I’ve previously documented Miss M’s Saturday routine of saying “I don’t want to go to the market”. Today, I decided to use a subtle (foolish) method of persuasion to get her there, by suggesting a trip to the beach … on the proviso it was post fruit and vegetable shopping. Since Miss M is a total beach addict, she happily helped with the shopping - even getting a 10% discount on our free range eggs because of her exceptionally polite manners.
When I’d suggested the outing, I’d been thinking about walking along the sand, maybe collecting some shells and breathing in some fine salty air, since we’re in the middle of the coldest winter in almost ten years. To my young lady, cold is merely irrelevant detail, so we set off loaded up with her boogie board, bikini, 2 jackets, and me, in about six layers of clothing.
When we got to the beach it was windy and beyond freezing. I’m from Tasmania, so I’m well acquainted with swimming in the cold - at my old high school, we were forced to swim in the sub zero Derwent River for PE while our teachers kayaked in relative comfort. Until one day when we noticed several grey nurse sharks in the water - after that, we had our lessons at a pool. The apartment where I’d worked on Blue Heelers had an unheated swimming pool, which had only ever been used by me, so I used to think I was fairly hardcore … until I met my daughter.
Today the only other people on the beach were walking their dogs - and those dogs were wearing coats. But Miss M was undeterred. First she took off her socks and boots and paddled for a while. When she came over to where I was standing, I was well and truly ready to go, but she took her pants off and ran back into the water. When she came back, I thought with some relief we were done, but this time she took her top layers off, grabbed her board, and leapt in completely. My hands and ears were totally numb , but I couldn’t help smiling as she paddled around. Every now and again she’d come out of the water and race up and down the beach, holding her board under her arm and looking like a real surfer.
Finally she’d had enough, and was happy to dry off. As we strolled back towards the tram, my extremities began thawing, and, possibly due to some kind of cold related brain malfunction, I started to entertain the idea of making the beach a regular weekend event … but next time I’m bringing earmuffs.
Today I’m loving: this photo, courtesy of my phone
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July 29th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
I remember those days when water was never too cold to swim, you were never too tired to go out and it was never too far to get there! Who was it that said youth is wasted on the young? Although it doesn’t look like Miss M is wasting it for a moment!
July 30th, 2007 at 2:40 am
At one point Miss M said “mummy, it’s really warm - you should come in!”, and my adult mind said “yeah right, there’s no way I’m going in”, but the rest of me thought how it probably was warm, and I wished I’d shaved my legs …
July 30th, 2007 at 9:11 am
[…] This is something you’ll probably never see here, people at the beach with layers of clothing on. However, where Emma lives, this is not unusual. Stop by healthandfitnessfactorfiction.com and read about her trip to the beach in The Young Woman and The Sea. […]
August 1st, 2007 at 3:56 am
If I wore earmuffs at the beach here, I’d get some pretty strange looks! LOL!
Thank you for sharing this with the Carnival of Family Life!
August 1st, 2007 at 6:20 am
I can just imagine you in a fashionable bikini, complete with furry earmuffs! And I can imagine the looks too! Thank you for including me in your wonderful carnival.