if you're fond of

sand dunes and salty air....

When I was a kid summer started just before school ended in December. But things have been happening here on Earth since then ... global warming? crustal shift? cellphones? and now summer starts the day school starts back.

To celebrate the greenhouse affect, today I went to the beach. I am actually not much of a beach-goer. In fact, my co-beach-goers were surprised and a little put out that I didn't want to swim. I would have had there been waves, but to me there is little point in swimming when there's barely a tide. And besides, because there were kids in our party they swam between the flags in a very crowded people soup. So I instead investigated the sand dunes and burnt the soles of my feet in doing so ... Doesn't this, though .....

.... seem more inspiring than that?

I still find it hard to believe that on many parts of the coastline, the local governments not only allow but generally encourage people to drive up and down the beach ... so much for salty air.