Here I sit on my Lanai. Three stories above the ocean as it crashes and rumbles in. The breeze is warm and pleasant on my face as I wait for the sun to dip into the ocean. Above the ocean I can hear children playing at the pool below and a little further away I can see people in the ocean. Evening swimming as our tummies get ready for dinner. There are couples walking along the sand arm in arm and there are joggers jogging and palm trees swaying and swishing.
Today is December 28th of 2008. I am closing in on a fantastic year. I found myself out of work due to cutbacks. I found myself uprooted and moving out of Portland Oregon and into Battleground Washington. I coached(assisted) a girls soccer team, I belong to a Senior's night out committee, I belong to a wrestling committee, I sold cookies the other day at a basketball game.
This morning my family took a snorkeling trip and put my big sister on the plane back to the mainland with her daughter in tow. I will be going back tomorrow afternoon. My girlfriend Joy headed back a couple days ago and assures me the weather in Battleground is crappy. I miss her and her family and look forward to it. I loved my trip.
One of the many highlights was a morning drive I took. The sun was cooler as it is now with it completing it's journey now, but that day it was only beginning. I took my coffee down to cam 3 and enjoyed the view and the ambiance. I decided to continue down to the next beach, cam 2. I stood at the shore and was counting my blessings, the sun has a way of hitting the water just right. Every-time. I imagine this is as close to paradise as I will ever be and I thank whoever is in charge for this quiet moment. On the way to the beach, I thought I saw a woman's head bobbing in the water. She must be out for a morning swim I think to myself. My father has done that every morning.
"The turtle's are in." I heard a man proclaim with a chuckle.
I turn to my left and standing adjacent to me is a native looking man with a smile on his face. One hand wrapped around a coffee cup, eye's on the water and a delighted smile on his face.
"ooh!" He grunted and he pointed excitedly at the surface. He continues to do this sporadically. I catch ripples. I quiet my mind and focus on the surface trying to see what he is pointing out. There it is. A head surfaces. Then disappears. A minute later another one follows suit. Then another one. Each time the man points and makes a noise. It's good to be alive a couple minutes before this unfolded and now it's even better. Can you breath happy? If you can that's what I was doing in that moment.
