Tag Archives: beach

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Lazy Day Destinations – “White Silver Sands Bluff”

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Lazy Day Destinations – “White Silver Sands Bluff”

 James R. Aist

Growing up in rural Arkansas left me with many fond memories of favorite places, especially when it was summer vacation and I could just pick up and go by myself, or with a friend or two, on a hot, lazy summer afternoon.

When I was around 12 years old and my family lived in Evening Shade (the real one, population 315, not the fictional one on the TV sit-com), one of my favorite places was “Joe Rock.” Just across Highway 11 from Evening Shade, and about a ten minute walk down a winding farm road (see photo at upper right), was Piney Creek, which ran clear in the summer until the dog days of August set in. If you made a right turn when you reached Piney Creek and followed along the creek bank for maybe 150 yards or so, you came to Joe Rock. Now Joe Rock was usually the target destination whenever we followed that path to Piney Creek, because it was a nice, private swimming hole (click HERE). But there were a couple of other favorite places to visit farther down the creek. I have already recounted the story about Mill Creek and “Bubbling Springs”(click HERE).

So, now let’s start where Mill Creek flows into Piney Creek, past Joe Rock about 150 yards or so. From there, you could see another “natural wonder”, a pristine place just a little farther down the creek that I will call “White Silver Sands Bluff.” This was where Piney Creek made a broad, sweeping turn to the left. Just beyond the outer bank of that turn in the creek, on the right, was a beautiful, solid, rock bluff about 20 feet high. And on the inner bank, to the left, was a sand bar and beach of fine, white sand, dotted here and there with little tufts of vegetation (OK, weeds) and small rocks. It was a beautiful site to see, very peaceful, serene and quiet, and I was always amazed that such a wonderful place could exist that close to civilization and yet remain unknown to all but a very few who chanced upon it. It was a perfect lazy day destination, where you could be alone with your thoughts while sitting on the beach resting your feet in the warm, clear soothing water as it passed silently by.

But, White Silver Sands Bluff was also a place that could afford an adventuresome interlude now and then. One day while ambling along this pristine beach without a care in this world, I noticed that there was a tiny (baby) snake wriggling its way toward the water. Now, I had a history of playing with (harmless) green snakes on the family dairy farm, when we lived miles away in Cypress Valley. So, I walked over to this little snake to see if it was poisonous or not. Turns out, it looked like it might be a baby water moccasin, but its poison glands did not appear to be well developed yet. Then I (foolishly) decided it would be a good idea to find out if it was a water moccasin by sticking my bare foot in front of it to see if it would bite me and leave fang marks. So, I did, and it did! Suddenly I became worried that maybe I had underestimated the maturity of its poison sacks, because the cute little fang marks on the end of my “test” toe were becoming more and more conspicuous. So, having no other recourse, I headed straight for home, anxiously keeping an eye on my poor toe all the way.

Fortunately, there was no swelling of my “test” toe when I got home, so there was really no reason to tell anyone what I had done…right? But I did promise myself I would never do that again. Now before you’re too hard on me for doing such a foolish thing in the first place, let me remind you that I was right, after all…the snake was too young to be poisonous. So there!

(For more TRUE TALES, click HERE)

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An Ocean Experience

Coquillages à Fadiouth, SénégalAn Ocean Experience

By Angie Brown, Guest Author

The sight of the ocean slamming against the barrier and licking the sand in its hungry reach was fascinating.  I remember walking along Carolina Beach many years ago and marveling at such a vast body of water. I was so close to it, yet safe on solid ground.

When I looked far out to the horizon, as far as I could see, I could hardly believe that I was seeing only part of it, it was so immense.  Just beyond where the ocean meets the sky, I could see the roundness of the earth, betraying the earth’s spherical shape.   There was nothing to obscure the view of endless sky over endless water.  Both were awe-inspiring and breathtaking.  I would often sit on the large rocks on shore, silently observing the awesome power of the ocean as it crashed into the boulders and bluffs at water’s edge. Suddenly, I saw a school of whales performing their acrobatics far from the shore, leaping out of the water and splashing violently back into it, one after another.  I could only wonder where they came from and where they were going. The whole experience left me spellbound.

The next day, I set about to experience the ocean in other, more interactive ways. First, I decided to try my luck at fishing. With a little help from the pros, I began to cast my line for fish.  They promised me that I would catch some fish, and, sure enough, I did! While I may not have broken any length or weight records, these were my fish, and I was proud of my results! After that, I went hunting for sea shells on the beach. Before long, my plastic bag was bulging with the many shells that I found on the sand after the waves had washed over the shore during high tide. What a beautiful assortment of shapes, sizes and colors I had collected! I thought to myself, “These will make perfect souvenirs to remind me of my visit to the beach.”

My trip to the ocean was an interesting and memorable adventure for me. And, how grateful I was to have had an opportunity to experience, first-hand, some of the natural wonders that my Creator provided for me to enjoy! I couldn’t wait for my next opportunity to go to the beach and enjoy another ocean experience.

(For more articles by Angie Brown, click HERE)

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Smells: Like Windows to a Wonderful World

English: Ocean Isle Beach, North CarolinaSmells:  Like Windows to a Wonderful World

by Angie Brown, Guest Author

We look ahead as we walk forward.  We look to the right and to the left when we cross the street.  We gaze at store windows and shelves to shop for merchandise.  We notice people rushing here and there, always looking.  Whether we’re bathing, playing or working, we use our eyes to recognize familiar things and faces.  Truly, our eyes are very important and necessary to our everyday lives.

But the sense of smell is also important and necessary; it can give us the feeling of both the past and the present. Oceans and sandy beaches, with their fishy smells, bring back memories of visiting Myrtle Beach or North Carolina Beaches with our southern relatives.  My granddaughter once commented, “It’s the smell of the south.” The musty moss and evergreen smells take me back to when, as children, we walked through the woods picking ground pine.  On our way to class, we often noticed the tantalizing smell of fresh bread coming from a nearby bakery.  The smell of chlorine greeted us when entered the YMCA pool area. And every classroom and locker room in school had their own distinctive smell.  You wouldn’t need to see it, because the smell would give it away!

The smells of the present are just as characteristic. A barnyard can be either pleasant or not so pleasant, but, either way, it’s a mighty homey smell to the farmer!  City streets have a different smell.  It’s a combination of several odors all mingled together: car exhaust pipes, trucks loaded with building supplies and dump trucks filled with debris all produce odors that are compounded into one strange mixture. Then there’s the smell of oil or gas as you pass a refinery or fill your car’s gas tank.  Stopping suddenly brings a smell of burning rubber. When lawns are mowed, there’s a sweet smell of clover blossoms and grasses in the air. Tightly closed houses in the winter may develop a stuffy smell, until Fido or your pussycat lingers at the open door before venturing out. After a heavy rain, the outdoors has a damp fungus smell for a day or so, but, eventually, the sunshine dries things out and removes it.

We all have our favorite smells, of course. One of the most pleasant smells I can think of is that of a home-cooked family meal on the stove, when everyone looks forward to dinner at the end of the day. But the best smell — one that can only be described as heavenly — is the soft, cuddly, precious newborn baby smell.

We need smells, along with our seeing eyes, to fully experience and appreciate the wonderful world around us!  What are you smelling right now?

(For more articles by Angie Brown, click HERE)

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The Island Experience

Português: Ferry boat na baía de São Marcos, M...The Island Experience

by Angie Brown, Guest Author

Quite a few years ago now, my family planned a visit and a picnic to a small island off the coast of North Carolina, in the Atlantic Ocean.  Our relative, Barney, had purchased a boat and had been exploring the waterway there.  The boat was propelled by an engine with the steering wheel driver standing to control the course.  It held about eight people.

After putting our life jackets on, we started out slowly. The island seemed so far away.  I couldn’t believe we’d be out in the Atlantic so far.  Our relatives had been to the island before and thought it would be a nice place for a picnic when we visited them.  So skimming across the channel, we arrived, tied our boat to the dock and climbed a short ladder.

We seemed to be the only ones there. In my mind, it seemed that you might find Robinson Crusoe there, especially after encountering a large snake in the brush. The pavilion proved to be rather dilapidated and unsatisfactory, so we decided to have our picnic on the beach.

While we explored the beach, we noticed dark storm clouds forming. The wind began to strengthen, sending the loose sand airborne and stinging the bathers.  It was obvious that a picnic on the beach was no longer feasible, so we packed up hastily and returned to our boat.  We knew it would take some time to get back to the mainland.

All was going well while we journeyed back.  Nearing the end of our trip, however, we saw a ferry boat just leaving the pier.  As it passed our small craft, it left a large swell, sending our boat way down to the bottom of the wake. It seemed as though our boat had descended to the bottom of the ocean! But thanks to our skilled and experienced navigator, we negotiated the wake nicely and returned to calmer water. The children were elated by this brush with disaster.  “That was fun,” they squealed.  Not so with the adults, whose anxious faces told a different story. Once we had negotiated the swell, we noticed that the ferry boat crew was lined up at the rail watching us and ready in case they were needed. Finally, disembarking, we finished our visit with our relatives, safely on the shore.

This was one scary adventure I would not want to do again!

(For more articles by Angie Brown, click HERE)