Two extremes. Sunrise and our first big energy outing, in January, getting up early to make a fire and watch the sunrise on the beach. It doesn’t go perfectly but it’s beautiful and we learn a lot! Then, on the eve of the summer solstice, we head to Barry Island to watch the sun go down.
357 – Sunrise on the beach
Thursday 9 January. Clear skies. 1°C
Today is my birthday and B and I have decided to see it in by building a fire on the local beach and watching the sunrise. Weather looks freezing but perfect with clear skies forecast. We fully prepared the night before by getting everything for the fire (charcoal, kindling and natural fire-starters) and get up at 6.45 for an 8.15 sunrise. We’re not overly organised. We faff about working out what to get for breakfast and getting B’s pack lunch for school ready and B suddenly looks out the window and panics.
B: Its getting light. We have to GO!
Me: but sunrise isn’t due till 8.15 – I need to get the torches.
B: you don’t need torches any more.
She’s right and by the time we get down to the beach (after defrosting the car) it’s pretty light. I’m doubting my sunrise source. It’s about 7.55 and we clatter over the stones with our bag of fire stuff and another bag of picnic stuff. I panic about getting the fire started and getting B fed as well. She’s more interested in the fire than the food. We quickly realise that we’re too cold and not properly dressed (again!) and should have been there at least thirty minutes earlier to do it properly. We’re limited by sun coming up and need to get her back to school by 8.55.
We make a fire pit out of stones and B tries to light it (she’s working on her match skills). It lights but there isn’t enough time to really get it going. I make a note to practice laying fires at some point. We’re definitely not expert. We’re each juggling mugs of hot drinks and food and trying to take pictures at the same time. It’s all a bit chaotic and then the sun peeps over the horizon (dead on time – bbc website was right) and it’s absolutely lovely. We’re both so excited, as are the birds who go crazy.
As we watch it we both notice how the light changes as it comes up. B notices the biggest cloud in the sky looks just like a lobster. We probably only get to sit and enjoy it for about 5-10 minutes in the end and B is getting colder and colder. In the end she runs for the car, an icicle, and I gather all the bags back up, clear up the fire and stagger back too, just in time to get her to school.
All of which might make it sound not fun but it was. It was totally glorious and we definitely learnt a lot. Next time, wear more clothes. Get there earlier if you want the fire to start and have time to enjoy it! Maybe do it on a warmer day (though the frost everywhere really added to the beauty of it). Get better at fires generally. For the rest of the day, I notice the sunlight and what it’s doing. B loved it, though was cold. I think today we both felt like the hardy nature lovers we’d like to grow to be.
195 – Sunset on the beach on the longest day
Friday 20 June. Sunny. 24°C
Almost six months on from our sunrise experience and we’re approaching the summer solstice. I’m trying to think of a way B can enjoy it and really don’t want to get up at 4am… so we head to Barry Island for an evening at the beach.
It’s been a hot long day and we’re both tired. We forget that Barry is a party town and that an evening means crowds. We get some chips and B misbehaves with seagulls (anyone eating in Barry who is pestered for chips – my daughter did not help teach them good behaviour!). Finally we head down on to the beach and it all gets a lot better.
The tide is out, so no paddling (it’s a long way and muddy when you get there). The shadows are big fun – they’re REALLY long. We play footprints again too – this is now one of B’s favourite beach activities. We also spend a lot of time admiring other people’s efforts. Someone had made beautiful sand cakes topped with stones. There are lots of amazing lines and wheel tracks (we follow them all). B draws pictures and writes things and then wants a stone to help. We head to the east end of the beach to see what we can find. B then spends quite a long time making paths to follow with the stone and challenging me to follow them. We reverse, and I make one which journeys round the rocks.
We realise the sun is going down and B works on her photography. As the sky turns orange there’s a murmuration whirling around the amusement arcade in the distance. We’re not sure what they are but spend ages watching them. They settle on the big wheel.
As we head back to the car, we spot other people having a fire in the sand. We’ll try that again soon I think as the summer progresses. I suspect a summer fire will be very different from the January experience.
