First Beach Jaunt

Okay, so not exactly the first one of the spring/summer...that was attempted with my Auntie Stacy, her family and my family over Memorial Day weekend. Let's just say: wind, rain, sun...wind, rain, sun...more wind, more rain, call it quits. I hope they can make it over here again before the end of summer, or at least before the end of beach weather and experience the sun and fun the right way.

So, for our first-successful-beach jaunt the weather cooperated fabulously. Nineties, hot sun, easy drive to Dauphin Island-fab! After a long hike in the white sand to the water (goodness, the beach has grown since we first moved here) we settled ourselves in for a long afternoon. The boys are always a little timid of the water at first (I am so getting them into swimming lessons this summer!!) but quickly warmed up and were giving my heart quite the exercise as they "swam" around in the warm water. Gunner enjoyed digging around in the sand and I thought I might just be able to relax and get some color on my pearly whites (and I don't mean teeth).

Such wishful thinking was futile. Gun grew very interested in the going-ons all around him. After chasing the seagulls, he meandered back to our blanket covered in black goo. Yes, I thought the same thing...but no, he wasn't covered in crap, he was covered (one whole leg and hand/arm) in a thick, oily, sticky substance. I washed him off with sand and the water, but to no avail. It simply thinned and spread. I quickly had a son with ethnic appendages. Being a good MST coastie wife, I called my husband and asked him what the crap had washed up on shore. Tar...hmmm...being the good coastie MST husband, he had me walk up and down the beach determining how many tar balls and stained sand were there and document it with pictures. I know Kit misses Response...the desire to come out to investigate and over-see clean up was apparent in his voice. Walking with my boys on the beach is like herding cats (a term stolen from my dad-in-law), but our mission was soon over. Back to enjoying the surf. A while later, Jos comes bounding out of the water with...yes, you guessed it...tar covering his pale belly and down the side of his swimsuit. Seriously-I looked around-my kiddies were the only ones now colored from tar!! Not too much there, but my beasties found it! Isn't that ALWAYS the way. I decided to ignore it this time and we had fun for the rest of the afternoon.

Fun, sun and yes, some color. Of course it is only one strip down the front of my legs, but who wouldn't love red shins. Maybe I'll start a new trend...or better yet, maybe I'll return next week to work on the back and sides.