I saw an oystercatcher today, a large bird that inhabits tidal flats.  A friend bought me a dish in a local gift shop with an oystercatcher painted on it, and insisted that we had...

An osprey circled over me on the beach this morning. His wings were spread in a wide span, his eyes unblinking, his attention entirely focused on the water below. Tightly coiling in the blue...

Last night the wind blew so hard it battered my bamboo wind chimes, scattering bamboo lengths all over the yard below.  I thought during the night I could hear the jumbled sounds, but blithely...

This morning the high waves swirled seaweed around my feet, leaving small stands on my feet and legs.  It washes up on shore in piles that resemble cut grass, capturing small shells and bits...

During last night’s windstorm, pinecones thudded on our roof, disturbing my sleep and making me worry about roof damage.  This morning I picked up the pinecones from the deck, noticing their complexity and beauty. ...

Today I attended a lunch in honor of a friend who is leaving the island, moving closer to her children.  The loss is a sad one, though I’m convinced she’ll be happier in a...

I watched a gull with a large fish in his mouth bent over at the edge of the beach.  He seemed worried that I would steal the fish from him, and so tried to...

How blessed I am to be living near water!  It cools us in the summer and moderates winter’s cold.  Its breezes keep the air fresh, its waves comfort me in the dark, and its...

Sometimes when people pass me on the beach, I smell suntan lotion, liberally applied.  I remember a dear friend from many years ago.  We lived in frigid Michigan, and all winter he used suntan...