Getting Out

Getting Out

two off-and-on rainy days

sitting on a ball

in beautiful Maho Bay

the towels are all damp

and we’ve got a bit of cabin fever

but a sunny stretch yesterday afternoon

got me out on the paddleboard

for a ride in to the beach

where I had a nice run on hard sand —

felt so good to stretch my legs and move my back!

the beach was busy

with sunbathers and swimmers

and people sitting under the catalpa trees (is that the right name?)

reading books

I saw a dad sculpting an amazing sand castle

while his young daughter begged him

to play in the water with her

and I met a Canadian woman

an avid paddle boarder

who was delighted to take my board out

while I walked the beach

and then taught me how to hold my paddle correctly

paddling back to the boat

I drifted over the rocks close to shore

looking for turtles (they must have been napping)

and narrowly avoiding snorkelers

on a similar mission

that evening after dinner

we snuggled in the cockpit

to watch a skyful of stars

and the lights of St. Thomas

until we were too sleepy to stay awake—

all the good gifts of another day!

monday 29 january

2017 after epiphany
Mayo Bay, St. John