The Mind's Eye

"To the person with imagination, the vision of the mind's eye is never dim and the voice of the spirit is never silent." 

I'd love to take credit for that quotation, but it was actually made up by Sapphire.  She's much better with words than I am.

This past weekend, Sapphire went to visit her parents and she brought me along.  It was a great adventure.  I got to play outside a lot, and I think Sapphire's grandmother is now my number one fan.   We went to visit some elderly folks in a long term care home, and they were very nice.   I slept in a room that Sapphire's mother seems to have converted into a closet, which was a unique experience all on its own.

The best part of the trip was our visit to the beach.   The Atlantic Ocean is spectacular.  The sounds and scents and textures were breathtaking,  and part of me never wanted to leave.  Sapphire told me that she and her brother spent practically every day on this very beach in the summer when they were children.    She took some pictures while I was exploring.  I think maybe the pictures will tell the story better than I can.

I just wanted to stand there forever.  I could feel the sun on my face, smell the salty air, and hear a dozen different sounds I'd never heard before.

Sapphire showed me this piece of driftwood that she found:

I discovered a lot of interesting rocks:

This sea shell was fascinating.  The edges were all jagged and it was rough to the touch.  It smelled like salt and seawater.  Sapphire said it'd probably been broken by a seagull dropping it onto the rocks.  The seagulls like to eat periwinkles, and they have an ingenious way of getting the shellfish out of the shell.   Who says birds aren't smart?

It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited.  I hope we can go back there again.