Day two began with a knock at the door.

(Hmm… sounds like the beginning of a good mystery novel.)

Of course I was still asleep; after all, number 1-it was only 9:30 am, number 2-I was “on vacation” and lastly, number-3, I’d stayed up late the previous night.  I ask you, “Who in their right mind, wouldn’t be sleeping?”

Disoriented, I staggered to the door and managed to grunt, “Yes?”  The merry voice on the other side said, “Housekeeping!”

“Housekeeping…?” I thought…”Who the hell comes to your door that early to clean your room..?”

Trying to be considerate, I decided to not open the door.  I had yet looked in the mirror, but my gut instinct told me that I must look a fright.  You see, there’s this weirdo thing that goes on with my hair. In the mornings I always look like woody-woodpecker…believe me, it’s not very romantic.  I’m serious.  Both sides, the right and left, sweep upward to crash in the middle, and you all know I’m a redhead, so my ole pal, Woody, greets me every morning.

Hmmm…maybe I should rephrase that…what I mean to say is,  “Every morning when I look in the mirror, the cartoon character is staring at me, mocking me with his rediculous little laugh”  So, for that reason, I declined the merry housekeeper’s offer through a closed and dead-bolted door.

Sometime later, after I showered and washed my hair with Zest soap, ( no complimentary shampoo could be found) I sat out the porch, just outside my door, sipping on a cup of Folgers instant coffee and eating a bowl of Jasmine rice.  I watched the world as it was bathed by a gentle rain.  I could smell the ocean, even though it was over a mile away, and it seemed I could hear the gulls calling my name.  I was anxious to see what I hadn’t seen, since I moved from New England, over a year ago.

Wells Beach didn’t disappoint!  The sea was angry, under clouds of gray, while the squawking gulls busied themselves scavenging for breakfast.   There were a few others, like myself, walking the sands or sitting on wooden benches , soaking in the somber but absolutely beautiful view. Every now and again, the laughter of a child, could be heard above the crashing waves and seagull cries.

As I stood there, with the wind whipping my once tamed hair.  I took a deep breath of the best air in the world, and slowly let it escape my peaceful body.  Up until that very moment, I never realized just how much I had missed New England’s ocean.  This was why I had come.

I breathed it in again and smiled.

(to be continued…)

(The preceeding was inspired by New England’s Ocean, something I truly value)