Sun and Seawall

I was up at 10:30 this morning, my head full of worries about high blood pressure and slowly swelling lymph nodes. There is a part of me that would like to chuck everything, and just go away somewhere and be a musician again, but that part does not acknowledge the fullness of this present moment.

I know that if there is ever a time for me to have trust and faith it is now.

I managed my morning shave and made coffee. Yesterday I didn’t have coffee at all. There was also a glimpse of sunlight so I planned a short hike along the seawall. I was sure it would do me a world of good, as it's mainly the constant cold and rain bringing me down.

I put on my warm khaki coat and headed downhill toward the beach.

What a glorious day!

The sun was brilliant, warming and there appeared joggers in shorts displaying the white legs of winter, young moms pushing big-wheeled strollers, little old ladies negotiating walkers between puddles, countless dogs on leashes sniffing at pantlegs of passersby and fat Canada Geese basking in the green grass.

What a contrast from yesterday's dull drone of steady rain!

I have not been along the seawall since the recent storms that blew down all the trees and so I decided to hike as far as I could.

Once I got out past 2nd beach, I was able to relax into the rhythm of my walk and gaze into the haze over the calm waters, immerse myself in the texture of the sand rippling out to the low tide, the bleached driftwood natural sculptures and the sounds of rivulets gushing down the steep parts of the embankment where forest meets paved roadway, and at one point creating a broad floodway that poured over the seawalk walk, and through which I splashed in my shoes rather than attempting the tightrope walk along the seawall rim which on this section is rough-hewn.

I rounded the corner to 3rd Beach and at that point I could see that the seawall was now blocked and gated by the Parks Board along the stretch to Siwash Rock. I hesitated and was about to turn back, but thought better of it. Taking this walk to the very end of possibility today, seemed like the best choice and so I decided to walk right up to the fence that is closing off the seawall past this point, and look through the mesh to glimpse the fragmented mess along the walkway that has still not been cleared.

As I approached the walk below the concession stand, the haunting sounds of a flute or horn could be heard coming from the area next to the stand. As I got closer I saw a white-haired gent in black beret up on the rise sitting at a music stand and playing what looked and sounded to be an Alto Sax.

It was a very slow and gorgeous one note samba, and as I listened to the expressive tones unfolding and to the intervals between that created imaginary augmented and diminished chords between notes, the melody line came into focus but only for the moment.

As I look back, all I can recall is the beauty of it, and the sense of peace it created in me as I passed.