I live near a beach??

Apparently, yes. A friend of mine invited me to the beach a couple of days ago and, still being a water baby at heart, I lept at the chance. Well, I lept at it right after making a few advanced apologies for my extreme paleness -English people look at me and say, "crikey, you're pale!"- and for being slightly squishier than the last time he saw me in a swimsuit. Winter was not kind to me. Damn the french and their cheese.
Aaaaanyway. After work, we suited up and headed down to my favorite beach. I like to hang out at the far (south) end, where there are less people, and I have had good luck fishing in the past. It's on sort-of an inlet, where the intercoastal waterway meets the ocean, and on this day, the water was warm, and almost glassy. I usually like a bit of wave action-I'm not a surfer, but I like bodysurfing, when I can. But the water was so still, I could see right to the bottom, even standing chest-deep in it. We frolicked and floated, and sat and chilled. And then, just as the sun was setting into the haze, we headed to a little grill on the way back into town that had boiled peel-and-eat shrimp and bloody marys. All in all, a lovely end to the day. I must make a habit of it.