The Big 5-0

I can't believe it, but this is my 50th blog post!

50!!!

Wow!  I must have matured this summer because that is two projects (my garden and my blog) that I haven't given up on. 

Hmmm . . . I wonder what I can tackle next?

Anyhoo, for my 50th blog post I want to talk about one of my most favourite places in the entire world . . .

New River Beach!

Unfortunately, it takes about an hour for us to drive there, hence the high-fiving in the picture above.  But let me tell ya, it is so worth it. The long drive, the packing and every time I had to pull the car over to tell the boys "if you keep it up we are turning around", pale in comparison to how much fun we have here.  It's the best place on earth!

And I have been to other beaches.  Last summer we took the kids to Old Orchard Beach, which was very cool with its huge waves, its crowd of beach goers and, our favourite, its beachside carnival, but still it was no New River.

Last winter our family went on a cruise and we spent an afternoon at Magen's Bay in St. Thomas.  This was a beautiful beach!! The water was warm and crystal clear,the beach was surrounded by lush, green trees, and, my favourite part of the whole day, it was HOT!  But still, it was no New River. 

Yikes!  Look past the awful "mom arms" and you will see the beautiful Magen's Bay in the background.

For those of you familiar with New River, you will know that the water is absolutely freezing, that the air temperature is usually a good 10' C below what it was at your house when you left, they charge you $8 just to park your car, and to top it all off there is the fog!  It could be bright and sunny your entire drive there, but the beach could be engulfed in a thick blanket of fog.  Going to New River Beach is always a gamble!

Ugh!  So, what's the attraction?

This is the beach I grew up on.

This is where my kids will grow up.

And this is where my friends hang out.

That's why I love it!

It's the memories and the people.

The other thing I love about New River Beach is that as you stand along the shoreline and watch the waves roll in one and after another, never taking a break, you feel small, very small.  All of your cares and worries seem insignificant standing before the majestic Atlantic Ocean, and I find comfort in this.

Yesterday was our first New River Beach day of the season, and like the other million and a half times I have been there, it was a fantabulous day!

We met up nine other families so that meant there was no shortage of friends for the boys to play with.

When we first arrived, Avery heard some little girls squealing over a crab they found, and he was very intrigued.  Like a vulture, he hovered around the area until they grew tired of examining the carcass, and he pounced in and captured it for himself.  He was so happy and wanted to keep the crab as a souvenir, but it stunk!  Oh, did it stink!  He couldn't come anywhere within a five meter radius of the blanket and you would smell it.  After trying to sneak past me and my super sniffer a hundred times, he eventually decided to bury the crab and mark the spot with an "X" so he could find it later.  But this did not happen.  Here is the other thing about New River Beach that is very cool . . . the tide is HUGE!  Even us seasoned beach dwellers, who should know better by now, participated in the "beach blanket shuffle" after underestimating just how high the tide would come in.

Here is the beach at 12 pm:

And here it is just three hours later:

 

Crazy!

Even though the water was frigid cold, this did not deter the under 16 crowd from playing in the surf and trying to catch a few waves.

Elliot seeking out some waves:

 

Waiting . . .

 

Waiting . . .

Caught one!

This is about as adventurous I got yesterday.

Before the tide came in, the sand was perfect for building sand castles and for digging your way to China:

Even though we had a lot of fun, our day at the beach was only near-perfect because Derrick and Zoe were unable to come with us.

Thankfully, I had this guy to comfort me.

When his mama wasn't looking, I let him do some exploring in the sand.

He seemed to enjoy the feel of it on his tootsies!

Oh, and I was nice, I did share him . . . a couple of times.

 Like always, the best part about our trip to the beach was the snacking!

For all you scientists out there, perhaps you could do a study on why it is that we humans eat so much more when we are outside and why food seems to taste so much better when we are outside.  Hmmm  . . . any takers? 

Last night, when Derrick asked Elliot what he did at the beach all day, Elliot replied: "I ate Twizzlers!" . . . tee hee! 

So, there you have it, the best place on earth.  But, I warn you, it is not for the faint of heart.  A beach dweller here in Atlantic Canada must be strong to endure the frigid waters, must have an iron stomach to endure the stench of the wildlife, and must be able to pack away their weight in goodies.  Are you up for the challenge?

I promise you won't regret it . . .

Well, that is as long as the fog doesn't roll in . . .

Tee hee!