If we were having coffee: Beachcombing edition

Winter swimming can be risky.

Because there’s nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it’s sent away.

~ Sarah Kay

Over the top.

If we were having coffee, tea, water, or any of a number of other beverages we have available here at the ranch, I would tell you that I am very happy to see you again.  It seems like it’s been ages even though I think it’s only been about a week.  Big hugs if you’re amenable to hugs.  Come on in!  Let’s grab our drinks and something to nosh on (we are well stocked with sweet, salty, and savory foods), and have a seat in the living room near the wood stove.  It is nice and cozy in there.  We’re having one of the coldest days yet of this winter season.  Last I checked, it was about 14°F outside and quite windy.  It didn’t get as cold or as windy as the weather folks predicted, but it surely is cold enough.

Trying to rearrange what Mother Nature moved during the last big storm.  The nor’easter we had a few weeks ago really reshaped the beaches.

Happy Valentine’s Day!  ♥  How are you?  What have you been doing lately?  Have you traveled anywhere?  Seen any new sights or spent time enjoying familiar sights?  Have you gotten together with friends, old or new, and/or family?  Have you tried or learned something new?  Taken any good walks or hikes?  Eaten any good or great food?  Read any good books or seen any good films?

Lines in blue and gray.

If we were having coffee or some other beverage, I would tell you that I haven’t had much time for reading this week.  A long-time friend, T, came for a visit.  The beginning of the week was spent getting the house ready for his visit, and once he arrived, we’ve been having almost non-stop fun.  The only thing interrupting the fun and games was sleep.  Everyone needs to rest occasionally, even when you’re feeling young and energetic at heart.

At rest on the beach.

We did watch a movie last night with T.  I wasn’t too sure about it at first, and I was kind of hoping someone would say, “That’s enough of that,” but as the movie got going, it became quite interesting.  It’s not a new movie.  In fact, it is a French-Algerian film from 1969.  The name of the film is “Z,” and it is described as a political thriller.  According to Wikipedia, it was the first film (and one of the few) to be nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Picture.  It won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.  I have no idea how it turned up on my Netflix list.  I know I put it there, of course, but I don’t know why or where I would have heard of it.  Perhaps someone recommended it.  Whatever the case, I’m glad we persevered through the beginning.  The musical score was interesting, too, and often contributed to the suspenseful feel (as music will do if it’s done well).

[Z] is a film of our time. It is about how even moral victories are corrupted. It will make you weep and will make you angry. It will tear your guts out…When the Army junta staged its coup in 1967, the right-wing generals and the police chief were cleared of all charges and ‘rehabilitated.’ Those responsible for unmasking the assassination now became political criminals. These would seem to be completely political events, but the young director Costa-Gavras has told them in a style that is almost unbearably exciting. Z is at the same time a political cry of rage and a brilliant suspense thriller. It even ends in a chase: Not through the streets but through a maze of facts, alibis and official corruption.

~ Roger Ebert, written at the time the film was released

Resting on the sea.

If we were having coffee, tea, or something else, I would tell you that our days were full while our friend T was visiting.  M and T spent the first few days with work stuff (careers they have in common), but we used the evenings well, including trying a restaurant up in Salisbury that M and I hadn’t been to yet.  Thank goodness it turned out well.  Sometimes our jaunts to new restaurants don’t always work out although I think our record is generally a pretty good one in terms of finding great places to eat vs. ending up with poor service and/or bad food.  We shot some pool after dinner, and that was a blast.  I can’t remember the last time I played pool.  Maybe not since we moved from northeast Ohio to the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Horseshoe crab shell.

We went to Roadie Joe’s Bar and Grill where they were serving Cajun/Creole food in honor of Mardi Gras.  I had a really good Red Beans & Rice.  M had the Seafood Gumbo.  And T decided to give their cheesesteak a try since he lives in the Mid-West where a good cheesesteak is difficult to find.  He said it was one of the best he’s ever eaten so I’m going to give it a try the next time we eat there.  My only complaint, and this is true of all the food we’ve eaten out lately, is the heavy use of salt.  Roadie Joe’s wasn’t too bad in that regard, however they could lighten the salt load a little.  I do wish that chefs everywhere would spend a month without salt to reset their palates and learn how to season with little or no salt.  I don’t need a lot of salt on my food (none of us do), and do most of my cooking without it.  I know food tastes bland at first when you cut back or eliminate salt in your diet, but it’s amazing how the palate adjusts and you start to enjoy the natural flavors of the food and other herbs and spices.  Salt should be used to enhance, not overpower, the natural flavors of food.  After several days of eating salty foods in restaurants, my home cooked food tastes a little bland and I will have to do some readjusting.

Whelk egg case (also known as a “Mermaid’s necklace”).

For weekend fun and pleasure, we took T to Assateague Island to visit the beach, do a little hiking on some of the trails, and to see the wild horses.  The weather has not exactly been beach weather, but our first outing to the Maryland side of Assateague Island wasn’t too bad.  The temperature was in the upper 20’s and the wind was relatively calm.  The recent storms, including the nor’easter named Winter Storm Jonas, really changed the contours of the beaches.  Some of the roads and trails were closed either due to problems caused by the storms or because they are doing winter maintenance.

Broken and discarded.

There were quite a few shells and other things washed up on the beach.  I was hoping to find some sea glass, but didn’t have any luck.  I did bring home a shell or two.  I do most of my collecting via the camera these days.  Otherwise, my house would be filled with shells (and rocks and feathers and bones and other things I like to tuck into my pocket when I come across them in places where collecting is allowed).

A jumble of pieces and shells.

We hiked the Life of the Forest Trail and the Life of the Marsh Trail while visiting Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland.  We found and admired a number of horses.  Their winter coats, thick and soft and shaggy looking, are beautiful.  I got some great pictures, but you’ll have to wait for most of them.  Here’s a little sneak peek:

A young one.

I took a lot of photographs on our walks and hikes.  It will take me a little while to sort through them.  From my vantage point at the moment, this should be a quiet week which will give me time to do the sorting and write up a post or two.

A touch of purple.

We also went to Ocean City where we played some indoor miniature golf (M and T tied, I think, and I came in third), checked out one of the many microbreweries, and had dinner at a restaurant that is obviously popular with the locals, and for good reason.  The food and service were great.  The Full Moon Saloon doesn’t have any water views, but it was nighttime and frankly, we didn’t need it.  Some of the restaurants with great views have mediocre food and/or mediocre service although some manage to pull off both great views and great food.

Nestled in the sand.

If we were having coffee, tea, or some other beverage, I would imagine I’ve taken up enough of your time for now.  I have a lot more to tell you about including a visit to Chincoteague and the Virginia side of Assateague Island.  Hopefully I’ll get to all of it this week.

Sunset colors on the ice formations at the Point yesterday evening.

Thank you so much for visiting.  I always enjoy our coffee chats.  If you’d like to stay for sunset, I’m thinking about going down to the Point.  It will be brutally cold and windy, but if you are willing to brave the wind and the cold, you might be rewarded for your efforts.  M, T, and I went yesterday and I saw a bald eagle as well as some interesting ice formations on the beach grasses.  This evening’s sunset takes place at 5:40 PM.  I’ll go a little early, as usual, so I have time to look around before the light fades.

Sunset colors reflected on a Bald Eagle (from the Point yesterday).

Be good, be kind, be loving.  Just Be.  🙂

Yesterday’s sunset.

This post is in response to Part Time Monster’s #WeekendCoffeeShare.  Thank you to Diana for hosting it.  Put the kettle on, start the coffee maker, open a bottle of wine, or whatever your preference is, and join us.  I’d love to hear all about what you were up to this week.