The Beach Up Close

My sister Jamjarjude and I stopped off for a walk on the beach at Lantzville the other day. It’s not a mellow, sandy beach, but one of those wild, rocky beaches of the Pacific Northwest. And beautiful. Especially when you get up close and personal.

There was seaweed…

…and tiny mussels clustered together on the rocks….

…masses of barnacles…

…sandstone carved by the sea water…

…pebbles cemented by the sand into rock…

…and rocks pitted where the pebbles have been released into the sea.

The tide was low, and the beach revealed the sandstone honed into soft shapes by the sea…

…and many textures, all unveiled by the low tide.

Just a walk on a beach.

Some More Faces in the Forest

I love looking for faces in the forest and in the driftwood when I’m out walking Ralphie. It’s amazing what you can see when you start looking.

I thought that one looked like a Scottie dog.

A pouncing cat.

A bit like a gorilla.

A large bird at the base of the tree.

Iris Haiku

Iris mouths open

to drops of May’s gentle touch,

savouring summer.

 

 

The Driving Range

My sister Jamjarjude is in town — let the adventures begin! No sooner had she arrived then I was whisked off, Ralphie in tow, to the local driving range — that’s driving as in golf, not as in cars.

Now, the last time I held a golf club in my hand was probably around 1991, so I was a titch rusty. But, you know, I’ve discovered golf is a bit like riding a bicycle — a little bit of practice and it’s amazing how quickly muscle memory kicks in. This is, and I must give credit where credit is due, owing to Jamjarjude’s amazing golf tutelage when I was a mere New Romantics buff in shoulderpads and a perm.

She came prepared — a selection of drivers at the ready. Uh, JJJ? Remind me how to hold the club?

Oh, yes, keep those arms straight — “Think volleyball arms”, she says. It’s a great tip.

Now, focus. “Eye on the ball”.

“And, whack it outta town!” Well, I managed 140 yards. More than once. We up for a 3 par 9-hold game on Friday. Watch out Jamjarjude!

Heron

Even on a day when grey shrouds the forest and the sea, and you shiver and curl your toes at the dampness in your boots, and you pull at the leash and say, “Hurry up, I’m cold!”, something may catch your eye and reveal beauty.

Lupin Haiku

Multi-tiered lupin

petals promising perfect

hideaways for bees.

Elevator Pitch

I’ve just finished writing a novel. Today I’ve been working on the elevator pitch. The genre is upmarket contemporary women’s fiction, and the working title is “Turquoise”.

Here’s the pitch:

“When forty-something cancer survivor Addy Quinn meets the young tour guide Omar Bouchtat on a Moroccan holiday, their passionate love affair sets off events which unmask the underlying prejudices in their cultures, and threaten not only their love, but their very survival.”

What do you think?