I miss the sights and the sounds of the beach along the Straits of Juan de Fuca. I yearn for the feeling of comfort when I visit my hideaway. Nothing is more enjoyable than to visit my hideaway when the sun sets. The place is where I gather my thoughts. I begin to meditate and take the time to listen to sounds I normally don’t hear. I take the time to see things I normally don’t notice. I take the time to smell things I normally don’t breathe. Familiarity of my surroundings is a source of great comfort.

On my mother’s beachfront property, I begin my long and meandering walk. I take my first steps on the long walk and my feet begin to sink in the dry sand. As I trudge along the beach, I hear the water splashing on the small pebbles scattered along the shore. Birds of many varieties seem to sing as I pass. The familiar sounds become a tonic for my restless spirit. A cool salty air tugs at my shoulders to move on farther down the beach. The smell of pine from nearby trees excites my senses. Every once in a while, to my surprise, I see a curious saltwater friend, an otter, as he follows me on my walk. He bobs his head up and down watching me walk along the beach until I reach my destination. He follows me as if he were greeting a royal prince that has returned from a long journey. I watch very carefully, hoping to see an eagle fly by as if he is surveying his territory. I feel privileged that he gives me leave to continue my journey. Time is not important in this sandy kingdom, which is far from people and other concerns. I enjoy the solitude when I escape to my hideaway.

My destination is an old tree stump that stands as grand as it did when it stood as a whole tree in some ancient forest. The shape of the former tree looks like a tower stretched upward facing the water. Worn-down wood forms the steps to the top of the stump where a duck hunter has nailed a makeshift duck blind. Once at the top, I imagine the little duck blind as the walls of a tower with a throne to seat myself. I feel like a prince overlooking his kingdom from a breathtaking viewpoint. I feel safe and sound. The tide moves in as the end of the day draws near. The rest of my day, I will experience the sight of a twilight dance of the universe.

Later afternoon unveils the earth’s canvass painted with various shades of green, brown, and gray. These colors fade when the Olympic Mountains’ shadowy hands spread out over the Dungeness Valley. These shadowy hands reclaim the land once showered with light. All the colors change to a single color, a royal blue - - the color of night. I sit and watch the celestial play unfold and as early evening draws closer. The sky prepares for the twilight dance as I sit in awe of the view the activity from my throne.

In the early evening, the sun kisses the sky goodnight and the sky replies with a blush that covers the horizon with hues of red. As the moments pass, the sky changes into her evening robe draped over her shoulders that has the most brilliant hues of blue and is studded with twinkling diamonds with a pendant that changes shape every night. Witnessing the splendor of the heavens at sunset reveals a cosmic dance with each step choreographed to move across the sky. Nature’s order brings peace to my chaotic life.

I asked a good friend to join me on my walk to my hideaway. A walk I usually prefer to take alone. I wanted to disclose a little more about myself to my friend. I asked my friend to stop and listen to the water gently caress the small pebbles, to listen to the birds, to smell the cool salty air and to hopefully see my saltwater friend, the otter. I was surprised by my friend’s response, but laughed because I expected my friend to feel the same way I do. I forgive my friend for not feeling like I do. For my friend, these are not his life experiences.

I welcome friends to join me in a walk to my hideaway. I want them to see and feel the experiences I had when I was a youth. I want them to enjoy nature’s cosmic dance. The beach is more than just sand and seashells. I help my friends look past the ordinary sights and help them use their imagination to see the little things as we walk along the beach where I grew up. When the sky is clear and the sun is about to set, a long meandering walk helps me relive my imaginative youth and all in the realm of my hideaway.