Sunday on the beach

Winter has lingered in England. 

While the US enjoyed a much warmer February than usual, drizzly rain, biting wind, and occasional hail has been the norm across the southern UK.  I’ve been scraping frost off the windshield and layering on the sweaters most mornings,  driving more carefully in anticipation of black ice in the shaded turns along country roads.

The skies cleared in Dorset this weekend, though, and sun-starved Brits bundled up and headed to the beaches like it was August.  Their faces angled up from above collars and beneath hats, smiling to catch a bit of radiated warmth. 

 

Lots of young families were out, opening beach cabins and sand blankets.

  

A few children tiptoed into the cold surf; teens lined up for ice cream and zip-line rides along the pier, whhile families queued for fish ‘n chips outside of Ramsden’s.

 

Above, daffodils bloomed along East Cliff, the gorse blooming along the edges.  The chalk cliffs of the Isle of Wight glowed in the low blue haze blanketing The Solent.

 

Life has been far too busy since the holidays.  I’ve asked everyone working with me to take some time to throttle back, a mandate that applies to me as well.  So, no guilt for taking an afternoon for walking, talking, people-watching, pub-sitting.