Five go on an adventure despite the rain

Being that half glass full lady, I have a tendency to only see the sunny bit when checking the weather and yesterday's weather said sunny spells with a chance of showers so we chanced a trip to picnic at our favourite beach. It poured as we left the house "it's only a shower" I assured everyone then about halfway to the beach  we drove through another shower. "We must be mad" my husband said. But then there in the distance was a ribbon of blue sky, the clouds seemed to be lighter, well I guess instead of black and low they were grey.

We arrived a bit late as usual, to find Nanna, Grandad and my brothers two children waiting for us. "You are very late" stated my nephew "I counted to 237 whilst waiting for you". After drinks and chocolate covered flapjacks we headed down to the beach. What I love about this beach is how different the coastline looks each and every time we visit. Today the tide was still in, the waves were still beating against the cliffs where we usually explore so we decided to walk along the cliff top first, thinking that the tide will have started its journey away from the beach by the time we reached the metal staircase that takes us down to the rocks. By the time we reached the kissing gate at the beginning of the cliff path we were forced into the bushes to wait out a very heavy shower, heavy enough that you could see intrepid explorers running from the edges of the beach along the path and back to their cars. We decided that we may as well wait out the rain. We were quite sheltered, huddled together, and to make a run for the cars would inevitably lead to us getting drenched. The shower didn't last too long and we could watch it pass over us and make its way along the coastline a dark shadow drifting slowly away, leaving behind it, swathes of blue sky interspersed with grey.

Following the cliff path the scent of the sea was thick and heavy in the air, due in part to the weather I am sure but also because it was still so close, the waves still buffering up against the cliff side, we were protected from the wind by the heavily laden blackberry and sloe berry bushes, definitely somewhere to return to at the end of September for some harvesting.

The metal stairs were still damp, either from the rain or the sea spray, so we gingerly made our way down, the children chattering excitedly, could we make our way back along the beach or would the sea still be obstructing our way? As we made our way around the first bend,the sea was indeed beginning its turn away, so we were able to follow the trail of drying rocks hugging the base of the cliffs. The children found fossils and climbed to the top of a huge rock that must have been dragged from the cliffs by angry seas since our last visit. By the time we made it back to the picnic area we were all starving and the sun had come out to play.

Sooner or later we will be really caught out by the weather but, I think that would just be an adventure in its self!