Stormy Seas

Waves at Golden Bay

The forecast for the day was rain, hail and strong winds and although we woke up to bright sunshine, we could see there were some dark black clouds moving in. So we (my husband and I and our three year old son) bundled up and headed for the sea, thinking it would be a good idea to take some photos of the waves. And we were not wrong.

The sea is awesome when it is stormy. I feel a certain exhilaration when I hear the waves thundering on the rocks and obliterating themselves on the sand. The shore was empty except for us and one lady walking her dog and it was hard to imagine the crowds that descend there in the summer time, although remnants of the time they had spent there were all around us as the waves brought in all sorts of plastic debris. But at least, there was silence except for the sound of the crashing waves. It was really cold out there at the water's edge and the dark grey clouds were getting steadily closer. Before long it started to rain and hail so we had to run to the car.

I could not stop wondering at the beauty of it all and at the ever changing moods of nature. In summer the sea is calm with a surface like glass and the waves lap in gently to shore as children sit on the sand and build castles. The surrounding air is hot and the cool water is a gentle relief to burning skin. But there was none of that calmness today. Nature was manifesting all its fury and we were at its mercy.

Grey clouds and rain

There is something about the ever-changing nature of the sea that appeals to me. It is playful, it is fierce, it is gentle, it is rough. Its colours reflect the sky, sometimes blue, sometimes grey and, of course, black during the night. There are days when the shining sun creates sparkles like diamonds on its surface and other days when the wind whips up a creamy froth. I know that I could sit and look at the sea for days. Living on an island I feel bound to it and it is part of me. Its beauty is unsurpassed; its presence constant. But its mood? Ah well, that will forever be fickle.