The most ambitious thing we did today?
We took a 45-minute walk on the beach...
out past the towering condominiums...
out past all the vacationers laid out to catch rays...
out past the pilings and lifeguard stations...
out to the area of sand populated mostly by birds.
Oddly, there were no turtle nests...
well, not yet.
That season is still ongoing, so a loggerhead or two may yet find its way home on this stretch of beach.
Mostly, the land belonged to us.
My first niece looks like she's dancing!
I wonder what music was on her mental jukebox?
Or, perhaps, she may have been composing her own tune from the ocean's rhythm...
yes, I'm sure that was it!
(smile!)
For the most part, they were silently accompanying us, with no constant "Mommie, look at this" or "Mommie, watch this" or "Mommie, do you see that".
In fact, it wasn't until the yellow-footed cranes and the gray heron appeared that the girls became active, trying to catch the birds.
Ah, but those denizens of the beach have been chased before and easily eluded those tiny, grasping hands!
What smart birds!
So the girls went back to splashing in the tidal pools and walking ahead of us, as if they were leading the way.
What silly girls!
(smile!)
It wasn't until then that the cries of "I'm tired" and "Are we there yet?" and "Can we go to the pool?" again began to sound.
That was okay.
I had left my mark on the beach.
Chloe and Miyah followed me as I encouraged them, making sure they knew the only way to get to the pool was to keep on walking...
past the tidal pools and the pilings...
past all the beach umbrellas and lounge chairs...
past the guy in the Texas hat playing frisbee with his dog...
all the way back to the white fence of the North Tower, our 'vacation home'.
Christina caught back up with us as we reached the steps to the pool patio.
The girls played in the pool for a while, then we all trooped back to Suite 404.
(smile!)
And what did we have for lunch?
Chili dogs and chips!
It tasted like a feast after our walk in the sun, by the waves, breathing sea air.
The youngest in our bunch almost fell asleep while she ate.
Time for Chloe to nap!
My first niece decided she'd like a nap, too...
and both of them slept for the next three hours.
Three hours!
That left Miyah and I to our own devices.
She busied herself with the coloring book and crayons that I'd rounded up from the lounge downstairs for her and her sister.
I busied myself with the crossword puzzle I'd started on Saturday night.
No, it wasn't a Jonesin' Crossword, but it was plenty challenging!
Believe it or not, that kept us busy for almost two hours.
Then I looked out and saw rain falling on the ocean.
Gorgeous!
and so did Miss Miyah Papaya!
And, oh, the talk we had, about turtles and eggs and baby turtles learning to swim...
about birds and eggs and baby birds learning to fly...
even about pterodactyls and their relationship with birds and the fact that their babies come out of eggs, just like birds' babies.
Hey, she brought up those topics, I was just responding!
(smile!)
Then she started wanting to go to the pool again.
Better wake up Mommie and Sissy!
So, we did, and while they were rousing, Miyah and I went to the pool for a while.
Christina and Chloe eventually joined us, then I headed back up.
I had b-i-n-g-o with the KC Crew, one last time!
I didn't see my niece and great-nieces until just after the last game ended at 8:37 PM!
By that time we were all ravenous!
Leftover stroganoff for me, leftover sketti for Christina, and peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches for the girls!
Christina and I tried to stay up for "The Wall", so we could watch it truly together instead of via our phones, and she did pretty well until that final round between the nurse and the medical supplies salesman.
Time for bed for me, too!
I wonder what we'll do that's new tomorrow?
(smile!)
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