Monday, May 9, we left our camp and drove to the old north/south highway running up and down Florida's east coast. We love the old roads best as we travel. Much more to see than on the freeways! The slower pace is nice too. Hit Hwy A1A and headed north in the hamlet of Flagler Beach. Right here we pulled off the road, opened the trailer windows and door to allow the fresh salty breeze to blow through the trailer and ate our Cheerios and fruit. Ahh, the good life!! As we sat there we were intrigued with the hominess and small town feel of the area. We liked it here!
Then as we ate and Wayne looked at the beach, he saw that it was one of the nicest, most flat beaches we had seen in quite awhile. His skim board began calling him to go ride the surf. He argued with himself, not wanting to get all sandy and wet and then have to drive for the day in that condition. But the beach, surf and skim board kept working on him. Wayne gave in and dug out the scarred up, paint thin, 20 year old skim board from under the trailer and headed for the beach. Ann followed with camera in hand and cell phone ready to call 911 if needed!
Looking south! Look at that beautiful, flat, peopleless beach!!! Long rides awaited the lone skim boarder!!!
Telephoto lens reveals where we are!
Looking north! Oh the rides that await! Perfect!!
A lone "Love Bug" briefly attracts Ann's photo attention while Wayne prepares to take on his first toss and first ride in several years.
Figuring out the surf and waiting for the right wave to enter the beach.
There it is! The faltering toss of the board, the not so nimble running steps to catch it and the first tentative and slightly misplaced landing on the board. It was a brief ride, but the thrill was still there!!
The form is a little bad, but the feel of the ride and the coordination to stay on the board begins to return more and more with each successive ride.
A little more confidence encourages a little more speed and the rides get longer. Ahh, it is beginning to come back. The thrill is still there. The day is getting more beautiful! I can ride for hours!!
Then it happens. The fall. Straight down to the knees. The sand seems to be harder than I remember. The getting up a little slower. Bones throughout the body complain loudly.
Rest a minute and decide, "Should I really be doing this?" But the little boy inside yells loudly, "Here comes a great wave! Look at the smooth long ride out there! Go get it!!!"
And the board is tossed and many more rides followed!
Balance and form are still way from being there, the way I remember it should be. But, oh, the rides feel sooo good! This is where I remember spending so many hours in pure contentment from the time I got my first board at age 8 years. Sooo good!
A missed kick off for an extended ride. The body is not as responsive as it used to be. Zigs and zags are more like tugs and flubs. But, oh the thrill is still there!!
Then finally, a long smooth ride with a few kick offs in between and off down the beach I go!
It is good! But who is that fat old man out there riding that board? No wonder the body does not respond as well as it used to!!!! And that body is down almost 20 pounds from last year!!
Finally, the breathless, winded old man calls it quits. But it is a thrilled, satisfied, giddy boy that walks up the shoreline.
After 5 minutes of sitting on his board, sides heaving and air being sucked in in gulps, the gladiator of the beach pauses for his triumphant victory photo! Behind him the trailer shower beckons to him!
And Flagler Beach becomes a fond memory, with the thoughts of "I will return!" and "I wonder how I can get all my boys here with their families for a family gathering and skim board fest?" coursing through my mind as we look northward from the fore dune.
Good times and a very sore body.
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