The turning tide

 A dramatic walk, full of incident.

 I tripped over a branch buried like a snare in the shingle,

but did not this time lose my glasses,

only my dignity.

And here you see the moment when husband and son

stood at a fairly safe distance on posts.

Followed by the moment when husband,

(as I fondly imagined), was wisely stepping down to retreat,

only to discover that in a fit of uncharacteristic bravado,

he had decided to move forward

onto the next post.

See that approaching wave?

Not pictured is the moment 

when he realised the folly of this move.

Son engineered a spectacular pratfall of his own

after attempting a controlled slide down a steep shingle bank.

( I think he did it to make us feel better.)

Joyce Carol Oates said of Saul Bellow's characters that they,

'not only survive their snarled problems and pratfalls 

but learn from their experiences

and are articulate about their learning.'

This may be a good enough aim for 2013.

I leave you with a selection of beach bouquets

and my best wishes for a Happy

and almost pratfall free,

New Year.