Beaching It

by Amanda Forester

What do you associate with the word “beach”? Smooth white sand? Palm trees? How about barnacles?! My family loves going to the beach, but for us in the Pacific Northwest it’s not exactly tropical. One of our favorite things to do is explore the tide pools at low tide.

With nothing more than a pail and shovel my kids can be amused for hours. That’s free entertainment! Exploring the rocky shore line can lead to many exciting discoveries: shells, starfish, snails, sea anemones, sand dollars, crabs, jellyfish, seaweed, limpets, and eels. My son is fearless, picking up huge crabs and catching slickery eels. We also learn a lot by observing how these creatures live. Did you know sand dollars are actually purple and live sticking up in the sand?

We have even found an octopus. For my son who is a great lover of cephalopods this was a huge treat, second only to attending a squid dissection at the zoo. Do you see the red octopus in this picture? If red is an indication of his emotional state, the octopus was showing that he was really irritated we found him under a rock. Octopuses can actually change color to blend in to their surroundings and even become multiple colors. Clever creatures. Random question – can you name all four types of cephalopods? My son surprised a zookeeper by knowing the answer. He also knew how many hearts a squid has (three) and how an octopus moves (jet propulsion). I sense marine biology might be in his future.

One thing I particularly enjoy about going to the beach is taking my little mini laptop. Writing can be a very solitary and indoor activity. My mini notebook has opened up some doors for me (literally) and I have been able to get out to write in the sunshine and fresh air. I find this has revitalized my writing. Especially since I write about the medieval period, it is helpful for me to connect with a mindset of people who spent a good deal of time outside. Sitting on the beach connects me to the sensations of nature- the warmth of the sun on my arms, the smell of the ocean, the cool breeze playing with my hair. Much better than sitting in my plain old office.

Writing outside also allows me to be with my family and still get some work done. A few weeks ago we went to the beach and I sat in a folding chair on the sand and my kids happily explored the low tide (with my husband of course, so they didn’t get carried off by a hungry seagull when I wasn’t watching). I enjoyed writing outside on a beautiful day and still got to interact with my kids when they ran up to show me a newly found treasure. It’s hard to do it all, but writing on the beach is as close to perfect as I get.

What are your favorite places to go where you feel connected, but still can get some work done?