I have finally managed to string together consecutive minutes to focus on this month’s blog! Carving out the time for reflection and writing has proven difficult. It is, after all, summer at the beach! School’s out, the weather is hot, and folks are here to play. The markets we participate in are hopping; filled with loads of sunscreened shoppers looking for fresh peaches and other goodies. And friends galore have been hitting the highways to make their way to our little slice of heaven. We love the work, we love the visitors, and we wouldn’t change a thing about this newly hectic pace.
But once in a while the universe forces us to just be still; to breathe in hard and slow as we witness something magical. One such moment occurred just a few days ago.
As has become customary, we took our most recent houseguests to our community’s landing on the Colleton River to enjoy the views we hold so dear. With dogs in tow, we strolled under the canopy of oaks and palms and made our way to the dock. The tide was at its lowest; the smell of pluff mud growing with each minute as it baked in the sun. Crab traps strung from steel dock cleats were likely resting on the river’s bottom at this point; the water’s depth not exceeding more than a few feet. A couple of herons were privately enjoying breakfast amongst the reeds on this otherwise very quiet morning. As we exited the dock to continue our sightseeing, the topic of a recent PBS special about the dolphins in this area came up. We had all seen the episode and agreed it would be so wonderful to one day be able to observe them in the wild.
We walked the path along the waterfront as tiny crabs scurried underfoot and Spanish moss swayed in the breeze. In the distance the faint sound of a splash was heard by one of our guests. Turning to investigate, he immediately called out to everyone….“DOLPHINS!!!!”
There they were, near the riverbank; swimming in circles and splashing to collect their catch. The moments following this discovery were excited and frantic! All of us ran to find the best viewing spot (while still trying to keep eyes on our dogs, who were becoming increasingly interested in the surprises held deep within the marsh grass!).
“I think you can see them from here!”
“No, it’s better over here!”
“Look! There they are!!”
“UGH!!! Why didn’t I bring a camera today?!?!?!”
“I bet we can see best from the dock. Hurry, let’s go back there!”
“Brewster, Bella! Get OUT of the marsh!”
We quickly made our way back to the dock and stared into the distance to witness dolphins at play and work. We all became quiet as we watched them roll onto their backs and splash about. And then the most wonderful thing happened…. they headed in our direction! We collectively held our breath; eyes wide, not wanting to blink. They swam right along the dock, and as they surfaced all of us (including the dogs!) could not take our eyes off these beautiful creatures. They moved past us, and then circled again a few minutes later to swim along the dock once more. Mesmerized, we watched them until we could no longer see fins.
My husband then turned to me and quietly stated, “We are NEVER going back to the city”.
