…on Florencia beach. We hit the bay as the tide was falling, figuring that most surfers head in as the waves diminish, and this seemed to be the case last Saturday afternoon.
There is a small parking lot at the end of the road, and we squeezed into the last remaining space. Had we arrived even a few minutes later, we’d have parked up more easily judging by the steady stream of smiling surfers and paddle boarders returning to their vehicles.
They’re a squelchy and happy bunch in shining wetsuits, an even mix of family and friends, young and old, girls and boys, and men and women. (I met a charming surf instructor at a community event last week, where we were supposed to be discussing education issues for Indigenous youth, but ended up with him almost – almost – convincing me he could teach me to surf. Maybe more to come later…)
We negotiated the rickety wooden staircase down to the beach – no easy task when an enthusiastic Scout has the sea scent in her nostrils – and tottered onto the wide expanse of sand. Fifteen minutes earlier, after a rainy morning, the skies were grey, and there was still a hint of moisture in the air. Now, looking out over the ocean, there was a distinct line of blue, and it seemed to be getting closer.
By the time we had wandered down the beach a little, to get away from the “crowds” – maybe a half dozen other people – and found a log to perch on with an enormous array of chewable sticks nearby, the afternoon was turning warm. Yes! An autumnal day that still held a touch of summer. Jackets off, and sleeves rolled up, we set to the task of watching the remaining surfers try to catch waves, and a couple of paddle boarders beyond the surf racing in on the swell.
Soon enough, the promising patch of blue sky pushed back the clouds, and we were sitting in the sunnier half looking across to the cloudy and mistier half of the bay. Scout dug holes like her life depended on it, and we moved back and brushed ourselves off like we didn’t enjoy being showered with sand.
The receding waters defeated the final frolicking surfers, and uncovered a rock strewn area to our right. We strolled down to take a closer look, breathing in the fresh seaweed and wet sand smell. Scout chose to be a little braver than in previous beach visits, venturing into water nearly two centimetres deep. Not spectacular, but just enough to make certain we’d be enjoying extra wet dog aroma on the journey home.
We were there for almost three hours, stumbling and splashing about, fun on a fall afternoon. As we dragged ourselves away, the bay was empty of people, and briefly, we had the wild crescent all to ourselves. A single bald eagle flew over our heads and towards the rocky section. I like to think, as we heaved ourselves back up the steps, bears and wolves were nosing out onto the beach, ready to feed and frolic now they had the place back to themselves.
Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful weekend!
OldPlaidCamper 
Such a glorious stretch of beach, pc. Enjoyed your writing, as usual, with the dog aroma, getting showered with sand, sea air in Scout’s nostrils. Enjoyed the photos too–rocks, kelp, surfers and paddle boarders, conifer forests. Thanks for taking us to the beach, it was a delight. Hope your weekend is a joy.
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Thanks, Jet! We seem to do quite a bit of viewing through Scout’s eyes – never hurts to walk in different shoes (or paws!) Glad you enjoyed this beach, it is a favourite of ours.
Hope your return home was as smooth as can be expected, and your weekend has been a good one.
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Reading your post and looking at your photos makes me yearn for the ocean, sigh….. Have a glorious weekend!
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Thanks, Margaret! Hope your weekend has been pleasant, and wishing you a glorious October!
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A spirited display of early autumn images on the coast… I love that misty quality of the photos, PC; I can almost taste the salt spray and feel the sand that Scout is kicking up. All of it makes me yearn for a little ocean water, myself, so thanks for that! I’m hoping to make the Rhode Island salt next weekend.
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Thanks, Walt. Have a great trip next weekend, and I hope you get salt in your beard – or weekend stubble – find sand in your shoes, and enjoy long ocean views. And maybe a coastal brew or two…
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Thanks for sharing the beautiful autumn day and photos, especially the fabulous photo of the rocky section. Scout looks like she loves autumn along the coast and you may need to take the top off the Jeep at some point to take care of that wet dog aroma. I hope Mrs. PC plans on being available with the camera for your first surfing lesson that you share with us. Also, I hope there is another way to the beach so you don’t have to totter down the steps with your surfboard, that sounds a little dangerous and it would be horrible to have a wipe out on land and water. Love the shot of the paddle boarders and the definition of a crowd at the beach. Enjoy your weekend!
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Thank you! We were tempted to take the top off the Jeep, but with rain showers light and heavy racing in over the weekend and into the next few days, we might end up frantically fixing it back before the interior is soaked – although it might do more good than harm…
Whenever I squeeze myself into a wetsuit, Mrs. PC has a good laugh, and if there are photos, they are taken from a distance. If the lesson goes ahead, I promise to include one of me standing up on the board, but only because it’ll still be on the sand!
I hope your weekend has been a good one. The football was fun, with Kane scoring twice, Mourinho and MUFC falling apart, and Everton actually winning – convincingly!
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Love those wonderful photos, PC! We’re now on the coast too – the Atlantic in Maine – but miss those wonderful beaches. Here it is massive rocks tumbling into the ocean and a giant mostly conifer forest blocking most views of the water. So, we are a little jealous of that beach and those views.
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I would like to visit Maine one day – a trip to north east US is on our to do list. I hope you get to find a few gaps in that forest and have some clear Atlantic views!
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Sounds like a wonderful way to spend a day. Scout in particular seems to love all that salt and sea air. Now, what’s this about you learning how to surf. 😊
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Yep, it seems life on the west coast isn’t complete unless you surf (or try!) so at some point, I’ll have to have a go…isn’t it just like snowboarding, but on water? Then I’ll be fine! I think I’ve just revealed my cluelessness when it comes to surfing. There’s always paddle boarding if the surfing isn’t a go – those boards are wide and stable! And a dog can fit on the back…
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Good for you Adam! I’ll look forward to updates. My balance was never too good on a surf board, so I’ll stick to a boat thanks! 🙂
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