When we drove home from a family party in the middle of a
thunderstorm Saturday night, it didn’t occur to me that Sunday would be a “Church of the Jetty” day, but it should have. Lightning flickered purple over the
highway, thunder bashed overhead, and window-wipers flogging back and forth
struggled to keep up. But when I woke at
6:30 in the morning, it was clear as the blue sky outside my window that the
storm had cleaned things out. An hour
later, after brewing coffee, we stopped for bagels and headed to the harbor. As we tiptoed by, the same way it happens each time we do this, the summer church service taking place on the porch of the new sailing club
began. Down at the docks I sang along
with the first hymn.
I wish I knew the words to tell you how open and bright a
clear a summer morning can be on the low-tide harbor. Everything is white and vivid and sweeping,
almost as if the world has grown larger. As if the light has moved inside you. We anchored on the flats and pulled up the
boat. Egrets and seagulls picked through
the mud as my husband scrubbed off the slime that accumulates on the sides of
the dinghy. Toward the east, the water
sparkled. The sun glinted off a tilted
panel out on Minot’s light. Rowing crews
parted the sea, leaving a V’s in their wake and a couple slogged through the
low water, dragging their boat behind.
One lone fisherman took a last sideways cast, before pulling up anchor
and trundling away.
In the end, we didn’t walk the jetty. We stood below it, circling, flipping over
shells bleached white by the sun, watching the
gulls and the terns, listening to the gurgle as the tide rolled in over the sand. But
through it all, the jetty was there, hulking behind us, an altar of sorts, blessing
our morning while standing guard over a perfect view.
13 comments:
Sounds Heavenly to me!
See you next month.
There's nothing like summer by sea. See you in a few weeks :)
So lovely! Enjoy your time off! :)
Enjoy your sabatical :O)
amen. That's my kind of church service. Enjoy end of summer break
It sounds so lovely and spiritual. Enjoy your short break.
Susan Says
Worshiping outdoors on a beautiful morning... what could be better!? I hope you have a restful and wonderful time off.
I love the picture that you painted with your words...and I love the picture at the top of your post...Rhapsody in Blue.
Enjoy your break!
Beautifully written and very spiritual.
This was lovely. The beautiful photos made me take deep breath and imagine the scent of the sea! See you in September (I think that's the title of an old song...)
Gorgeous photos and words, Liza. Enjoy your time off.
a great post to hold us over 'till ya git back..glenn
Even without the magnificent pictures, you captured the moments so vividly. Your writing is lovelier than ever!
I know you're enjoying your break. :)
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