Fresh New Year

On New Year’s Day, after a solid week of Christmas festivities and fabulous food, I am ready for a break.

Nothing soothes my holiday-saturated soul like a trip to the beach.

Lucky for me, I happen to have one close by.

So this afternoon, despite our horrible colds and the temptation to stay curled up in front of the never-ending stream of holiday football, three of my daughters and my furry red dog and I drove down the hill to take in some fresh air at our very own Mukilteo Beach.

As usual, the beach worked its magic on me.

Pale clouds floated soft and high in the sky.
The salty breeze was gentle and almost warm.
Islands and mountains merged with the sky in subtle tones of blue and gray
Waves lapped to the shore, ducks swam by, the ferries continued their endless game of back and forth.

But one look at my camera proves that my eyes were mostly on Gracie, who enjoyed herself immensely.

I wish I could have captured every move my dog made.

Stretching her neck to scent the breezes.
Watching the ducks bobbing in the waves.
Wading out into the chilled waters and quickly dodging back to shore.
Attempting to jump every fence and sea wall she encountered.

But when we are at the beach, I’m so busy trying to keep up with her that there’s no time to take photos on the fly.

But trust me, we both had a wonderful half-hour of fresh air and freedom.
Which is a lovely way for us both to start the fresh new year.