One could say that I’m a salty ol’ gal

Durham

William

D.M.D.

I am never happier than when I am immersed in saltwater. I am sure that saltwater runs in my veins, or perhaps I am part dolphin. Swimming, for me, is not only the best part of summer, it’s the best part of everything.

When I was a lass growing up in Madison, we went to the beach every day. I would stay in the water for hours. Even shivering and blue lips did not catapult me onto the shore. I would delight in swimming underwater and doing handstands and floating on my raft and snorkeling and doing the doggie paddle and floating on my back, gazing upward at the sky. The rest of the world just melted away when I was in my watery paradise. Not a care in the world had I. And then there were the chicken fights with my friends. You remember those, right? Hopping onto someone’s shoulders and trying to knock the other guy off and into the water. Hours seemed like minutes, and when my mother finally tried to flag me down to come in because it was time to go home, I pretended that I didn’t see her. That did not go well for me.

My boys were born in Georgia, and maybe that made land lovers of them. They never had the same passion for Long Island Sound that I did. I remember one fine day when Ryan and I were bobbing around in the biggest, most wonderful waves, and Jordan was standing on the shore, begging to go home. I am not proud of this – I kept telling him that yes, we were leaving, but then another huge wave was headed my way, and I just could not turn it down. Jordan, who was 3 at the time, got so frustrated that he threw the car keys into the water.

That did not get us home very quickly. (I was the same way about ice skating. “Yes, we are going home in just a minute.” We weren’t.) When I lived in Georgia I was homesick for the water. You could not go into lakes down there because you would have been accompanied by alligators. The only water I saw all those years was the kiddie pool I had for my boys. Not quite the same thing.

When my son, Ryan, came from Sweden for a visit, with his then-girlfriend in tow, we went to the beach at the Outer Banks. I had warned him that we really shouldn’t go into the water because of the possibility of sharks. They even post what you must not do because you will bring them in, like wear shiny objects. However, I soon forgot that warning as the water lured me in. And then, wouldn’t you know? A man was running up and down the beach yelling that there was a shark. I shot out of that water with the speed of a bullet. It turned out that it was a manatee, but still. I never fully recovered. website:

Speaking of sharks – I always thought that we were safe from them here. That the water was too cold for them. That they like the ocean, not the sound. But when I went to the dentist the other day, he told me that we do, indeed, have sharks here, and they are not that far off shore. Well, that’s going to put a damper on everything.

Sharks aside, every year I tell myself that I will get to the beach more often. And then I don’t. And then I feel like I had a lousy summer. This year, though, I am already doing better. My friend reminded me that I am always welcome to go to the private beach to which she has the rights. I did just that recently, and it was a most glorious experience. My friend and I stayed in the water for two and a half hours. The water was like bath water, and we talked and talked and bobbed around, and I am still in my happy place.

And the best news about my recent watery outing? My bathing suit still fits. Oh yeah, and no sharks. Of course, now, thanks to my dentist, I will be on the lookout for the theme song from Jaws and a fin gliding across the water.

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Over a dozen people attended Allan and Nancy Poole’s recent presentation on bees and were fascinated by the complicated and orderly life of the insect.

Upcoming garden talk: Saturday, Aug. 5 at 11 a.m., Durham resident Joy Starrat will return with a flower

Durham Public Library

Registration for all programs and events can be found at durhamlibrary.org.

Youth Services:

Mermaids. August drop-in scavenger hunt

Adult Services:

DPL Book Club. Monday,

Giving Garden

pounding workshop, which is as much fun as you’d imagine! Pound on cloth or paper to make cards or fabric creations. Bring a small hammer if you have one; all other supplies provided.

These programs are free and open to all ages. The garden is located behind the Middlefield Community Center and the Middlefield Fire-

Library

Aug. 14 at 6:30 p.m. “Fox and I,” by Catherine Raven.

Levi Coe Library

Crafting with Susan. Sign up for a take-home teen/ adult craft on Facebook.

Thursday Night Book Club.

Thursday, Aug. 24 at 5 p.m. “West with Giraffes,” by Lynda Rutledge.

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