Beaches

A beach in China

Olimpiadas, Rio de Janeiro

It is impossible to believe that it is wall to wall umbrellas on a beach in China. The millions of people living in China have no problem with crowds. They live in crowds. They work in crowds and think nothing of it. I wonder how long it takes to do the census count in China. They are becoming the richest country in the world and a power to be reckoned with one day.

In Rio de Janeiro the vertical structure on Cotonduba Isand is the new welcome sign for the visitors. According to the write up, "This project from Zurique utilizes solar energy in solo power panels to pump sea water which will turn the turbines and produce power to work the system at night time." On top of this tower are cafes, auditoriums an shops. Lifts are used to take the visitors to the top. Wouldn't you like to see this close up? I would. It makes me wonder about sound. After seeing pictures of crowded beaches, I can't complain about our summer visitors as Sporthaven beach looks bare in comparison. Speaking of beaches reminds me of one summer visit when my girlfriend and I took a train from D. C. to Lynn, Massachusetts and spent our first visiting hours on the beach. Nana Barnaby warned us not to go to sleep on the beach and of course that is just what we did after a swim. We laid out on the beach for hours and when we woke up we were 'cooked'. It took a lot of vinegar to take away the sting and a lot of creme to sooth the blistered skin. Sitting on the edge of the seat riding the train back to D. C. was not fun and we could tell you every bump on the train track. It was a lesson well learned and one fact of life we really believed. Here, we have plenty of beaches but we also have the fog to roll in and cool us off. According to our weatherman we are about to experience three whole summer days of 'hot' weather; the first all summer.

So today, hopefully you are having a cool spell after your hot summer days. Some of you have sweltered and probably got a sunburn and a few sleepless nights. Signs of Fall are coming and those of you in New England will be seeing the change of color and feel the blessed coolness. I'd like to be there to enjoy your Fall, and the raking of leaves. In Nevada you will be enjoying the Aspen trees as they turn to gold and make the valley come alive. No matter where we are there is a joy in the change of the seasons. The rhythm of our lives, how lucky we are. Start with today with a song in your heart and make it a good one.