The last full day at the beach started very early. The air conditioning kicked on at 4:30 and churned out numbingly cold gusts. Seeking a somewhat warmer location, I groped my way down to the enclosed porch. Huddled in my sweatshirt, I watched the day begin. First a shimmer in the air, then darkness yielding to massed shadows. Today, with no clouds to color the sun, the transition from colorless to bright was swift. A bird piped its morning song. Within ten minutes, the silver reflections on windows and fence posts blazed into gold-touched color.
Tomorrow will be a flurry of pack up and go. But for today, there is a gentle breeze and the song of cicadas.
