Ever since I hit that too-cool-for-everything pre-teen stage, I've hated the beach. Then I met my soulmate, A, who feels just the same. It's hot, sticky, sandy, & the water is always still too cold for my rice paper-thin skin. I still groan when the word is uttered, but there is one spot that merits an exception: the Fort DeSoto Dog Beach. What's more Floridian than a beach day in September?
We met A's family at their RV spot on Saturday afternoon, & after chowing down on some Xtreme Cheese Goldfish & Pub Subs (turkey, mustard & cheese only, thx) we packed the car full of some snacks & our favorite little traveler: Bentley.
My pale skin is no match for Florida's scorching hot beach days, so pass me the Coppertone. I somehow manage to always forget to lather up my neck & shoulders, you know, the only two parts that really require ample amounts of sunblock. Thankfully A had my back when the heat got hot (literally). Oh, & a big thank you to the weather gods, because the water was perfect & I'm always the one to scurry away from the ocean or pool if it's too cold (remember, I hate the beach).
A & I love the dog beach because watching such a widely diverse range of dog breeds interacting with each other, while simultaneously peeing on anything in sight, is hilarious. Nothing is funnier than when little Shelby trots up for a scratching while a frazzled owner screams her name from a distance.
Our little Bentley is such a diva; not only does he refuse to play with any dog that is remotely near his size, he doesn't care much for the water, either. At one point, all seven of us were in the water calling for him to join us. He instead turned around trotted up the sand, & sat on a chair beneath an umbrella. Okay, Bentley.
In between moments of balancing Aisha's little brother Aric on my shoulders & coaxing Bentley into the water for a family portrait, we all took turns trying to stand up with our feet on two separate boogie boards. Summary: not easy if you weigh more than an eight-year-old boy, but I was more than impressed to see A get all the way up there.
All in all, maybe I don't hate the beach as much as I thought. Getting out in the fresh air & watching the dogs & kids play must have inspired childlike enjoyment out of me, because A's sister Ariana had to ask me how old I was multiple times throughout the day.
Here's to broadening our horizons.
Love,
J
