It's always beautiful at Caspersen Beach in Venice, Florida. I've experienced the beauty there many times since moving to the Gulf Coast almost four years ago. I have often said it feels to me like I'm walking in a watercolor painting when I'm there. Yesterday I had the same visual feast as I usually do, but it was the sounds, and my hearing, that awakened more fully during my walk.
Perhaps it was because only a scattering of humans were there. It's off-season here, and it was dinner time. I had just rushed downtown to the post office to get the day's Heartful Art orders in the mail before closing. As I left the post office and got into the van I love so much, I felt especially free and happy from the day's work. As I asked myself, where should I go from here, I remembered I still needed to get my daily walk in, so I decided to go the extra couple of miles to Caspersen.
It must have been dragonfly dinnertime too. As I drove on the road to the beach, a million dragonflies swarmed all around my van. I happen to love dragonflies, so I slowed way down to 10 mph so I wouldn't harm them in their frenzied flight. It was an awesome sight.
After parking and leaving my shoes in the van, I found my way to the beach. The quietness was evident right away. The surf was calm; the waves gently lapped the shore. No wind or crashing water this time. As I walked, I enjoyed the shore birds feeding; witnessed pelicans diving for fish with power, beauty, and graceful accuracy; and noticed egrets intently focused on the water around the moss-covered rocks on which they were perched.
I listened as I walked, and as I did my senses awakened even further. I heard the sound water makes as it sifts thru shells and fine sand as the surf moves out from shore. Like a subtle tinkling of a percussive musical instrument of some kind that I couldn't identify. I walked through nature's artwork that is Caspersen Beach and was treated as well to nature's concerto.
Filled with appreciation for the ability to see and hear these beautiful things, I completed my time on the beach, which felt more like a meditation than exercise. Actually, it was both. I walked on the shell-strewn sand toward where my van was parked. After brushing the sand from my feet, and putting on my shoes, I drove again on the beach road. I watched for the dragonflies, but they had settled down and had pretty much finished their snacking. Nighttime. Time for home.
- Raphaella Vaisseau
Ten minutes from where I live is a magnificent sandy beach that I love. Constantly changing, constantly moving, alive with manta rays, dolphins, sea horses, sand crabs, seagulls, blue herons, egrets, eagles, and more, Caspersen Beach never ceases to uplift and thrill me with its beauty. See more pictures on Flickr from an hour spent here recently. Follow @heartfulart on Instagram for glimpses of life in southwestern Florida, including many visits to the Gulf.
