It was windy today as I walked on the beach. It added a new dimension to my workout. Unfortunately, the sandblasting didn't remove years from me like the process does to aging buildings.



Kite surfers and wind surfers were taking advantage of the conditions to have fun. Usually the Gulf is calm along this part of the coastline but on windy days the waves arrive.

Watching them reminded me of a vacation I had in the Caymans. My son, Tom, and our friends, Kevin and David, had gone diving early in the day. Invariably whatever fish they saw during the dive influenced Tom's choice for dinner. I guess it was the ultimate pick out your fresh fish experience.

Later in the day David and my son, Jim, decided to go windsurfing. This left Tom with the challenging task of making me feel secure as we snorkeled off Seven Mile Beach. The wide variety of colors and species of fish that can be found just a short distance from the shore is amazing. I loved it.

It should be noted here that David is an extra large man. He is over 6' 2" and is "big boned." In order to accommodate him, the beach rental staff brought out a "special" board. To say it looked like a slab of sidewalk wouldn't be far off. It was oversized and grey like concrete.

Amazingly, both Jim and David learned quickly how to right their sails and maneuver their boards. Soon they were wind surfing.

As time passed Tom and I finished snorkeling and noticed that Jim and David had sailed far out from shore. I was concerned but Tom soothed my fears.

More time passed and Tom and I noticed the hut where the boards were rented was starting to close. We made our way over there and asked about Jim and David. It turned out that the staff had forgotten about them. They rarely rent the board David was using and had failed to notice Jim's hadn't been returned when they did their count.

The men got into their motorized rubber raft and headed out to Jim and David. As it turns out Jim and David had mastered the art of sailing from shore but weren't able to return. They had dropped their sails and were getting ready to paddle back when they were rescued.

Rescued is the right word because as it turned out they had made their way all the way out to the famous wall, the edge of the continental shelf. The sun was setting. If they tried to paddle back, the men told them, they may have become shark bait. Happily they made it back to the shore safely thanks to their rescuers and except for a mighty crimson sunburn they survived.

After showers we met Kevin for dinner. Tom enjoyed grouper having seen a huge one that morning diving and Jim and David had an adventure to tell about.

It is fun to have memories surface.