Day 71 - Thinking of Changing this blogs name

We started our walk a little later then normal, and this is what we saw when we started.

And this is what we saw 30 minutes from the car (it got darker as we went) picture taken with camera phone it was more dramatic then this picture is showing.

It was low tide so we were able to go our 6 miles, I was going to go 8, but it got way too dark and I got spooked.

I tripped on the only rock on the whole beach and went down, but not to bad it was like falling on a bed, so I wasn't hurt - problem was I couldn't get my big frame back up.  I am so afraid to put that much weight on my poor knees without help, but I bit the bullet and did stand up finally.  I fell right by a family playing with their dog, and it was a real Witch to keep T in line while I kept attempting to stand up.  If someone had a camera they could have sent it into  America's Funniest Videos.  I have the leash wrapped around my hand trying to stand and then T goes lunging towards the dog and I fall flat in the sand again.  The family just watched in amusement, nobody came to help.

As I was walking I saw a huge crowd gathered.  At first I thought that my eyes were playing tricks on me, as it was like close to freezing and the wind was blowing and it was getting dark.  So I thought maybe those are pylons that I had never noticed before, but as I got closer I saw no that they were people.  At first I thought they were a cleanup crew, but the beach was pretty clean and it was a pretty odd time to be out.  Then I thought maybe it was a field trip for little kids, but they seemed a bit too tall to be little kids.  I finally concluded it was a HS party being held on the beach - maybe Christmas- maybe a keg - who knew.  As I got closer I passed one of the people on the outskirts and he appeared to be drinking beer, but he seemed older then HS, but what do I know about how old people are?  Once you hit my age peoples ages are placed in three categories - older - younger - my age.  Anyway about half a mile away I was smelling what smelled like strong perfume, so I decided yes it was a bunch of HSers doing the mating dance.  But as I pulled up I noticed that there were little kids dogs and people of all ages, but lots of them.  They were all huddled around something and I figured they were trying to start a fire.

All very interesting, but I needed to get to our turn around place before it got dark and I didn't want to be out to late after dark - so we trudged past just hoping on our way back they weren't going to be all rowdy and obnoxious.

As I headed back I saw that they had the fire going and it was smoking like crazy.  I was surprised that they could stand it, my eyes were watering and I wasn't even close to it.  As we neared them I saw two of them go racing towards the water and I thought to myself they look naked.  Nah - it was just too cold but I kept looking and yes they were naked.  As I got closer an older lady started walking towards the beach slowly and  unclad except for her many tattoos.  She was followed by two menacing (fully dressed) men who gave me such looks as that led me to think that maybe these were guards to protect the foolish nymphs who played in the 40 degree water.  I looked, hell I have never been to a nude beach before I don't know the protocol, but if you walk in front me I am going to look.

As we passed the group I notice that they had candles out and decided that they must be Wicca's, but they got the date wrong - tomorrow (today) is the solstice.  As we went on by I heard a bunch of screaming and I turned around and saw a pale streak running into the ocean.  It looked like the entire group had shed there outerwear and was joining the other fools in the freezing water.  I wish I had taken a picture of it, but I think the bodyguards would have beaten me up.