"Anne-Lynne" and me at one of the Navarre Beach walkways on New Years' Day 2022 Photo by Brian Hope-y New year, everyone.
That is all I can dare to have as the calendar changed and a new 12-month cycle of keeping solar time begins. As I stated earlier-- 2021 dashed most of my hopes to totally get away from COVID. Here we are again in January, and people I know still refuse the request of community leaders regarding masking and/or vaccination. So, the best I can offer people as a greeting for this New Year is may it be hope-full. Y'all, I simply cannot handle any more heartbreak brought on by COVID and people refusing to be good humans. I'm not " happy", but I can be " hope-full".
Anyway, Brian and I enjoyed a New Years' gathering of food & football at my parents' house. the weather was breezy & sunny, so I suggested to Brian that we drive across the Navarre Causeway to see the Gulf. Dressed in jeans and a light jacket, we parked the truck at the first beach access area and strolled to the Gulfside recreation area.
Brian chose to stay on the wooden walkway deck, but I removed my sandals and sank my feet into the soft & white Gulf Coast sand. I walked down to the water's edge and dipped my feet into the chilly water. BRR, this would suffice as my " polar bear plunge".
Yikes! The Gulf is too cold in January! I let the cold water wash over my feet as I closed my eyes and recalled the waters of baptism. At the start of another year of the Gregorian calendar, it felt good to connect with both my Christian identity & my Celtic Druid ancestry and give thanks for the gift of water. Water can be life-sustaining and life-destroying, and I prayed for an uneventful Atlantic storm season.
I got out of the water and walked a bit, coming to the area under the Navarre Fishing Pier. Since I'd promised Brian that I would not venture far, I did an about-face and walked back to the walkway near where we had parked the truck. I noticed that there were two styles of beach-going dress. First there were locals such as me: dressed in street clothes and jackets. The second group of bathers came in swimwear. Several of them were in the water swimming, paddleboarding, or even surfing {the surf was up due to the front arriving later in the weekend}
The Gulf is beautiful, even in a windy January afternoon. Photo by The Pensacola Hippie.
Portuguese Man-O- War creatures washed up near the shoreline. These things can STING, so I carefully watched my step in going to & from the water line. You DO NOT want to get stung by one of these creepy-looking critters! Photo by The Pensacola Hippie.
My soul needed that sun, sand and salt air therapy as much as it needed a good supper at Mom & Dad's house. I DID NOT pack up everything & leave everyone I knew in order to spend winters indoors. I'm grateful that Life At Sea Level allows me to get my Nature quota on most days.
Peace...
Sarah McCarren
January 2, 2022
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