The beach

The beach

Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, is a wonderfully wide sandy beach on the Atlantic. It offers families a nice retreat from the likes of Myrtle Beach, Virginia Beach or even the Outer Banks, which fill up with rowdy groups during the summer months. Granted, it is risky to go to the Atlantic during the hurricane season from August-November, but the house was rented and the weather report looked good.
Little did we know what would happen to the East Coast three weeks later - when we were back home safe in Germany! Hurricane Irene tore up the coast, leaving trees draped over electric lines like wet laundry.

I grew up near Virginia Beach. My summer memories include sunburns, hot feet running over the dunes and learning where the "sand" in sandwich came from. But I also remember the elaborate sand castles our father built with us and the fun we had body surfing and collecting shells.

Walking up and down the beach has always been one of my favorite past times when I am down at the ocean, and this summer, with camera in hand, it was no different.

And as always, there were interesting contrasts in abundance! See the little wiener out there with his board?
With all these pictures of the sand and surf, I must admit that the image below, for me, says, "Beach" more than any other. What do you think?