It still seems kind of strange not to be awakened at 5 a.m. Christmas morning by excited children...even though we've been empty nesters for about 10 years. But we really enjoyed our leisurely morning, simple breakfast, and opening our gifts one at a time, appreciating each one. More and more our gifts to one another center around our individual interests. So Curt got plenty of books and some things to help with his new interest in fishing, and I received art supplies of varying kinds (paints, brushes, inks, etc.). Here's Curt sporting his new waders and boots, topped off with a beautiful scarf which our daughter Jessica knitted him:
We decided to head out for a walk on the beach in late morning. As we went outside, there was a couple who had driven into our driveway looking for information about renting the cottages. We often have visitors coming to the house, thinking it's the office, since we're the biggest cottage and we're closest to the road. At any rate, we had a wonderful long conversation with this couple from Houston, Barbara and John.
They're thinking about perhaps some lifestyle changes while they're still in good health. We encouraged them enthusiastically. These past 7 months of daring to do something different have really been a joy for us!
Then on to the beach. It was a bit blustery, so we pretty much had the whole shoreline to ourselves.
Here's a flock of skimmers coming in for a landing on the water. They're amazing looking birds!
Pebbles on the shore. So many different colors!
The tide was out more than usual, so we could see lots of shallow and uncovered spots in the water. The pier in the distance is the one we're standing on in the following two photos, looking back toward shore.
As we strolled back toward the car, we spotted another kite-boarder in the bay. Brrrr! It was a chilly day to be out in the water, and since this guy wasn't as experienced as the last one I showed photos of, he spent quite a bit of time in the water. Way more time than up on his board!
How do you like the sun's reflection on the water? It was so beautiful! One of these days I'll do a blog with just photos of the water and sky in all different moods and weather and kinds of lighting, so you can see the variety we enjoy everyday.
Before leaving the beach, Curt, inspired by the woman we saw feeding seagulls the day before, pulled out a bag of breadcrumbs. There were a few gulls nearby, facing away from us into the wind, but the moment that bag came out, they KNEW! Suddenly the air was filled with flapping wings and gull cries. You toss up a handful of crumbs, and very few of them hit the ground. These guys are amazing acrobats, and they snag the crumbs in the air without hitting each other. Amazing!
Here's Curt telling them they can't have anymore. But they're not leaving...they can see there's still bread in the bag!
So he gave in....
I was just as happy to stand off to the side and take pictures. Something about being closely surrounded by a hundred flapping screeching gulls is just a little too intense for my liking!
Having worked up an appetite, back home we enjoyed the feast that we'd been waiting for. Fresh crab legs! They were so sweet and delicious! We think we like king crab legs even better than all the lobster we consumed in Maine last summer. Not totally sure, though...we'll have to try more of both to make up our minds definitively.
Not much left!!!
After dinner I laid down on the sofa in the sunroom for a brief nap...and ended up sleeping almost 2 hours!!! When I opened my eyes, I saw the most stunning sunset. So, barely awake, I grabbed my iPad and stumbled outdoors. Over the next 10 minutes I was treated to brilliant colors in every direction. In our part of town it's hard to get a sky shot without telephone poles or wires, but just ignore those if you can, and soak in the flaming colors. I was thrilled!
It started with smooth pastels, but quickly moved on from there.
What a way to end a beautiful Christmas Day!
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