A Memory of a Warm and Sunny Day

  The icy cold of Winter makes me long for a sunny beach day. Well, it is too cold to enjoy a lounge on the beach, so warming up in the memory of a good beach day will have to do! Last Summer my friend and I set our a goal to go to every Seattle beach... there are quite a few of them because Seattle has so much water: Puget Sound, Lake Union and Lake Washington, to name a few of the larger water destinations. Well, we made it to a whopping two beaches: Golden Gardens and Alki. But, to our credit, we didn't establish this goal until toward the end of the Summer, so we will probably carry on with our 'beach challenge' this upcoming summer. I never shared the pictures on Alki beach day, so here they are now. They are a reminder that Summer and warm days will come again.

The ospreys were amazing. They glided above the sound and quickly darted toward the water, talons outstretched, in hot pursuit of a fishy dinner.

This woman was sitting close to where my friend and I were stretched out on the sand. She had head phones in her ears, obviously listening to something really good because she got up and started dancing. It was really cool. She looked a little bit out of place, dancing alone on the beach, but who cares? The dancing spirit moved her, and she embraced it despite odd looks from strangers.

What is this man telling a story about?.... My guesses:  'Last time I was here, I saw a sea monster, and it's head was thisss big!" or "I fell into a bottomless pit, but luckily I grabbed onto the edge and I was hanging on for my dear life, like this!"  or "I didn't think I had any special talents, but then one day I got a great urge to fly. I lifted my arms up like this, and started flapping away like a bird. And what do you know, it worked!" Or was his story about something completely different? What do you think?

Every time I am in Alki I see really cool but slightly menacing looking motorcycle men and women. Alki must be a motorcyclist hang out! They probably like riding their bikes along the beach because it is full of great views and refreshing bursts of sea breeze.

A cute couple enjoying the beach together. From behind, they look like they should be in a movie together. It would be an indie flick about the travails and delights of young love.

A homeowner with a great love of flowers.

There is nothing that makes me want to explore what lies on the bottom of a staircase more then a sign that says 'Closed', especially since it is capitalized and underlined for added emphasis.

Does it lead to a magical underwater land?

 Alki has great views!

These two people were making an exercise video together. When my friend and I were walking past, we heard them speaking Spanish. Luckily, my friend speaks Spanish, so I had him translate, because I will not let my lack of Spanish language knowledge get in the way of my eavesdropping! But they were saying only things you'd expect people to say while making an exercise video. Something like 'and then lift your leg!" or "good job, feel the burn!" I can't remember exactly what it was, but it was something like that. I like that the women is wearing such a bright pink dress and such a big hat. I also like that they are making a D.I.Y. exercise video together. I imagine them as a husband and wife team.

Reading by the beach! She looks like she is having fun.

A man and his fishing pole. Probably he is catching a fish dinner to enjoy with his family.

   Alki beach has a different feel then the other beaches I usually visit in Seattle. Sometimes when I am at Alki, I feel like I am in a completely different town. I feel this way even though I can see downtown Seattle sprawled out in front of me across the water!

   My friend and I took the water taxi from downtown to get to Alki, but there are all sorts of ways to get there.