Fire Island

On the final weekend of the summer, we tried to pack as much into the day's agenda as possible.... a sure sign of separation anxiety. The US open tickets are bought for next week but it seems it just isn't complete until Labor Day weekend brings us to the beach.

Of course the beaches in New York are nothing at all like the beaches of the Philippines where I grew up. For one thing, even in the peak of the summer, the water is definitely not tropical. It is cold to my standards when on the average in the summer is 60 to 68 degrees. And it is "bring your own shade" as there are no coconut trees or picnic huts to provide relief from the summer sun. And so many people who join the exodus to the beaches take with them beach umbrellas and other paraphernalia (beach seats, beach towels or blankets to sit on, frizzbee, dog, cat, kids...list goes on).

I've adapted very well to th is style of summer living. For one thing, I can confidently walk on the beach without fear of stepping on dog poo because it is just not an acceptable kind of behavior to let dogs run loose as though they are in the wild. Or as though you bought the beach shore yesterday. There are likewise no fears that I'd step on broken glass because people are considerate to clean up when they leave. Unless you go to New Jersey beaches (news article here) there is absolutely little chance you will encounter hazardous waste - medical, industrial or anything similar.

And the fun thing about it all - going to one of the best beach shores on the eastern seaboard involved no driving. We hopped on the Long Island train, hopped onto a waiting cab and then transfered to a ferry and then is whisked away from the urban chaos. The peace and tranquility was great for the day - watching a docile deer wandering into the clearing of a meandering boardwalk was probably the highlight of our day though. Or maybe it was just sitting on the sand and listening to the lapping of the waves against the shores. Or maybe it was the sum of all of it all.

It was a beautiful day.