Retirement provides us with the ability to just take off on the spur of the moment and have a mini adventure. This week we took an overnight at Horseneck Beach in Westport, Massachusetts. As it happened we got the very best spot in the entire campground...sheer luck, but we are happy it turned out that way. We arrived at the Horseneck Beach State Reservation Campground just about 2:00 and were all set up by 2:30. Our camping buddies Rayna and Al had arrive earlier and had their site all set up as well. As we were setting up camp our friend Kathy arrived to hang out for the day. It only took us a short while before we were all down at the beach. It was high tide and getting across the smooth rocks to get to the water provided some interesting and comedic stumbling, but once in the water it was heaven. The water temp was fantastic and was the perfect foil for the hot day above the water. We spent most of the remainder of the afternoon on the beach or in the water, chatting and laughing.
It was with a sudden recognition that I realized it was suppertime and we needed to get something to eat. Carol and I planned to get something from the nearby 'clam shack' and Kathy said she would join us with a bite from the shack too. So as I started off to head to get some supper, Carol said she couldn't find her phone. This is not an uncommon occurrence. The search began. We went through everything, twice, then three times. She had worked earlier in the day and had turned her phone on silent so we couldn't hear it when we called. Every once in a while, when looking in the car, I thought I could hear it buzzing..but still couldn't find it. After ten minutes of looking I was completely wet with perspiration and frustrated. Like I said loosing her phone is a common occurrence. I decided just to go get some supper anyway, and when I reached into my pocket...there was Carol's phone. Damn, I must have picked it up unconsciously and dropped it into my pocket...feeling like a fool I fessed up and felt terrible for causing such a commotion. Carol felt completely vindicated for not having lost her phone, and justly so. . . and I felt like an ass, again nothing new here.
This was just the beginning of the comedy routine... I drover over to the Bayside (clam shack) and they were closed. So I called back to camp and asked what people wanted from Marguerites (a place where we had picked up a menu earlier in the day on our way down) and so I called Marguerites and they said it would be 45 minutes. Back to the campground I went. This worked out perfectly as the sun was getting low in the sky and it was building to be a fantastic sunset. I set up my tripod and camera and started it shooting to make a time lapse. I love to shoot time lapse, I think because there is so much I can screw up, and I do screw it up often, that it is always very satisfying when it goes right.
Back in the car I drove to the restaurant which was packed, got the food, stopped at the nearby liquor store and got ice and headed back to camp. Everyone was there and we all gathered inside our 'Clam" screen shelter and had great conversation and ate supper. We do enjoy our friends so much and feel so blessed to have such good friends. Kathy said her good-byes for the evening and I started setting the fire in the pit. Again the one match rule worked out just fine… but I do keep many matches in reserve. Soon the fire was crackling and we all sat around listening to the surf on the beach just a few feet away and watching the stars. With this great southern exposure and a fairly cloudless, moonless night I set up the camera to capture a time lapse of the milky way. We chatted on into the night and had a fantastic time.
We all retired around 11:00 or so and I packed in my camera, as the moon was getting ready to rise which would brighten the sky too much for useful milky way frames. With the sound of the sea and a view of the night sky through our huge picture window, we settled in for a good night’s sleep and suddenly it was morning.
I grabbed my camera and got a few shots before even putting on the coffee. What a beautiful place. Carol and I sat in the screen house with our coffee and watched the morning begin. Soon we were all back down on the beach. Once again the moon has done it’s job and pulled the sea from the shore exposing a wide expanse of sandy beach. A gentle surf patted the shore as we walked along. The gulls overhead sang to us making this another perfect morning.
A short video below:
Sadly it was time to pack up and head home as there are chores to do. The Clam screen house took about two minutes to pack up, and it is so nice that it fits back into it’s bag as it should. Next the little ‘Green Elephant’ privacy tent, also about a two minute operation and back into it’s bag. All in all, in about 20 minutes or less and we were all packed up and ready to go. What a wonderful little adventure. We arrived home around 11:30, unpacked, tidied up and got back into the daily routine. And now planning for the next adventure… Canada.
