Today is our last day.  We are all packed up and ready to load the vehicle in the morning.  It’s been a great last day of vacation at the beach.  The weather was perfect: overcast with a cool breeze.  The only mishap of the day was the jellyfish that wrapped around my ankle, but it must have been small because it didn’t sting too badly.

As I walked down the beach, it was such fun to see all the families at play, glad to be on vacation.  Some were laying out a football field while others were making a bocce spot.  Others had rented big tricycles that float in the ocean and can be paddled all over the place.  Moms were taking care of little ones, and Dads were riding bikes while pulling the children in a carrier.  There is no alcohol allowed on the beach, so it is very family friendly.  The beach patrol is always around, and today I saw the deputy sheriff vehicle driving slowly down the beach as well.  And it makes me feel safe for these families with these small children.

Older grandmas and grandpas sit under the umbrellas and watch their families all gathered together from different parts of the country.  They take walks along the beach together and help one another gather all the “beach stuff” to start the trek back to their temporary home.  The grandchildren run into the ocean, build sand castles, dig holes they can sit in, play beach tennis, surf, and have a blast.

There were cute little teenagers with their tight little bodies riding bikes along the waves, eyed by everyone: those jealous of their tightness and their youth, those appreciative of their beauty, those enjoying the fact that they were enjoying themselves.  There was a grandma with her three granddaughters on a beach walk, looking for shells and whatever else looked interesting.  There were boys and girls (and adults) making sand sculptures.

It was just neat, seeing all these people from different places around the world, enjoying God’s gift to us: the beach.  A perfect ending to a perfect week.