Breakfast at Uncle Bill's. Every morning I see piles of fruit and whipped cream and pancakes carried past. I have eggs over easy; Mr. escapee has blueberry pancakes. He says they're the best in the world.
We were out on the beach at 10:20 and in the water at 10:21. Lovely temperature, but kind of rough: big rolling waves that you couldn't really time for breakage. For the first time I was having trouble keeping my balance in the water, to the point where we got out in much less time than we usually do, and I was reeling all over the place. My great fear is that the lifeguards will notice and ban me from the water.
But this morning they were concentrating on something else. One of them was trying to take the boat out. Big honking wooden boats that seat six. Each lifeguard is supposed to take it out every day, alone. He had no luck at all. The tide slammed it parallel to the beach every time he got it into enough water to try to jump in. People were offering to help him and getting filthy looks in return. He ended up pulling it on shore again with the other guard's help, putting the logs under it, and leaving it fifty feet up the beach.
We read for a while, went back into the water, and BAM, a wave slammed me in the left side of the head. The whole world tilted left. It's still there. The next wave took me under and rolled me, and Mr. escapee yanked me out and led me ashore, staggering wildly.
I sat in my chair for a while.
And then.
Dolphins. Dozens and dozens of them, the biggest pod I've ever seen, from one horizon to the other, just off the sandbar break. Dolphins spraying, arching, a couple of calves leaping up joyously, pairs and groups and loners.
All up and down the beach people were running to the water's edge, pointing and taking pictures and holding up children to see.
The inept lifeguard ran down the beach and pushed that boat off the logs, into the water, leapt into it, and was off to see the dolphins. So were all the other lifeguards from 30th Street as far as I could see, all heading into the dolphin pod. Dolphins were tagging the boats, circling them, nudging them. I saw one lifeguard reach out, but I have no idea if he touched the dolphin or not.
They stayed a long time, then went off about their business, and the boats came back in.
And then I realized the world was kind of oozing left, and when Mr. escapee asked me if I had had enough, said yes. Walking home was a bother. I'm lying down now.
I never thought a wave could do that.
But the dolphins!