Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Wet

Surfside Beach is a one stoplight town on the Texas coast. At the main intersection sit a couple surf shops, a restaurant and a convenience store with one gas pump. Dow Chemical looms ominous on the western horizon. It's a strip of land between the beach and the Intercoastal Canal, a two-lane road slicing through the middle. A strip of land with rows of houses on stilts, peeling paint, paved streets covered with sand, and distant squawking seagulls. It's sun-baked, salty and humid. Everything is either for sale, for rent, or forgotten.

Rope Intersection Color

Over the long weekend, it was less sun-baked and more rain-drenched. When it wasn't raining, it was threatening to do so. But I was much more interested in the concept of relaxing than I was in tanning, so as it turned out, I was quite content to be in a cabin on the beach in the pouring rain. With family, friends and dogs. And air-conditioning. And mosquito spray. And plenty of dry towels.

Abby Rhett Puppy
Blur Heron Dow Spoonbill

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

And plenty of mosquito spray.

I know you said it, but it bears repeating with all the rain we've been getting.
As much as I love your pictures of Cheyenne, I think I like your nature pictures even better. The birds you linked to in this post are just wonderful.

Anonymous said...

saturday marks the beginning of the first vacation ive taken in five or six years. color me ready to unwind.

Linda@VS said...

Welcome back. Sounds like a nice, relaxing mini-vacation. The dog pics are great.

Sass said...

Yes, indeed i should have gone with you this past weekend. And as far as tonight - two miles and then - who knows a glass or bottle of wine sounds good while i pack my apartment. I'm tired of looking at boxes