Gooseberry Island, Westport, Massachusetts

One of the things I missed most when we lived in Tennessee was being near the ocean. It wasn't as though we lived on the shore or even visited terribly often, just having the option to spend time at the beach is a good feeling (although before we had children, Rich and I used to spend many early mornings or evenings walking the beach). So not having that option in TN makes one long for the ocean. And since we have been back to MA we have spent time at the beach a whopping ONE day!!! Shame on us! However, we headed out early Sunday morning (yes, we skipped church, but I was sure to thank god several times while we were there for the beauty he created and the time he allowed us to spend there with Him and as a family). We're not really ones to pack a lunch and sit out on the beach all day taking in the sun. We'd rather get there early morning or late afternoon once the crowds have gone and "explore" the shore.

And that's just what we did this morning. We packed up the camera and some drinks, layered on the sunscreen, and grabbed a bucket for collecting seaside treasures.

Some of our "finds" for the day included a seastar, various shells, stingray egg pods, periwinkles (small sea snails), hermit crabs, rock crabs, sea weeds, and sea glass (to add to our family collection). Here are a few shots from our morning at the beach.

I'll have some more photos soon.