Do

you have a favorite place that you visit to think, to clear your mind, or to do a
little soul searching? For me, that has always been the beach. I take in the
kaleidoscope of colors, the lulling sounds, and the salty-mist smell. I commit them
to memory and think about them during the bustling week ahead. On this day, Stella,
my four-year-old Lab-Shepard mix and I were exploring Summers Beach (located
along the PCH between Ventura and Carpinteria, CA).

The sky and sea had changed from the squally conditions of the previous day to a
mild, gentle grey, overcast. As we strolled along the beach, I noticed a lot of
spectators lined up with cameras and binoculars. There were booths set up and
chairs put out; clip boards with blank lines and scribbled names. Announcers voices
boomed from flared loud speakers. In the water, young surfers lined up in a queue
of white, red, yellow, blue, and orange (no green today). Stella and I had come upon
a surf contest!

I sat down on the sand next to the (cement) sea wall and watched the surfers as they
tried to master the waves. The ocean was still showing signs of the passing storm:
the waves were 47 walls with offshore winds. Despite the less than perfect
conditions, the participants all seemed to be enjoying the sport and fellowship of the
day. Their surfboards danced and skipped in and out of the surf to the resounding
cheers and clapping from the spectators, who were watching the events wrapped up
in their winter jackets and hats. Some even had scarfs wrapped around their faces
and necks to keep out the ocean winds. But, on this day the weather was
unimportant, the enthusiasm was contagious, and good vibrations filled the salty sea
air.

Todays event at Summers Beach is part of the Scholastic Surf Series, a division of
the Western Surfing Association (WSA) for middle and high school co-ed teams from
Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. WSA is a California non-profit corporation that has
been around since 1961. They are also the oldest surfing association. The WSA
promotes fun, family-oriented surfing contests. The Scholastic Surf Series is
professionally operated and managed. The contestants compete in five events
culminating in the State Championship for both middle and high school teams. The
Summers Beach contest today was the second in the series. What an awesome way
for youths to spend the weekend fresh air, sportsmanship, exercise, and
appreciation of nature! (For more info go to www.surfsss.org.) And, what a way for
all of us to celebrate our enjoyment of the water, which is such a precious resource.

It is always enjoyable to stroll along the beach. I always see something interesting
or learn something new. As I walked to my car today, I thought about how lucky I
was to happen upon the surf competition. It reminded me that good fun, for me
anyway, doesnt require anything more than a few dollars for a little bit of gasoline
and my faithful, beach-loving dog, Stella. My walks along the beach remind me that
spectacular scenery still exists as long as we preserve it and protect it. Perhaps, you
will celebrate World Water Day this year with your own walk on the beach, swim in
the ocean, or fun time at the pool.

Rachel 5/23/15 4:37 PM

Comment [1]: Can we add a subhead
before this paragraph to make it more clear?
Rachel 5/23/15 4:36 PM
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Rachel 5/23/15 4:38 PM

Deleted: go isit to think, to clear your
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Rachel 5/1/15 11:39 PM
Comment [2]: Consider adding a comma
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Rachel 5/1/15 11:34 PM
Deleted: four year oldour-year-old ...
Lab-
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Rachel 5/1/15 11:36 PM
Deleted: surf spectatorshe sky and ...
sea
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Rachel 5/23/15 4:46 PM
Comment [3]: Can we add a transitional
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Rachel 5/23/15 4:48 PM
Comment [4]: The meaning here is ... [7]
Rachel 5/1/15 11:37 PM
Deleted: Te waves were 4- walls
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Rachel 5/1/15 11:40 PM
Comment [5]: Chicago 6.59
Rachel 5/1/15 11:41 PM
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Rachel 5/1/15 11:42 PM

Comment [6]: Truly lovely imagery.
Rachel 5/1/15 11:38 PM
Formatted

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Rachel 5/23/15 4:50 PM

Comment [7]: This would be a good
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lace
Rachel 5/23/15 4:50 PM
Comment [8]: What do you think about
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Rachel 5/1/15 11:42 PM
Deleted: Family Surfing

Rachel 5/23/15 4:51 PM

Comment [9]: We can also add another
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Rachel 5/23/15 4:52 PM
Comment [10]: Accurate facts.
Rachel 5/1/15 11:43 PM
Deleted: The Scholastic Surf Series
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Rachel 5/23/15 4:53 PM

Comment [11]: Maybe we can move
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his
Rachel 5/1/15 11:44 PM
Comment [12]: To make this more ... [16]
Rachel 5/23/15 4:53 PM
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Rachel 5/23/15 4:54 PM

Deleted: and ocean
Rachel 5/1/15 11:44 PM
Deleted: dog at beacht is always

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