Thursday was chilly with a cold Northwest wind accompanied by a misty drizzle and at times a heavier shower. Today is cool with intense cobalt skies and a predicted high of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course all this is much better than Ruth and Samuel are having in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with lows in the 10 to 15 degree range and highs around 25 to 30. I spoke with them on the telephone last evening and they said they had been having off-and-on snow showers all day with about an inch accumulation – just enough to make driving difficult, but not enough to make the rolling hills and farms into a pretty “snowscape.” The long warm fall and winter have finally been broken.

A couple of days before the cool weather started - perhaps it was Tuesday - Peter drove me to the beach in the evening. My memory seems to be slowing these days. He helped me walk to water’s edge. The water was relatively calm, and I waded into the gentle surf clinging to Peter for support. It was clear, aqua-green, and perhaps 74 degrees - too cool for these not so hearty folk down here, though it felt marvelous to me. In Rehoboth Beach, Delaware we were always lucky if the water warmed to 74 degrees in August. The light sea breeze felt marvelous against my face and scalp as it picked up the few loose white strands of hair I have remaining up there. There were low puffy pink cumulous clouds near the horizon, and both water and air had that special sparkle that seems to happen just before sunset. Peter told me that there had been Man-of-war washing up on the beach the past several weeks, which make it unsafe to swim because they can sting really badly. However, the bright aqua and magenta balloons the creatures use as flotation devices were not in evidence that evening. I took a few pictures of the waves rolling in, and I include one here.

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