement but that’s as far as it goes. Your stretch sounds like a lot more hospitable.
I’ll give that post some thought. I have scribbled some notes in the past but they’re a little too revealing so I’ll see what I can do without losing the essence of it. Maybe we’ll swap stories at some point.
You do, hey?
You think that’s me?… That would be telling! 