Nature Journal

It’s been raining for what feels like weeks. But over the last few days something has changed. The skies have grown a brighter blue and the clouds have slowly dissipated from the ugly dark grey to white and fluffy and then nothing at all. Leaving a sea of blue above us in the sky.

I’m in Deal in Kent today with a friend and our children. We have parked along the coastline road with a view over the green to the pebble beach and the azure blue sea beyond. It’s such a bright and sunny day that it’s hard to tell where the sea ends and the sky begins on the horizon.

The grass below our feet as we step out of the car is a luscious shade of green. Healthy and glowing from all the rain. It’s almost a luminescent carpet beneath our feet.

There is a slight breeze in the air which we are thankful for to keep our skin from getting clammy in the heat. It’s like midsummer but in spring and very welcome after the cold start to the year.

I think that the Deal coastline might just be one of the most amazing natural beauty spots. It really has it all. Luscious greens, a sparkling sea, beautiful pebble beach (unless you prefer sand, I thought I did but I’m now indifferent) and my personal favourite, the wildflowers that grow on the shore without a care in the world.

They are simply magnificent with that sea behind them. I am in utter awe of their beauty. Yellows, pinks and greens all mixed together in wildflower heaven to be enjoyed by the passer by who takes a moment to look and see the beauty before them.

It’s been a while since I have been to a pebble beach, normally favouring a Sandy beach where I can slip off my shoes and bury my feet in the warm sand as I walk. But today I have my fabulous waterproof sandals on and am enjoying the sound of the pebbles knocking together under my feet.

It is a great reminder to be mindful in the moment as I wander closer to the shore line. Pebbles of all shapes, sizes and patterns adorn the beach and it makes me wonder about where each came from and what caused such wonderful patterns and markings. This coastline is perfect for the curious, filled with questions and intrigue to research.

As we sit on the pebbles watching our children throw stones into the water I am transported back to childhood days on this beach. Perhaps that is why it feels so homely to me. Nostalgia is all around me here and I remember days with my dad when I was very young. Memories that I had long forgotten but that are now vivid in my mind thanks to the sheer beauty of this wonderful landscape.

I can’t quite put my finger on why, but my whole body is calmer here, I am completely relaxed and am back in my worry less mind. As an adult with a child we always have something to worry about. But here right now in this moment calm has washed over me and nothing seems as important as being here and completely immersing myself in the abundant landscape that is a joy to my eyes.

This place is filled with an unseen magic, even the children are happily here without a toy between them. Just running from waves and throwing stones. It is a joy to watch how nature has such an effect on a human young or old. Let this wonderful day surrounded by friends, happiness and nature be remembered in our minds for years to come.

——

Charlotte is a Nature Writer, Photographer and Conservationist from Kent, UK.