There was so much seaweed in the sea that day and the water looked brown because of it. It felt so good to come here, to get my feet in the sand and retrace some of my sisters steps. To walk along the shoreline, knowing she had done this many times before.
My daughters were in their element, climbing the rocks, looking for shells and playing with the seaweed. They spend hours amongst the rocks, ,finding treasures and making Islands. Which allowed me the time to sit on the beach and really take in the beauty of it all.
I have a great love for seaweed, the feel of it and the smell of it. It is so rich in minerals and after walking on it and the sand my feet felt like they were brand new. When I lived in Ireland I would come to the ocean every autumn and collect enough seaweed to put on the soil in my garden.
Today would have been a perfect day to collect some. I had told my sister about the magic of seaweed and how it enriches the soil and protects it from the cold over the winter. I have also been know to collect seaweed and add it to my bath, what a wonderful gift from the sea. Such a wonderful treat for my body and my garden. For the soil is the skin of the earth.
I love the colours of the seaweed, the purples and greens. I like to imagine the journey that it has been on, before it gets washed up onto the shore. The many life forms that it sustains.
Some people dislike seaweed and I have met a few that hate the feel of it on their feet. What a funny thing to hate, when in fact it's many oils are so beneficial to us. How some will spend money on treatments, yet walk away from what is in abundance and free. How crazy that unless it has a price, some assume it has no worth. Above is some dulse seaweed, nestled amongst some rocks.
Can you spot the heart above, the heart shaped receptical from the Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed, or Bladderwrack as it is know in Ireland. This is where reproduction takes place. New life being made within a heart. Reminding me , how important it is for us to slow down and take the time to observe, so that we can see the beauty that surrounds, so that we can witness the magic happening. So much is missed because we do not take the time to see!
We spend most of the day on the beach. I felt so relaxed and at peace, the sky was so blue and sun shone down on me as I listened to the waves lap at the shore. In the distance I heard my girls so happy and content. Here I was, Surrounded by life and beauty and the magic of the West Coast. Remembering my sister and feeling so grateful for the fact that she was in my life.