Life on a Beach

It has been four years now since I took the plunge and downsized into my one bedroom home on the beach. I live here year round and it has been very interesting. One day in the middle of winter, I glanced out my window and watched a cougar stroll stealthily by. I come face to face with a very familiar fox every day and just last week saw a skunk scurry by. But yesterday, as I was walking my little pug back up the three steps to my deck, he yelped in obvious pain. When I looked down, there was a smug looking snapping turtle parked under the first step. In the middle of the night you can hear the yipping of coyotes and sometimes the howl of a timberwolf. There are only about 13 of us in our park who stay year round. The other snowbirds leave in the fall and return at various times in the spring. This summer, with water levels so high, we do not have our sand beach.

Last year, in order to get my grandkids out of the water as it was getting dark, my friend concocted a story about the eels that come in at night. The kids were out of that water so fast! This backfired on us though when the very next day, an eel carcass washed up on shore. Now we adults are quick to get out of the water as darkness falls. Life for me these past four years truly has been "a beach".