This is My Forties

Ever since Hurricane Katrina it seems meteorologists and city officials can be a little overprotective when it comes to dealing with potential natural disasters.  However, I definitely prefer it to the alternative: not being prepared at all.  Still, I approach most of their predictions with skepticism. We heard about this potential storm system moving across the southern states on Monday, and the speculations began.  There was also a wave of low, cold air coming in off the east coast and the 2 were going to meet up to some potentially disastrous consequences.  I held off preparing until Wednesday; once the Canadian, European & American agencies all forecast basically the same path and intensity of the storm... us... the DC area.  We watched the projected path about eleventy billion times over the course of the week.  It looked like a snowicane.  The storm was twirling out into the ocean and slamming back into DC over and over again as the moist...

Growing up in a landlocked state like Ohio means that I am fascinated with beaches.  A beach in winter to me is like some kind of bizarre unnatural spectacle that must be seen.  So, I went to check out my local beach in winter. There are waves crashing into ice-covered driftwood, you guys.  For me it was like watching a ferocious lion play with a baby hamster or something.  The juxtaposition of winter in a "summer place" made me giddy.  It was cool. I saw seagulls sliding around on a frozen lagoon.  They would glide overhead, land and slide around a bit, and then they slammed their beaks into the ice to break through and grab what little morsels they had spotted from the air.  I saw ice sheets covering the sand with ripples in them. I saw shells filled with slush.  I can't wait to go back when there's snow... snow on the sand.  That's just crazy talk!  It was a lot of fun for me (if you couldn't tell).  Hopefully my editing ...