‘I remember yelling words slightly altered, but still reminiscent of the IKEA ad, “Stop the car, stop the car!” I just had to get a photo and capture this incredible phenomenon. This jaw-dropping, spectacular view unfolding out the moving car window was breathtaking...’
I remember looking out, as I always do along this part of the coast, when we drive down the hill, on our way home from the lake. This particular day, I spotted an exquisite sunset unfolding as we approached the lower area of the highway that parallels my favourite beach. Streaks of bright sunlight fanned down and out from dark brooding grey clouds to spill out over the ocean, creating such rich orange reflections. I immediately had to get my companion driver to stop or I’d literally consider jumping out the window (not really). I wasn’t going to miss this spectacular photo op. The ocean stretch of beach has inspired many photos over the years when we have pulled over, or stopped here occasionally for one reason or another, but on this day one of my all-time favourite photos I took of that sunset, and I am delighted here now to be sharing it with you.
This little rocky shore runs along the highway, and I pass this section of beach every time we drive to and from my lake. Occasionally we will stop here to take a moment to walk the dog, and sometimes, it is just because I love to go rock hunting and also appreciate the beach for a few minutes. When I was little, and with my parents, my brother and I would occasionally manage to talk my father into pulling over to go to the little restaurant and take-out burger joint that is across from the beach. In the deep recesses of my mind I remember that they offered banana milk shakes, back then, one of my favourite flavours and so refreshing. There is also a little gift shop with crafty trinkets in the same building strip, and it is always a place I like to pop into. I will say, however, that over the years a visit inside the store has been rare, for the most part, because truthfully, my father didn’t like to stop and interrupt the journey, and neither did my husband. Now on my own, I have stopped a couple of times. Somethings don’t seem to change, the store is still chockablocked with so many interesting and crafty trinkets. However, the ‘gold’ is in visiting the beach, and even a few happy moments walking across the multitudes of interesting and naturally colourful rocks, head down, or snapping pictures and appreciating the view, heads up, are definitely worth the visit. It’s such a beautiful stretch of ocean shoreline. The locals are incredibly fortunate. My remote cabin is tucked away on a lake that is a bit of a journey to get to. However, I can tell you, I love the journey to and from the cabin. Except for the ferry waits on busy weekends, the journey up to my lake is a pleasurable experience and I enjoy so many aspects of it. On the way back I also anticipate getting back to civilization, with the so-handy switch for electric lights, a flushing toilet and a hot running shower. First and foremost to share is that, as I travel to the cabin, my emotions are running so incredibly high because I can feel the pull of my little paradise beckoning me to come and visit, and I have that anticipated thrill in the pit of my stomach that I will be reunited soon with my beautiful lake and forest to soak in the sunshine and fresh air, and swim in the clear, warm fresh waters. I will admit that it is a bit of work to pre-shop for food, supplies and things required to keep the cabin going, before each trip, and I usually forget one or two items. Inevitably there is usually a last-minute brief shop stop closer to the lake for a last forgotten item or two. On the departure travel day we load the coolers, including food, all of our personal belongings, bags and supplies into the car to travel from our city home to the cabin. This routine is all part of my lake-life world, it’s all part of the program of cottage life. I will tell you that the minute we pull out of my city home’s driveway, car loaded, journey to the lake now officially started, I get butterflies full throttle in the pit of my stomach. And, although it really is the end result of settling into my wonderful cabin that I am most excited about, the journey to get there takes several hours and I thoroughly enjoy each leg of the very familiar trip, especially on a bright and sunny summer’s day. We have to travel by car out of the city, then across the ocean in a ferry, then along another delightful stretch of scenic highway to the end of the lake, where we unload, abandon the car, load up the boat with everything, and travel to my water-access only, one-room cabin. There are a several spots along the way that I delight in seeing every trip, my favourite is that little beach along the ocean. When I do stop to appreciate and collect rocks, this is where I collect the best rounded, tumbled, shore rocks for my arts and crafts painting projects for when I’m in residence at the lake. My lake environment has raw, jagged rocks for the most part, and so for my rock painting with stemmed flowers shapes and some things I paint, those lake rocks are perfect, but for the animals and some of the other flowers, I prefer the smoother, nature-tumbled-by-the-ocean rocks for my projects, and so this coastal beach is where I stop to gather a few which I then lug up to the cabin. Who knew, I drag rocks up to a forested, mountainous lake where one would assume there is clearly no shortage of rocks? To all you fellow rock lovers out there, you know, each rock is unique, and for whatever reason you pick one up and keep it, you know that rock has something special it evokes in you, if nothing else for those precious mindful moments you spend looking for it in some special place.
I have also loved the views out to the ocean along the coast, and there is one spot with seven islands off shore. There once was a small restaurant that was there that looked out over the view of the islands, but it has been long gone now.
We pass more than one lake on the journey to and fro and one quiet, peaceful small lake has a section of reeds at one end. This part of the lake was inspiration for another book I hope to publish one day. My characters in the book paddled by a reed-like part of a lake in my story, a place I named Reed Marsh. It is easy to be so inspired by the beauty in this world, especially in my little West Coast world.
Today, passing that special long stretch of rocky ocean beach has tugged at my heart with its view, one of many this stretch of beach has gifted me over the years as I have passed it by. I consider the cover photo to this piece one of my best-ever-in-my-life photographs. I am delighted to share this breathtaking photo with you. At home I have framed it, and the image makes me happy every time I pause from my daily city life and take a moment to admire it.
‘I am so excited, I caught these incredible, awe-inspiring sunset images on camera, (as you can see over the years there have been many)! This spot always offers a spectacular ocean view, now I have captured several to enjoy and cherish forever...’