My mother loved the beach.... therefore as a kid, I was often dragged there during the summer. It was the 80's, before sunscreen became a must. The 80's was the time of suntan lotion. I remember the smell of the lotion, often coconut scented, mixed with salt. Lying on my multi-colored striped towel, eating peanut butter and jam sandwiches, never able to fully get rid them of the taste and crunch of sand. We didn't buy food at the beach... nope, we brought it. Wrapped in tons of tin foil. No thermos, but a plastic container with kool-aid, ice to keep it cold and to water it down. Desert was always fruit, nothing sugary for us.
I swam, played with my sibling and friends. Then lay down waiting for my mother to finish baking. I didn't love those beach days, but I do love the beach. I especially love the beach in the evenings and on days when the water is rough, after a storm as it slams into the shore with force. I think what I love most about the beach though is the sound. Every year I spend as much time as I can at a cottage I have been going to for over 10 years. What I miss most after every trip is the lapping of the water on the shore. Hearing it as the most effective, and soothing alarm clock to wake up to. And hearing as the most soothing and pleasant sleep aid to doze off to.