I swear, nothing makes it more apparent that I’ve turned into my parents than the annual trip to the beach.

While I love the ocean, actually sitting on the beach is pretty much last for all I am excited about. It’s all the fantastic food, followed by a ton of peace and quiet, the wildlife – AND HOLY SHIT A DEER JUST LITERALLY RAN THROUGH THE YARD AND THEN JUMPED IN THE CREEK AND TOOK A SWIM AND JUMPED OUT AND WENT ON ITS MERRY WAY!!! (No lie, it happened as I was sitting on the porch typing this.)

And then, sitting on the beach.

Also, in true channeling my parents fashion – I wake up long before my alarm. (I suspect this has more to do with crashing early after eating way too much than suddenly becoming a morning person, but here we are.)

Though we got off to a slightly rough start this year – two hours out from the beach and the rental agency calls and tells me the previous tenants flooded the house we were supposed to stay at – they got us another place, while it’s not what I would have picked, it works well enough.

I like not being in a rush. I like not being stressed. I like being able to just quietly exist. Things that just do not happen at home.

What I think is an Eastern Willet

Some liquid sunshine:

Just a pretty flower

Crab claws from Coastal Provisions – fried in butter, wine, garlic, Texas Pete, & Old Bay. Amazing!

Night Sounds:

Shrimp & grits from Coastal Provisions

Chocolate mousse cake from Coastal Provisions

View from the porch

Talkative crows:

Pato tacos from the Coastal Cantina

Morning rituals

7/16 11:26 AM – Edited to fix some caption issues.
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