Beaches

Surfing inevitably makes me think on beaches.  I have been extremely fortunate to have lived near a beach in almost every place I've resided. Every day the mood of a beach changes and if you are lucky enough to live near one, walking the beach daily will comfort a stressed mind as well as give a rare joy of relishing in the act of doing nothing.  Gazing to where water meets sky, stimulates positive thoughts, reflections and puts aside trivial worries.  When I say stimulates thoughts, this can also mean again, stimulate thoughts of nothing and since I’m basically a lazy person, doing and thinking of nothing suits me enormously, especially after a huge move and leaving behind a tormenting job. (Hurray!)

The beach I now stroll aimlessly each morning is one that I had not forgotten, but think I failed to appreciate when I lived here years ago, this is Lake Ontario in Toronto.  It certainly helps that the days have been sunny and hot, the azure waters sparkle like the Caribbean Sea and sailing ships bob dreamily on the horizon.  Can this really be a lake?  An elderly gentleman with tweed cap, cane and brilliant red shorts sat next to me on a bench, (dedicated to a man called “Hot Tubs”) at Kew beach yesterday, and explained proudly that the whole of the British Isles could fit into Lake Ontario.  “How mind-boggling!”  I responded.  But then as I strolled down the board walk, I thought, (Oh, but I’m thinking too much) as I’m starting to imagine it all, this mess, looking down from outer space. How could all those people fit into Lake Ontario, along with all their houses, planes, trains, Double Decker buses, taxis, roads, farms with sheep and highland cows?  Not to mention all the fish and chips, teacups & saucers, bacon and eggs, the Royal Family and all their palaces.  I’ve spent a lot of time in Britain and so, I think this dear old bloke must have got this wrong; the population of Britain is over 60 million, while the whole of Canada is just over 34 million. I’ll have to do some research.

Anyway Kew Beach on Lake Ontario and eastward to the water treatment plant is an ideal place to wander and wade in the now clear waters for a delicious break.  Photo below taken with my mother's pocket Sony as I was too lazy to carry my big Canon. 

And who would have thought to find a Pirate ship on Lake Ontario on the way to Niagara Falls.  Amazing!