Thursday, September 15, 2016

Butterfly Beach, California, travelogue continues

Almost to the end of a busy week and the perfect day to remember a stroll down Butterfly Beach near Santa Barbara, California with my son in June.

I love the stones. Our North Carolina beaches are nothing but sand so this made for interesting perusing and in some places careful stepping.


Butterfly Beach was quiet and sweet, though it was disconcerting to see oil tanker platforms in the distance. There were also chunks of tar from the tar pits offshore, and I ended up with tar on my feet for weeks after this afternoon walk!


The terrain was lovely as was the afternoon light.


The tide swirling around the rocks was mesmerizing.


I took many photographs of the light on the water as it washed over the stone.


And was again left behind by a more adventurous son, who ended up far ahead of me.


This was such a bittersweet image. I recall so clearly his first trip to the ocean when he was only a year and a half old, in bright orange shorts and yellow t-shirt, and his instant connection with the sea. How can it be that 20 years have passed since then? And somehow, miraculously, he is clad in similar colors? 


In those younger years I would be running behind him, calling his name. On this day I just stood and watched him go.

This seemed somehow apropos:


4 comments:

Grey Horse Matters said...

A beautiful beach. I like the rocks too. It's probably why I like to visit the shore in Maine. Great pictures of your son enjoying his time with you at the ocean. Time flies and they grow into adults too fast. Funny how we remember all the little things they did right down to what they were wearing.

billie said...

Arlene, I consider motherhood to be its own form of time travel. :)

Matthew said...

Glorious beach photos, and memories of another beach long ago. :)

billie said...

Very sweet memories indeed.