Playing Chicken With The Waves

A surfer makes his way to the path down on the California coast

There was some legal paperwork a ways away from my home that's needed tending to for a while, so yesterday I took the afternoon and got it taken care of. Since I was already near the beach front I took a drive up the coastline for a ways afterwards, stopping at a few spots to stand on the cliff and watch the surf.  The waves have been much larger than usual lately - probably fueled by some storm out on the Pacific - and were putting on quite a show while pounding onto the rocks below.

The sound of that much water slamming into the face of the rocks and cliffs was so powerful you could feel it in your chest; a concussive WHOOMP that added a rhythm to the consistent song of the sea gulls and other birds nearby.

The higher surf also brings out the surfers.  Being later in the afternoon they were now out of school and work and came like lemmings to the sea, clad in their wet suits and carrying their surf boards.  From one vantage point I could see them approaching the path down the rocks to the water and watch the sets of waves, waiting for a break in the sets so they could get to the water as safely as possible.

The young man in the top photo is also in the one below. He made it down the rocks and entered the water without being pulled in - deaths from this seemingly foolhardy practice are very rare - but I didn't watch very many of them try it. Made me nervous.

It was a fine reminder of how small and insignificant we, our lives and our planet are in the Grand Scheme of things.

See you back here on Monday. Have a great weekend, unless you've made other plans.