I wake a predawn and start coffee. Then I put on jeans and a sweatshirt and step out my door onto the deck. There before me is the Pacific Ocean in all her glory! It matters not if it is stormy or calm; the beauty is always overwhelming.

Today is one of those clear mornings at the start of summer. It is 5:00 A.M. and the sky is turning a light turquoise. The ocean is calm and the early morning surf rolls gentle and white against a soft, sandy shore. Seagulls ride the air currents contentedly on motionless wings, crying their distinctive call. The sound of the surf is gentle and constant. A feeling of total tranquility envelops me like a soft, warm glove, or the tender embrace of a familiar lover. I enjoy a cup of coffee while I watch the daylight begin.

Coffee finished, I leave the deck and stroll the block it takes for me to reach the beach. The tide is going out and the sand is clean and pure—renewed—as the tide always leaves it. The colors in the sky are lighting up fast and wonderful. A few high clouds flare flaming flamingo pink against a canvas of bright morning blue. In a few moments the sun has made its’ debut over the western most rim and now shines full on the ocean and beach. The surf is almost blinding in its’ white purity, the sand sparkles as though full of crystals and the variations of blues and greens created by the reefs have truly brought the ocean to life.

We have just had a few weeks of harsh early summer storms, the kind that make the ocean boil and the rain come down sideways with the wind. If one is patient however, the reward is a morning like this. This portion of the world has been washed clean. Mother Nature has blessed us once again with this incredible unpolluted sky and fresh ocean air.

The tide is fully out now and the clear pools, teaming with life are exposed. I walk among them and watch the sea weeds flow with the currents, tiny fish and crab scurry for cover as I pass, and the rock formations, sculpted by the sea, show strange and delightful shapes. Between the plant and animal life that flourish here are every color of the rainbow, and then some! There is a whole different and wonderful world here that never ceases to fascinate and entertain me. I spend hours, hearing the gulls and surf in a concert more musical than mere man could compose.

All too soon, I glance at my watch and see that it is time to leave the beach and get ready for work. This has been a good walk and I am content as I dress for my job as a waitress in a small local restaurant. I will walk again at dawn tomorrow. Now I look forward to returning home this evening, to a chair on the deck, a glass of wine, and the sound of the night surf to loll me to bed and a sleep more peaceful than most people enjoy but once in a lifetime.