365 Days (Part 1) | ✓

117. Beach Inspired

117. Beach Inspired: What's not to write about the beach?

Florida is one of those magical places that, to me, holds flavors of my childhood in every area. Not only is it the host of Disney World, but it's also the home of Pensacola Beach.

Pensacola Beach is half on a sandbar and half on the mainland, with sands so clean and white they are flawless. The water, although subject to influxes of seaweed, is mostly clear. The longest pier in the Gulf of Mexico juts from its coasts.

Me and my family go there almost every year. We rent a condo that's right on the beach -- literally, you walk outside and you're there. I think my family first discovered Pensacola Beach because of the Blue Angels. They are a flight team of epic skill, performing crazy stunts in the sky and amazing you. The bonus is that they fly right over the condo we rent, and because they fly so low, the boom every time they go past is almost deafening.

A more recent tradition is the inflatable boat we buy and break every year, christened the S.S. Scallywag.

I am not sure why my mom first bought an inflateable boat. She must have know it wasn't going to end well. And every year, me and my brothers did somehow managed to break the S.S. Scallywag in some way. I think our record for the fastest destruction time was the second day, but we kept using the separate pieces anyway. Every year, Mom would buy another.

My brother Matthew was the self-appointed captain, and (because we treat our guests so well) his friend, Brian, was the motor. My brother Zachary's friend, Hunter, was deemed to be the scallywag and consistently thrown out of the boat. Zachary himself was the baggage captain, and he floated around in an inner tube, tugging along the others in case we decided to use them. They were kinder to me: I was the passenger, and was allowed the privilege of relaxing in the boat behind Matthew while Brian propelled us, Zachary floated beside us, and Matthew threw Hunter into the water.

Keep in mind that we ranged from early teens to early twenties when we had finally established our titles. When me and my brothers get together, it's like we revert back to being little kids. You should see what we do at Christmas... but that's another story.

I vaguely remember, years ago, that Zachary and another of his friends, Anthony, pulled me along in another inflatable boat through the waves. They encouraged me to relax, close my eyes, take a nap even, and foolish little girl that I was, I did. Then, they heaved the boat over and dumped me into the salty water. I was furious with them, but that was also the year that both Zachary and Anthony got stung on their derriere's by jellyfish, so, really, I came out the better at the end of that trip.

One year, the S.S. Scallywag lasted longer than usual. Near the end of the vacation, Matthew and Brian (who Matthew brought along every year), climbed into the boat and started paddling. I am pretty sure we exceeded the weight limit on that poor vessel every time we used it.

Matthew and Brian rowed, for no reason, far out into the ocean... Two men in a tiny inflatable boat out at sea. Honestly. I don't know what to do with these boys.

They were pretty far; at least as far as the pier or farther. They shrunk to a little figure on the horizon, like a toy placed against it. Me and Mom were watching them, when dolphins began to leap right near them! The dolphins were so close, if Matthew or Brian had reached out their hands, they could have touched them. But the two idiots didn't even see the dolphins because they were looking away.

Mom leapt up and shouted their names. She waved her arms through the air to get their attention and yelled, "Dolphins! There's dolphins!"

They yelled something back, but they were too far away for us to discern what it was. Very quickly, with twice the speed they rowed out with, they returned to the shore.

"Did you see the dolphins?!" Mom asked, as the two sailors dragged their boat onto the sand.

"Dolphins?" Matthew repeated, looking at her.

"Yes! They were jumping right next to you!"

Brian looked at Matthew.

"We thought you were saying there was sharks!" Matthew said.