The Best Walk Ever!

We got into Ocean City, Maryland, last night at around 6pm. Even though the sun was low in the sky and the ocean is at least a couple months from warming up to a pleasant temperature, the kids were more than happy to jump in. The adults stuck with letting the water lap onto our feet, but the kids had a grand time with their whole bodies in the freezing water. After they played a while, we walked the boardwalk together. Then I let them head back to the hotel's pool and hot tub while I followed the boardwalk all the way to the end. It was great to see the night life of the boardwalk and scope out the places we could visit today.

I also decided that, since I love to walk, and I don't exactly get many opportunities to walk along the ocean, that I would get up at 5ish in the morning to again walk the boardwalk with the great ocean view. When I dragged my tired self out of bed this morning, I didn't realize what a special, amazing walk it was going to be.

When I got outside, I noticed just a touch of pink in the sky over one section of the ocean. Everything else was still very dark. I was glad to see that I beat the sun out. For almost an hour, I walked the boardwalk and kept checking the sun's progress over my shoulder. Within minutes of getting outside it got noticeably brighter and continued to brighten until the bright, red sun finally made its appearance. It was so magical for this desert dweller to see that moment of sunrise over the Atlantic before it goes on to rise for the rest of the country. I didn't have my camera with me, but I took pictures with my phone. It was indescribably special.

I arrived at the end of the boardwalk at about that time and turned back for the walk home. I decided that this was my chance to walk in the sand along the beach, so I took off my tennis shoes and headed back along the shore. Before long, I saw a slimy black thing even closer to shore. I'm still a kid at heart, so I went in to investigate. It was a big horseshoe crab, and it proved it was alive when I turned it over. It was just awesome to see that part of nature in its element!

As I walked on, I stopped to pick up a variety of shells to show the kids. At one point, I was lucky enough to find a dead seahorse on the shore. I picked it up to bring to the kids. After walking for a while, I noticed that its tail moved. When I touched it, it moved again. I took some pictures and let it go back into the ocean. I still can't believe I held a big ole' horseshoe crab and a tiny seahorse in my hands before 7am this morning! I later found lots more interesting shells and a small, live hermit crab (later named "Frank" and released back into the ocean by Basia).

It took me forever to walk those miles back along the beach, but I will always be grateful for that time I had in the peace, beauty, and wonder of God's creation!