Vacation Days

We're back from the beach!  For the past few years we've gone to the shore in Delaware in late August.  This year we switched around and went in July.


It was husband Dan, my Mom and I.  We were without our sons, but they had good excuses.  Nurse-son Scott couldn't get off for vacation and Lawyer-son Jack has the bar exam next week.  So it was just the three of use.  Originally I thought we'd be a lonely, but we got by just fine.

It was hotter than it's ever been, even at the shore.  We'd get up and go out for a morning walk, come back to our house about noon, and do something else until around 3.  I love the beach in the late afternoon. The light has faded, everyone is relaxed and after 5 the dogs can come out. We don't have a dog, but it's fun to watch other people's.

 The end of the week was cloudy and very windy which kicked up the surf and closed the beach.  After the heat it was nice to have cooler weather, and by that time we knew we were leaving soon.

Food-wise it was stressful. Husband Dan read a book, The China Study, and decided he should follow that almost-vegan diet.  He made an exception for this lobster dinner one night. 
I have concerns that his diet, which is also influenced by the book, Eat to Live, is not going to work out very well as it's almost impossible to eat out and follow the plan.   He's not very knowledgeable about food and I think following a nearly vegan diet is going to be hard for him.

 I'm trying not to be a roadblock, but it's not my intention to be the researcher or enforcer of his diet.  Family members ranting about they can't eat this or that because it's not on their healthy-diet and then downing a bag of chips and three beers cause my kitchen-temper-fuse to be short.
Time will tell how Dan's diet works out.

See the ponies I'm pointing at?

My Mom and I went down to  Assateague Island, a barrier island on the Maryland side.  It's a companion island to Chincoteague Island, made famous by Margaret Henry's book, "Misty of Chincoteague." The islands, which are parks and recreation areas have all kinds of birds and wildlife, including wild ponies.  The lore is that the ponies came from a ship wreck.  Park literature suggests locals kept the ponies and other livestock on the island as a way of dodging taxes on the animals.  In all the years we've gone to the DelMarva (Delaware/Maryland) shore I'd never been there.

A Marsh walk.

It was 101 the day we were there and the ponies weren't close to the road.  

My Mom saved the day when she whipped out her National Parks pass, the one she bought in June when we went to Fort McHenry in Baltimore at Jack's graduation.  We enjoyed our sweltering visit that was free with her pass, and didn't feel guilty that we didn't stay there for hours. I'd like to go back in the fall and see the birds in cooler weather.

It poured all the way home. If you don't like the weather just wait, it'll change.

Between beach walks, trips to see the ponies and stops at the outlet malls we had a relaxing week. Future dinner guests will have after dinner coffee from my new French press coffee maker, and family can enjoy frozen pizza cooked on a pizza stone. 
 I polished off several novels including "V is for Vengeance", "The Eleventh Man" and "The Brides Kimono."  Last year I had a $40 library fine for vacation books I forgot to return.  This year I'll be stopping in at the library without fail.

In a change from prior years I actually went into the ocean three times!

The view of Rehoboth Bay.

Monday morning back to work is going to be a shock.