at the beach

This should have been a Monday post but it didn't become one, mainly because I posted two Sunday posts yesterday but this is what we got up to on Monday. Following so far?

Monday's lesson at the beach was flow dynamics. A beach is a prime teaching environment for physics since with fine particulate sand in addition to water, it's as near that perfect frictionless environment as you can get without paying a day's admission to CERN. It's also a brilliant child-entertainment environment, requiring minimal expense, input and equipment. A win/win situation :)



Wee Guy and I arrived just as the tide was turning to go out. In my opinion this is the best time to visit a beach, especially one that you know very well. And let's face it, I know my childhood beach like the back of my hand. From years of beachcombing I know exactly which sandy coves are uncovered first, and where to go for the best sand castle building. I know that the tourists stay on the sandy littered area before the rocky outcrops rise up, unaware of the fine, clean sand just waiting a few minutes stroll beyond. As the waves receded this time, I saw Wee Guy's eyes lighting up at the expanse of pristine velvety beach opening up just for us alone. There's nothing quite like smooth untouched sand for jumping in and printing footsteps across. It's like finding untouched powder when out snowboarding. The lack of crowds in this part of the sands meant we also spied a seal sunning herself on a rock close to shore.



So we built a moat and a dam and a waterfall down off the rocks. We found 'fossilised dinosaur poo', sea glass and shells galore. I sketched the view, Inchcolm Island and its abbey across the water, with the Pentlands Hills as a lush green backdrop. We splashed in the cool, clear surf and set off on an expedition further along over the rocks. We gazed out at the view over to Edinburgh - so clear that I could point out the Royal Mile leading up from Arthur's Seat to the castle. Once we'd eaten our picnic we tackled the steep hill back up to my parent's house where we shook the sand out of our clothes at the front step, adding to the pile collected over many decades!

Wee Guy loves going to the beach, which pleases me no end. When I was a child I used to spend a great deal of time, especially in the summer, exploring and beachcombing. I used to work on my high school homework down there on summer afternoons, then revisit later in the evening with my boyfriend.



Each time I come back home from Canada, this beach is one of my first stops. Visiting it with my son is the proverbial icing on the cake. At The Beach