Water Fun

To my mind, there are three wonderful things to do with respect to water.

1. Savor its beauty

I think most people enjoy just watching the ocean, the play of the waves, the flash of sunlight on the water, the boom of strong surf. Even a small brook can provide a pretty picture and lakes augment the beauty of many landlocked landscapes. My story Scarlet and the Sheriff was born when I pictured the hero and heroine in a lake at midnight. She was skinnydipping and he got the report. Well, what's a guy to do? You can read an excerpt here. Despite their hi-jinks, it is normally calming and restful merely to gaze at a beautiful body of water.

2. Enjoy water sports

Though I love looking at any waterscape, water sports provide endless fun as well. The picture at the start of this blog is Hanauma Bay in Hawaii, famous on the Island of Honolulu for its snorkeling. My family has snorkeled in many spots; it's a good sport even for youngish children as long as you find a sheltered area. One of my kids recently became scuba certified and I would love to do that. But she has more time than I do.

This next picture is jet skiing, also in Hawaii. It's not my favorite sport, though many people love it. The last time I was on a jet ski was in Puerto Rico where we were vacationing with many of my husband's friends. He felt compelled to race with one of them on the jet ski (which was also transporting moi). I was so mad at him, I made him stop the machine and I jumped off and swam to shore. He's crazy and I'm sane (and he's also not here to dispute my facts). That was it for me and the jet ski.

3. Admire the marine life water supports

We love wildlife viewing of all sorts. Marine life can be harder to spot than wildlife on land, but when you do, it's awesome. Whale watching boat trips are popular where I live, and I've never been on a trip where we didn't get good views of the amazing creatures. Dolphins are the best mammals on the planet, IMO. I blogged on that subject last year, so I won't repeat it, but if you ever get a chance to contribute to saving dolphins, please do. They are as gentle and playful in real life as they seem to be when you see them on TV or at Sea world.

When you snorkel, it's easy to see the incredible variety of marine life that we take for granted (if we think of it at all). I hope everyone is aware that all marine animals (even the scary and ugly ones) are dependent on all of us for their ultimate well-being and even survival.

Okay, I got a little off subject. Sorry. What is your favorite way to enjoy the amazing diversity of water?