Summer's Last Call
1. While in Virginia Beach, we visited the A.R.E. complex (Association of Research and Enlightenment), founded to carry on the work of Edgar Cayce. We picked up wireless in their library and had lunch in the meditation garden by a pond. The pink water lilies were in bloom and large gold fish swam between them.
2. Even with all the martial arts training Joe has had, he couldn’t budge this giant beach ball.
3. On the boardwalk, we met some Monks from Thailand. They wore long orange robes and were snapping pictures with their cameras. One gave Joe his card.
4. It was the weekend of The Neptune Festival, which went on for over 30 blocks, with vending tents, carnival rides, and bands playing. The main event was a sand castle contest. A line of tall colorful flags flapping in the ocean breeze lined the entries and made for an impressive display.
5. From a distance I thought it was a pirate game and that children were walking the plank. I was immediately drawn in, so we went to get a better look.
6. A crowd of children had invented the best ride in town. It was a self-created rite of passage game in which they lined up and took turns jumping several feet into the sand from the end of a long black plastic pipe. Some jumped bravely, others edged their way out to the end, and all were witnessed and cheered as they jumped. We never figured out the official purpose of pipe, but we knew it was non-commercial attraction because no one was taking money.
7. We made it back to camp in time to watch the sunset from our backyard beach, which we have come to call the Volley Ball court. It was like a honeymoon date because after the sunset we stayed for the moonrise, remembering how the sun and moon played a symbolic role in our wedding. We reminisced about our first meeting, a story we call our “creation myth” and which we like to review every couple of years.
8. The next day we avoided the Virginia beach crowd and stayed at the campground, setting up our cabana and chairs on the beach there. Joe read some wonderful passages out loud from an insightful book on meditation. After that I got down to business because no beach vacation is complete until I have completely flipped through an issue of People Magazine.
Comments
Hey! I'm in Chesapeake this week for work... just a short drive from you guys. Hope the vacation has been fun... I love reading magazines like OK and People when I'm on vacation or waiting in an airport.
Posted by: Jeanne | October 1, 2007 12:56 AM
Love all the photos! Sounds like you had a good vacation!
Posted by: sentientmarrow | October 1, 2007 7:58 AM
I just love the sand castles built during the Neptune Festival! They're grand and unbelievably intricate. Last year, the main one was a HUGE Neptune with all his creatures around him - dolphins, seahorses,starfish...you name it.
Posted by: June | October 1, 2007 8:33 AM
Sea and sand, oh.
Posted by: zhoen | October 1, 2007 11:21 AM
you look so peacefully relaxed Yippee!!
Posted by: sandykessler | October 1, 2007 11:54 AM
Kids are good at making their own challenges. Great idea to reminisce and keep the meeting alive. Things that aren't talked about are often quickly forgotten. The meeting of Hubby and I is rather faded.
Posted by: Pearl | October 1, 2007 12:45 PM
the other bit we reviewed this morn reminded me of another key way we aligned. Your need to rest is a boon and benefit to me as you entice me to slow down and stop occassionally too.
great snapshot post btw.
Posted by: joeyk | October 1, 2007 1:31 PM
Always wanted to visit the ARE, ever since I read the first Cayce book when I was (ulp) 18. That water lily is so vivid!
~S
Posted by: Shephard | October 1, 2007 4:01 PM
Sounds like a lot of fun Coll. I missed you on the love link. It has been so darn quiet. I agree with Shepard....that water lily is vivid and gorgeous. xo
Posted by: Sherry | October 1, 2007 5:07 PM
The Neptune Festical was started after we moved away from Norfolk, and we always said we would go back for it - but we never did. Looks like we should have!
Posted by: kenju | October 1, 2007 8:21 PM
The Neptune Festival was started after we moved away from Norfolk, and we always said we would go back for it - but we never did. Looks like we should have!
Posted by: kenju | October 1, 2007 8:22 PM
Great photos. Hope you're having a wonderful time. Sounds like you are.
Posted by: CountryDew | October 1, 2007 9:17 PM
looks like we share a guilty pleasure... celebrity gossip mags! :) i splurge and buy one now and again, can't help myself!
look slike a lovely time...my parents honey-mooned in virginia beach, but i have never been.
and you look just lovely, collie-wollie, in that sandcastle pic!
Posted by: bluemountainmama | October 1, 2007 9:24 PM
What a lovely week-end. It looks like the weather cooperatated also. I love the picture of you with the statue behind you.
Posted by: inlandempiregirl | October 2, 2007 2:09 AM
oops... not a statue, but a sand castle. Amazing!
Posted by: inlandempiregirl | October 2, 2007 2:11 AM
It sounds like a blissful time - I loved that shot of the waterlily - there is something about waterlilies that is just so evocative.
You look like you've had lots of fun!
Posted by: Absolute Vanilla (and Atyllah) | October 2, 2007 3:19 AM
What a lovely post, Colleen. Summer's in it... still. Sounds like you've had a beautiful peaceful time. And the pictures are great!
Posted by: Vesper | October 2, 2007 7:11 AM
LOVE the sand castle picture with the colorful flags flying and the blue blue sky!
Posted by: susan | October 2, 2007 8:16 AM
sounds like a great time
happy for you both.
Posted by: david, 7000 feet up | October 2, 2007 10:44 AM
Colleen, I haven't been to the beach in years, but your wonderful pictures gave me a little vicarious vacation! Thank you! I'm glad you had such a restful time.
Posted by: Beth | October 2, 2007 11:16 AM
What great pictures. I loved the one with the big sand castle in the background.
Posted by: Kat Campbell | October 2, 2007 11:44 AM
These pictures are so wonderful Colleen, I feel I was with you on this lovely full trip! The Sand Castle Contest looks AWESOME! I've never seen anything like that except in pictures...it had to be quite amazing....Loved the kids jumping off that huge tube...!
One of my very favorite books of all time is "There Is A River"...I always thought it would make a GREAT movie, if done really properly....How great that you got to spend some time there.....!
Beautiful pictures, my dear. Wonderful trip!
Posted by: OldOldLady Of The Hills | October 2, 2007 5:01 PM
One last kick at summer to be sure! Neat sandcastles..I've never seen pink water lilies!
Posted by: ruth | October 2, 2007 6:42 PM
Love all the pictures of your trip!
Posted by: Deana | October 2, 2007 9:06 PM
Did you jump off the pipe? that looked like so much fun. Great pictures and am glad you had a great time.
Posted by: Nancy | October 3, 2007 10:24 AM
I didn't want to wait in line, but I did WANT to jump. I did feel the pipe with my hands to see how sturdy it was. On parts of the beach it was buried underground.
Posted by: colleen | October 3, 2007 10:33 AM
I've heard about the Neptune festival; wasn't sure I'd want to tackle the possible crowds, though. The sand castles look beautiful! And you're pictures are making me long for MY vacation!
Posted by: Leslie | October 3, 2007 1:03 PM
We were happily on bikes. Otherwise I don't think I could have handled it. We rode a block away from the crowds through most of the vending It was the sand art we were most interested in. Getting back to the quiet of the campground also made it doable.
Posted by: colleen | October 3, 2007 2:43 PM