After the rain

We had a jolt-you-out-of-the-bed thunderstorm about 1:30 this morning and I was wondering what would greet me later at the beach. Should have known the sun would welcome me as usual but there was also a small mountain of clouds, and it was double the pleasure with the reflection. A fascinating horizon to be sure.

What was more fascinating is that a late-night high tide along with the rain erased any sign of footprints left over from the Memorial Day weekend. I almost didn't want to sully the sand with my walking but it gave me a sense of adventure knowing I was the first today to tread those sands and leave my trail. Almost like taking the first run on a ski slope after a nightfall of fresh snow. Thinking about Neil Armstrong's first footprint on the moon is almost too much to fathom.

All this musing took my brain on a worldly exploration contemplating what it must be like to be an early explorer like Lief Ericson, Marco Polo or Lewis and Clark. Though they were not alone on their quests, the new adventure must have given them a sense of wonderment and exhilaration. Thinking about the early Native Americans walking along this very beach made me realize just how big our universe is and how I am both as insignificant and as important as one of the grains of sand which now held my footprint. Heady stuff for such an early start to the day.

Farther along the sun was hidden behind a bank of clouds and above there was a donut formation in the clouds. Um-m-m-m, snapping me back to earth, I'll bet those early explorers weren't thinking about donuts during their treks.