Monday, December 15, 2008

From Sea to Shining Sea: Dec. view 2

If you drew a diagonal line across the USA, from New England to Southern California, you would see how far it is from the Commuter's Journal station to the Land of Lost Luggage

And yet, we both have beaches on our doorsteps. Well, a 15-minute ride from our doorsteps, but for those of you in land-locked areas, that's pretty darn close, no?

I love my wild, New England beaches. So Byron-esque with their thrashing waves, sense of danger and cold, blue gaze.

Inhabited by the ghosts of summers past and those crazy seagulls, still hoping for a stray french fry or errant blue crab.

A bit confused why neither shows up in the middle of the street.

And oblivious to the seawall, as it resolutely holds back the churning water.

Well, maybe not all that oblivious. I look forward to summer, when the seawall is transformed into a balance beam for small, sandy feet.


One icy New England beach full of  treasure. In nature, in art and in transcontinental friendships made possible by the Internet and Web logs and in the amazing happenstance that we can watch the surf roll in on the same day on opposite sides of the same country. 


Thank you, Julie, for agreeing to share our beaches. Please go to the Land of Lost Luggage and see what a California  beach looks like in December. Imagine, you can fly from Connecticut to California in less than a minute. Even Santa would be jealous.

Edit: Show us your beach! Click on the link to Julie in Luggage Land and send her your link to the photos of your own beach. Let's keep the cross-country tour going!

6 comments:

Kim Mailhot said...

Thanks for the trip to the beach !!! I just woke up way too early here in NH - 5:07 is too early ! When I let the dog out for a whiz, I saw that we have had a full 2 inches of the white stuff over night ! It feels pretty cold out there too. It made me think of the cold wind on the beach (poor stupid seagulls !), and the sand just a degree away from freezing because of the salt...and the waves just keeping the rhythm in spite of the bitter temperature. Ah winter in New England, the Cold Beauty.
While I don't think California is the place for me, I wouldn't mind a winter visit now and then ! Off to Julie so at least I can have virtual one !

Stay warm !

Toni said...

These are the kinds of beaches I grew up visiting -- Ocean City, Hatteras, Assateague, Myrtle Beach ... somehow more gray, definitely more wild-feeling ... and walking on the beach in the winter is still a memory so strong in me I can see/smell/touch/ taste/hear all of it just by closing my eyes.

Nice idea for youse twos to share beaches, with each other and with US!

Kristin Amaro said...

Thanks for sharing your beach! I'm a 21 year native San Diegan who moved to San Francisco for 15 years and now has lived in Tennessee for 8 months...so Julie's beach pictures brought a wave of nostalgia to me. I always wanted to travel to see your parts...these pictures are very inviting. Maybe someday...

Enjoy your winter ~

Anonymous said...

I love the tour, JeriAnn!! You're right about your beach..mysterious indeed...but why? To me, those pictures could have been taken right here...but the main difference is the rusty bars by your seawall...makes all the difference and gives a feel of time gone by. We'll have to do a tour in the middle of summer too! Today another cold blast for us- 52 degrees and rain..a lot of rain.

Chris said...

Oh, my, the colors! Don't you love that cute little seagull, who lots of people probably think is annoying, but I just love!, sitting and waiting... I hope to get to Connecticut one day. How lovely.

TBM said...

I love the deserted beach in winter when it's just me the birds! Thanks for sharing these lovely views with us :-)