An Early Morning Walk On the Beach

I awoke after hearing a noise on the roof of the cottage, it sounded like a couple of seagulls, probably fighting over a piece of bread. I was wide awake now and looked over at the clock, it said 04.00, and I decided to go for an early morning stroll on the beach and catch the sunrise. First things first, a cup of coffee to start the day, I opened the front door closing it quietly as I went out so as not to wake the rest of the family who had managed to sleep through the noise of our early morning visitors. I made my way down the boarded path that would take me to the beach, the sun had not yet risen and there was a coolness in the air, and I was sorry that I had not brought a light jacket with me. Undaunted I carried on down the path with dunes to the left and right of me, marram grass grew in clumps on each risen dune. Looking upwards towards the west I noticed a few stars still visible in the darkish patch of sky, but it would not be long before they disappeared. I continued on and then I was aware of a sound that I had heard many times before, it grew louder as I walked down the path and I stopped for a moment to listen to it, Yes!, it was the unmistakable sound of waves crashing on the shoreline, such a soothing sound I thought; the relaxing sound of the ocean. I reached the end of the boarded path and the view I witnessed would stay with me forever and I just stood in total awe and wonder, a golden orb was starting to rise on the eastern horizon above the ocean, it blinded me for a moment and I looked away then turned back to look at it peripherally, at the spectacle, the birth of a new day. There were seagulls squawking in the distance providing me with an audible reminder of where I was, I carried on walking along the smooth white sand that had a scattering of little brown and white shells here and there. A girl out for an early morning jog lifted her arm to give me a good morning wave; I waved back and continued to the water's edge enjoying the beautiful moment of the sun rising. I walked along and at least an hour had gone by since I had set out, by now the sun was warming me up and I just knew the day was going to be a scorcher later. I love these early morning walks where I feel that I have got the whole world to myself, but all good things come to an end and now more people were starting to arrive to share my world, joggers and people walking their dogs, it was starting to get busy. There were friendly exchanges and smiles, and I couldn't help but wonder if it had been a busy street in a city would we even have seen each other, in modern living today it would seem that people do not have a second to spare and any delay, however small would interrupt their already busy schedule. My deep thoughts were interrupted by Mozarts piano concerto number 21, my cell phone ring tone, I answered, and it was my daughter Hayley to inform me that everyone was up, and breakfast would be served in about half an hour. I about turned, quickening my pace and began the walk back to our holiday cottage. Yes, I thought, breakfast, the second-best thing to happen this morning and the day was only just beginning.