Dawn of a New Day

Good morning, Better Lifers!  What a glorious day.  I hope you take a moment from your busy Saturdays to simply breathe, look around you, and smile.

I've been rather contemplative lately.  I just feel so FULL of Life, in a quiet, contented way.  I think perhaps my senses are becoming more finely tuned to the little things in each day that bring me peace and happiness.  Combined, they can outweigh the moments of the blechy stuff - the chaos and frustrations of everyday life.

Anyway, in this spirit of contented contemplation, I awoke this morning with a clear mission in mind . . .

First of all, keep in mind that I don't use alarm clocks anymore.  Beau might as well be an alarm clock because he wakes so early and regularly.  Angel, too.  I love waking slowly to the quiet sounds of their morning stirrings, the buzz of an early boat carrying someone to work on a neighboring island, the darkness slowly dispersing as I blink my way into the day.

So, at 6:30 a.m. this morning, I was sleepily making coffee and giving Angel her breakfast.  However, already having my mission in mind, I skipped other morning routines (dishes, email, etc.), put on some clothes, grabbed my camera and headed out the door.  Angel scampered happily along with me toward the golf cart, excited to go for a ride and likely curious about this deviation from our usual morning routines.

Our mission?  To experience the sunrise, up close and personal.

On this small island, I face west and enjoy glorious sunsets on a near-daily basis.  As much as I love and appreciate such beauty at the close of the day, there's just something special about the peaceful quiet of morning and the anticipation of a new day that prompted me to go get a sunrise fix.

Five minutes after we left home, Angel and I arrived on the eastern side of the island, the "ocean ridge" where the waters are less protected and rougher.  From here, we enjoyed the dawn of this new day . . .

6:45 a.m.  

The sun has not yet shown her face, but her advance team has begun to brighten the eastern sky.

Turning slightly southeast, the sky pinkens and the sea grass blows in the wind down the long stretch of empty beach.
 

We walk down the sand dunes and onto the beach.  Not another soul in sight, we enjoy the serenity of the beach with only the sounds of the wind and the waves.

Well, I am serene.  Angel is beyond excited at this big-beach freedom.  She races down the beach, then gallops back toward me with a happy, panting grin.

As the sun continues her journey toward the horizon, I am struck by the beauty of a large rock jutting out of the sand at the shoreline.  It's glossy surface and ragged edges are beautiful.  The pretty and peaceful symbolism of a rock in the midst of a stormy sea comes to mind for me as well.

As Angel and I stroll along, I am also reminded of a beloved childhood poem that used to hang on my bedroom wall, Footprints in the Sand.  Do you remember it?

I turn back to look at our path, and I see Angel's tiny paw prints next to mine.



We return to our starting point and sit down to take in the rest of the sunrise.



 

 Here she comes!  The sun rises, a tiny orange ball sitting on the horizon.

 And now, getting larger . . .

 And higher in the sky . . .

 Beautiful.  A new Dawn.

Sated, Angel and I strolled from the water's edge, through the soft sand, up the dunes to the golf cart waiting on the rocky road up high on the ridge.

I brushed the sand from her pink belly and off of her paws, deposited her on the seat, took a swig of coffee, and turned the golf cart toward home.

As we drove back to the western side of the island, I continued to enjoy the brightening sky, noticing how the pinks and oranges bounced off the clouds reflected in the western sky.

So imagine my delight when I arrived home to a breathtaking rainbow!

Angel and I went out back, to the calm shallow water, and I could see the rainbow emerging from a little cay and stretching into the clouds . . .

 . . . ending only when it encountered the brilliant blue sky.

A rainbow!  What a glorious finale to our sunrise experience!

Then, as a delightful post-script, Angel and I enjoyed a visit from our neighbor dog, Billie Girl.  They sniffed each other, tails wagging, then Billie came over to give me kisses and check out the trail of scents in our yard.

After more doggie kisses (and a wave to Billie's Momma to let her know where Billie was), I headed back inside.  Angel cooled down from her adventure, and I continued to nurse my coffee.  (I also ate a piece of chocolate cake for breakfast.  Just because.  Oh glorious day!)

On this quiet morning, I give thanks for so much:  the simplicity of the day, the inspiration to go on our excursion, the majestic beauty of the sunrise, the startling surprise of a rainbow, the friendship of neighbors, the love of dogs, the delicious decadence of chocolate cake, the peace of the ocean and sky, the Grace that brought me here and so much more.

And as I write, I think of you, my beloved family and friends and my dear Better Life readers, and I give thanks for each of you, too.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Stepping on a Sea Urchin

Last week, I blogged about Angel's medical emergency, but I'm overdue to fill you in on mine . . .

As regular readers may recall, the end of July was a fun, but particularly hectic, time for me.  During a brief lull one Sunday, Beau went out diving (free-diving and spear-fishing) for the day, and I decided to treat myself, too.

French Toast

I slept in a little - anything past 6:30am is a luxury!  When I woke up, I was craving French Toast, but I didn't have any bread in the house.  I used that as an excuse to do the decadent thing that sounded fun to me - I took myself out to breakfast!  Just a short golf cart ride away, I went to the local marina/restaurant and enjoyed a sit-down breakfast while greeting various friends who were working or passing through.

One friend joined me for a while and suggested I join her group on a boating excursion.  I hesitated, with laundry on the line and thinking of the leisurely things I could do back home before joining Beau and the guys for fish-cleaning camaraderie later.  But it was a beautiful day, and it sounded fun.  "We're not even packing lunch," she said, "so we'll be back by early afternoon."  That clinched it.

Boat Ride

After a brief stop home to take care of Angel and change into a swimsuit, off we went.  What a glorious day!  Our small group ended up in a particularly beautiful area of shallow water and sand bars.  We anchored the boat, floated a cooler to a sliver of sand in the midst of the shallow sea, pushed a sun umbrella into the water's bottom, and proceeded to float in bliss.

Knowing from prior experience that I should not attempt to "keep up with" my girlfriend and her copious amounts of wine, I had a splash of wine with my club soda and enjoyed a spritzer while we hung out in the water.

After a while, we noticed a friend out on his property on the small private island nearby.  My girlfriend and I left the others and swam over to say hello.  After chatting, he invited us to cross over the little channel to his main property and come up - the others had pulled the boat around to his dock and would join us.

Uh-Oh

As I waded through chest-deep water, I was surprised by how strong the current was in the little channel.  Because of that, I was perhaps stepping more forcefully as I made my way across.  All of a sudden, "OWWW!"  I had stepped on something sharp.  I commented to my friends, but we figured I'd cut my foot on a conch shell or something, and we kept going toward shore.  However, the pain started to worsen, and I couldn't walk so well.  I lifted up my feet and started to swim.  But my leg was kinda seizing up, and my brain was feeling a little muddled by the sudden pain, so I wasn't able to swim as strong as usual, and I felt myself being carried away by the current.  

I called out to my girlfriend and was able to grab her hand.  She pulled me to the rocky edge of the property, and our other friend suggested we take a look.  I lifted my foot out of the water.  The entire sole was covered by grey dots.  "Oh my God," he said, "you stepped on a sea urchin.  But I've never seen so many!"

After nearly three decades around these parts, I've never stepped on a sea urchin.  I've only admired them while snorkeling.  They are roundish, come in a variety of sizes and colors, and are covered with porcupine-like needles or spines.  Images and info about these creatures can be found here.  All of a sudden, I had a whole new appreciation for them.

My leg had totally seized up by this point, and my friends told me not to put any weight on my foot.  Apparently, when I stepped on the unseen sea urchin, the spines broke off in my foot.  So, with one friend pulling each arm, I floated while they dragged me over to his dock.

Our other friends had joined us by this time.  I'm sure I was the picture of grace as I crawled up the steps in my swimsuit.  Once we reached the landing (where our friend has a spectacular outdoor living room), I collapsed on a couch. I asked them to call Beau and let him know where I was.  The time had gotten away and it was mid-afternoon, and I knew he'd be looking for me to join him at the fish-cleaning bench, and my cell phone and stuff was still in the boat.

Treatment
 
They reached Beau and turned to tending to me.  Now, the well-known home remedy to relieve the intense pain from a sea urchin sting is for someone to PEE on it!  I was hurting enough that I welcomed that.  Alas, none of my friends cared to oblige (and it didn't occur to me until later that I may have been able to maneuver that feat by myself?)  Instead, they brought me a basin of fresh water with Epsom Salt, and I began to soak my foot.

I was proud that my friends were all calling me brave.  I hadn't shed a tear or whined too much about the pain.  BUT IT HURT.  We counted the grey spots on my foot, and I had NINETEEN holes where sharp spines had pushed into my foot and broken off.  Good times.

In addition to the Epsom Salt, my friends decided it would be a good idea to medicate me by plying me with alcohol.  One friend had prescription painkillers, but I had the presence of mind to figure that was not a great idea for me.  And yet, I permitted myself to be liquored up.  Not good.

From here on, the story gets a bit fuzzy, as did the pain.  I vaguely recall wine, champagne, vodka and who knows what else being poured.  I recall the sky darkening as day faded to night.  I remember waking up and being in a different location on the deck, still salty and in my swimsuit, but covered with a sarong wrap, and I could hear my friends in the other room.

If this had been my little island, I would have gotten myself home from the inception of this mess.  But I didn't want to impose on my friends' time by interrupting their fun to take me home.  At some point, however, I no longer cared.  In my inebriated state, I was a little out of my head!  I was crying and calling out Beau's name.  So much for not crying and conducting myself in a calm manner.  I just wanted to go home!

Homeward Bound
 
My next memory is hearing Beau's voice in the distance.  He's here!!  I started crying and calling out to him.  My girlfriend came over to reassure me, but also to tell me to get it together!  Beau walked onto the porch and saw me lying there, a mess, and said "Oh Lord."  My friend showed him my foot, and we started to head for Beau's boat.  I couldn't hobble very well, so Beau ended up carrying me to the boat to take me back to our island a few miles away.

My next memory is being in the nurse's office.  Although it was evening by now, Beau had called her and taken me to the clinic.  So there I was, lying on the examining table in my bikini, and trying to act like I wasn't a total wreck.  The nurse cleaned my foot and used tweezers to pull out two of the spines that were near the surface.  WOW did THAT hurt.  We both thought it best not to dig any deeper.  The spines are known to come out on their own later and/or be absorbed into the body.

The nurse gave me some painkillers and antibiotics and wrapped my foot.  Heading home with Beau, he stopped to pick up some food that he'd ordered at a local restaurant and insisted that I eat, then I fell straight into bed.  Poor Beau.  That had to be a test of his patience as well as his care-taking skills!

In dire need of a pedicure, but that's the least of my concerns.

The next morning, the pain had diminished.  I believe that is typical, but I also think any remaining pain was overshadowed by the massive hangover I was enduring.  I managed to shower off the prior day's salt.  Then I spent the rest of the day on the couch, with a brief visit to the nurse for a follow-up check, and alternating rounds of soaking my foot in peroxide.

Angel providing moral support during a foot soak.

Overnight, the pronounced grey spots had changed to faded red spots.  Thankfully, no spines were in my toes or on the ball of my foot, so I was able to hobble around for the next few days on my tiptoes.  The pain was gone, except when I put weight on my foot, and over the course of the next week or so, that subsided, too.

Hard to see all 19 when this was taken, but - trust me - they are there!

This non-dramatic photo undermines how much pain those little suckers caused.

The spines never did "pop out."  Who knows - one friend told me he had some come out of his foot a YEAR later!  I picked out two of them a few weeks ago.  They were so small it was incredible how much pain they had caused.  As for the rest, I think some have been absorbed.  In other spots, I can still feel hard little bumps deep down, but I'm going to just let them do their thing at this point.  

There's no pain at all now.

Well, except for the embarrassing memory of the day.  As we say around here, "What a mess!"

Snorkeling in the Aquarium (with Video!)

Over the weekend, Beau and I took advantage of the beautiful summer day and headed out for a day of play on the water.  We enjoyed a long boat ride up the chain of islands, exploring along the way and cooling off in the sea.

(For a bird's eye view of the chain of islands, and the spectacular shades of blue and aqua that we were cruising through in our boat, check out this older post with lots of aerial photos.)

During our exploration, one spot was rife with sea turtles, sharks and other sea creatures, so we got into the water to check it out more closely.  Unfortunately for all of you, I don't have any pictures from this spot.  I was too busy avoiding (successfully) getting stung by the schools of thimbles that were pervading the water!  These tiny jellyfish-like critters, in the shape of a sewing thimble, come out in the summer.  Sometimes they sting, sometimes they don't.  They stay mostly on the surface, so I was either swimming hard to stay down without a weight belt (I'm a floater!) or relaxing back in the boat - especially as the sharks became more curious.

But never fear, I trotted out the trusty camera at our next stop in the middle of a national park area of the sea.  Among other things, the "park" designation means that a no-fishing, no-taking policy applies to everything in its area.  As a result, fish and other sea creatures are plentiful.  It serves as a wonderful breeding ground and makes for fabulous snorkeling.

These pictures are from the part of the park locally known as the "Aquarium."  The Aquarium boasts tons of fish and coral in our pristine water of the Exumas.  (And no thimbles that day!)

Almost always, the first fish to greet us in the Aquarium are little Sergeant Majors. 

Sergeant Majors and some tails of Yellowtail Snapper.

As soon as we jumped in the water, these little guys swarmed around us in a frantic cloud of brightly striped color.  They are about 4-5 inches long and, obviously, are not afraid to swim up and blow kisses at the camera.

Sergeant Major kisses.

On the floor of the Aquarium - about 20-30 feet deep - and along the sides are plentiful coral, sea fans, sea grass and other wildlife.

A beautiful underwater world.  See where the sunlight filters down?

Another school of Sergeant Majors (and Yellowtail Snapper).

Another commonly seen (and hunted) fish in our area is the Grouper.  This one in the Aquarium was particularly friendly.  He must've known that he was safe from becoming our dinner in the protected park!

Grouper in the middle.

Another grouper in a different area, along with Triggerfish, Sergeant Majors and Yellowtail Snapper.

As a seasoned free-diver, my beau can hold his breath and swim effortlessly in deep waters for seemingly forever.  Without his spear and the thrill of the hunt in this protected park area, it was pure playtime for him.

Checking out something on the sea floor.

Looking under the rock, probably staring down a lobster or two.

Upside down again.

Now so far into a hole that you just see his blue flippers!

Our friends, Americans who are longtime residents of the Bahamas, enjoyed the exploration, too.

Queen of the Sergeant Majors.

Fish Whisperer?

Now, for my favorite part . . . a video treat!  This brief underwater video clip features my beau and a kajillion Sergeant Marjors swimming around him.  The video has a sped-up feel to it, but it is not edited or altered.  The fish are swimming at their actual pace.  However, it IS a faster pace than their usual - they are in a frenzy over the cracker that Beau brought with him and just crumbled into the water.  You may notice Mr. Grouper swimming through at a more leisurely pace.  The video is mostly silent except for the crackling sound of all the little fish - that is actually what it sounds like under there!

What a wonderful day!  I definitely enjoyed a Better Life kind of weekend, and I hope you did, too!

California Dreamin'

Hello, Better Lifers!  Well, I've been globe-trotting again.  This time, it was out to southern California for a bit of a vacation.  The 3,000 mile flight from Miami to Los Angeles is the longest flight to date for my Beau, and I'm pleased to announce it went well on both the outbound and the return.  Each trip, we seem to stretch further, and I'm interested to see if he's up for an overseas jaunt at some point.  I keep telling him, "it's just another movie!" in terms of additional flight time.  :)

But I digress.  We had a wonderful trip and enjoyed seeing new and different places.  Our whirlwind itinerary included Los Angeles, Ventura, Ojai, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Long Beach, Venice Beach and Malibu.  In addition to enjoying the expansion of our horizons, traveling always gives us renewed appreciation for the beautiful island we call home.

One odd little tidbit . . . I found myself noticing American flags flying proudly as we drove around California.  Frequently, my kneejerk reaction was, "Oh look!  An American flag!"  After a second's delay, I would realize my surprise was unwarranted since I was, in fact, back in America.  I just hadn't realized how accustomed to NOT being in the States I've become!

Our journey began by turning over Angel and the house to a friend's good keeping.  We hopped the charter flight from the island to a small airport in south Florida.  From there, we took a car service to Miami.  Lo and behold, for a variety of reasons which entertained me, the car service sent a stretch limo to pick up just me and my beau!  It was a delightful way to start the trip - and the best way to travel in Miami rush hour!

Kicking back en route to MIA airport.

After a long travel day - and a three hour time change - we reached our California destination in the wee hours of the morn.  After a quick sleep, we set off to explore.  

One of the highlights of the trip was seeing the Pacific Ocean.  It was the first time for my beau, and I'd only seen it briefly years ago.

Beau's first view of the Pacific Ocean.

As with our ocean at home, and all of them across the world, the vast expanse of water was magnificent.  However - and I'm so sorry to sound like a beach snob here - I couldn't help noticing the striking differences between this beach and home.

At home yesterday - soft, white, clean sand.

Ventura - dark, coarse, dirty sand with litter.

Having traveled so far, I wanted to put my toes in the Pacific.  It was c-c-c-cold!

Ventura wading.

At home yesterday - crystal clear water.

Non-Sequitor:  Angel helping me take comparative photos yesterday.

Water and sand comparisons aside, it was fun to see a different type of beach.  To me, used to flat scrubby islands, the hills and mountains right alongside the ocean was quite striking.

A hazy day but the mountains still loom in the distance.

Another difference I noticed was that this particular beach was full of smooth stones, but I didn't see any seashells.  In contrast, our Bahamian beaches are replete with shells and rough coral, but few ocean stones.  I'm sure there's a scientific explanation for the distinction, but we simply enjoyed picking up the stones!

Smooth ocean stones.

And no matter the water source or location, we enjoy being in its very presence.

Beau gazing at the Pacific, something we did for long stretches of time.

As most avid travelers find, we learn so much through identifying our differences but also the many similarities that unite us throughout the world.  For instance, it seems that every geographic location battles natural disasters in one form or another.  For us, of course, it is the annual threat of hurricanes every June through October.  (Here we go again!)  For California, it's earthquakes and tsunamis!

Sign posted at the beach.

It was fun to travel to different areas of California and experience the unique vibe at each.  We enjoyed the carnival-like atmosphere at Santa Monica's pier.

Santa Monica Pier.

Although I'm certainly spoiled by my sunsets at home, it was a pretty afternoon in Santa Monica as the sun lowered itself onto the sea.

Santa Monica Beach.

For sunset in Santa Monica, we left the beach and joined friends at a rooftop bar at one of the "in" spots along the main strip.  It was a pretty view and fun to do.  However, I was reminded how much I like my own life and how thankful I am to know myself and be happy in my own skin.  We were in a young, hip, trendy bar full of beautiful people in the coolest styles.  In contrast, I was in my kick-around tourist clothes, with a sweater to ward off the chill.  I felt so old, frumpy, unhip and unattractive!  

Luckily, I knew enough to be aware that it was the environment having this effect on me, so I didn't let it get to me.  I was also glad to be paired with someone who still wanted to hold my hand in the midst of models and who was equally cold and ready to go somewhere where they actually served domestic beer!  I remembered having those feelings of mild discomfort and like I didn't fit in during my City years - even when I was younger and in more stylish clothes with money to burn.  It wasn't me then (though I was glad for the experience of that scene) and it isn't me now!

Just because I'm a sap!

Nonetheless, when it came time to explore the ritzier areas of Beverly Hills the next day, I confess I did have fun putting on heels and dressing the part a bit more to wander the shops.  :)  But I kept my flip flops readily available in the car!

This beautiful area lives up to its reputation.

Even the police station is beautiful!  (We kept thinking of Eddie Murphy and Beverly Hills Cop!)

Rodeo Drive, baby!  Straight out of Pretty Woman, one of my favorite movies.  This was a beautiful, fascinating area and lots of fun to see.  I was there on a Sunday morning, so most shops were closed.  Not able to afford most anything there anyway, I was glad not to be tempted.  I know I recently posted about not being much of a shopper, but Rodeo Drive was impressive and made me feel like a girly girl who just wanted to shop!

Yes, those are sparkly stones in the street sign!

It was also fun to cruise the chaos of Hollywood, Walk of Fame and see the Hollywood sign perched hillside in the distance.

Just the street sign - the big white Hollywood sign was too distant, especially with haze (smog?!) and from a moving car!

Another day took us to Long Beach.  We attempted to tour the Queen Mary but a tattoo festival had the place so packed that we couldn't get in!  Too bad, but the ship was impressive even at a distance.

For a sense of scale, that's a Carnival cruise ship next to the Queen Mary.

After a morning in Long Beach, we headed to Venice Beach.  Images of roller-skaters, bicyclists, body-builders and volleyball players danced in my head.  After we eventually found parking in this super-crowded area, we strolled toward the beach and saw some of those visions along the beach and pathway.

Venice Beach.

We turned from the beach back toward the main drag of shops, intending to stop for a beer and take in the sights.

Walking toward the main drag.

However, the chaos and crazy that awaited us was a definite surprise!  This stretch of pedestrian road was elbow-to-elbow full of people.  There were more tattoos, piercings, braids, general uncleanliness and people sleeping all over the place than I've ever seen in one place!  Lots of wild-eyed folks and rambling mutterers.  Not to mention the "Green Doctors" and shops advertising medical marijuana "assessments" for $40.  A whole world of crazy.

All along the strip, artisans displayed their wares for sale.  Lots of incense, henna tattoos, drug-themed art and more.  Quite a few of the sellers did not want to be memorialized on camera.  Gee, I wonder why.  Perhaps my favorite display to convey this sentiment was the artist who posted a painted wooden sign stating, "NO F**KEN PICTURES" (spelled out, of course).  Along with this were other painted signs of swearing this or that.

We decided to forego the beer - or putting anything in our mouths from this vicinity - and headed back to the car.  Along the way, we walked around a man pushing his baby in a stroller who was yelling at another man for backing up his car too close to the stroller.  After walking away, the man apparently changed his mind and started to come back to the scene of the crime.  All the while yelling about putting his baby in danger, the enraged father figure then pushed her back into the parking lot where he nearly came to blows.  Good protection, Dad.  We were outta there!

After taking a hot shower and recharging in our Beverly Hills hotel - teehee! - we were ready to go again the next day.  We still enjoyed a few more chuckles and head shakes after seeing the PR spin that the hotel guide put on its description of Venice Beach.  Beware!  We were glad to have seen it, but I doubt we'll be back!

The next day, we hit Pacific Highway 1 and headed toward Malibu.  What a fun drive along the coast!  Of course, most of the ginormous homes that appear in my celebrity magazines are well-hidden from view, but it was fun to just be in the area.

We also enjoyed a stroll through the Paul Getty Museum with its amazing works of art.

Pool and beautiful landscaping at the Paul Getty Museum.

Another pretty garden at the Paul Getty Museum.

We topped off the day with a late lunch at the Beach Cafe in Malibu.  We stumbled upon it, and it was the perfect beach scene with great food.

I'm still full, just looking at the sign!

Our trip drew to a close, and we returned home.  It was a whirlwind of different sights and sounds and tastes.  I definitely felt like a tourist in my own country since I had limited first-hand knowledge of California, but we enjoyed the trip thoroughly.  To all the California Better Lifers, thanks for sharing your state with me!

As always, I am glad to be back home now.  And, after eating our way through every spot we visited, we are happily returning to a fare of fish, veggies and fruit!