A Spontaneous Trip to the Beach

On a whim, one Sunday evening, Amy suggested we should take a drive. The boys were restless and this sounded like a good way to get everyone calmed down. So, we jumped in the car and headed West. Amy revealed that she thought we ought to go out to the beach, not to play - it was after all a Sunday - but simply to enjoy, to take it all in. I agreed that was a good idea and that is what we did.

We found a nice little beach just South of Pt. Magu Naval Base, and parked. It was only a short while before sunset, but the nighttime mists that rest over the ocean helped mask the sunlight so that it wasn't glaring in our eyes. The boys were enchanted, and surprised (we hadn't told them where we were going). Joseph had never been to the beach and never seen the ocean; come to think of it, I'm not sure that Josh had either, and in any case it had been quite awhile since any of us had been; it was good to smell that salty sea air. There were some nice waves, and some wake-riders were enjoying the wet sands. It was beautiful and peaceful. Ben enjoyed watching the sand fall from his fingers. I enjoyed taking pictures of everyone. Joseph enjoyed watching the ocean. Josh enjoyed running around, kicking and throwing sand. And Amy enjoyed being free from the confines of the house and having a distraction for the children.

Once the sun finally had set and it was time to go, we wandered over towards a bog where a choir of frogs was chirping, and we listened to that for a bit before getting back in the car and heading home. Ben collected seashells as we headed back to the car, and for the next several days, he enjoyed putting them in his pocket and listening them jingle as he walked around the house. Simple little trips like that can be so much fun. Here are some photos.

Ben spent several minutes picking up sand and then watching it slowly drop through his fingers

Josh is extremely difficult to photograph, because he is usually so active, and activity is hard to capture in such low light; here is one of few shots where he was almost holding still.

This is more Josh's style, but I love the little smile; typical Josh.

Both Ben and Josh enjoyed kicking the sand into the air.

The waves seemed to be especially soothing for Joseph, sitting here in Mommy's lap, watching her hands.

When we first arrived, everyone grabbed a seat to watch the waves for a bit.

I love Amy. I don't think she likes having her photo taken, so I hope she'll forgive me.

Before we left, Amy took a few photos of me.