REPORT: July 31, 2010 - Saturday - 6pm

OBSERVED: a fairly clean beach over-all; plenty of children everywhere; clearest blue-green water and tons of sea shells all along the water's edge; a pelican floating in the distance watching the schools of fish below; sandpipers scampering across the wet sand for their next meal; T. OCEAN trying out some new swim moves

COLLECTED: nothing


I have decided to pull back from posting (almost) everyday, and instead write only when something specific comes up or happens. Time for me to focus some of that attention on other creative outlets that have been stirring. Stay tuned though, because there's one thing I have learned since starting this -- the ocean (and T. OCEAN) is full of surprises.


In the Meantime, I Remain,
Your,
Little Mama Sea Keeper

July 30, 2010 - Friday - 6pm

OBSERVED: brewing storm north of us, strong winds out of the south...deciding when to leave as the storm grew overhead, thunder heard, water getting choppy but at least very clear now

COLLECTED: nothing



Your,
Little Mama Sea Keeper

July 29, 2010 - Thursday - 7:30pm

OBSERVED: the sky; the rippling water which was fairly clear and again very warm

COLLECTED: nothing

July 28, 2010 - Wednesday - 6pm

OBSERVED: very warm water; pesto of seaweed along the shallower water; kids and families all around; a bit of trash

COLLECTED: nothing

Today was the 100th day since the oil disaster started. Although the cap they put on the well head is still holding, there are quite a few more steps to ensure that is permanently closed. Then of course, there's the on-going clean up. Because most of the oil seems to be below the surface (thanks to chemical dispersement), there is a question as to whether South Florida will actually "see" any of the oil come up through the loop current afterall.

As for our evening on the beach, the strangest things were two brown-stained items - a plastic cup and bottle. They held no odor, but were dyed through and through. A few gems from the sea - coral, sea glass, stone, stick, a piece of wood -- "Still Life on Towel."

T. OCEAN and I played in the seaweed-thick water for a while, then he slowly destroyed someone's left-behind sandcastles. I guess one person's sandcastles are another person's demolition.

Your,
Little Mama Sea Keeper

REPORT: July 26, 2010 - Monday - 6:30pm

OBSERVED: a full moon tonight. Sandpipers have returned. They skirt up and down the beach in cliques, scurrying along the shore's edge for hermit crabs. There was some trash to dispose, but not too bad really.

COLLECTED: nothing


The ocean today was strangely murky. So much seaweed and sea matter had been muddled into tiny ground bits that I couldn't see through to the bottom like I usually can. I had the sensation of being lightly tickled all over from the sea greens, and it honestly was too odd for me to feel comfortable swimming for long. Plus, there were so many fish jumping out of the water, but unlike other days, I could not see the schools swimming by so cloudy was the water.

T. OCEAN and I settled for taking turns going from sand to sea. Makes me realize how fortunate we are for all those other perfectly clear-water days.


Your,
Little Mama Sea Keeper

REPORT: July 25, 2010 - Sunday - 6pm

OBSERVED: the usual bits of plastic, bottles and cups to be thrown away. I see my neighbor coming up the beach doing the same thing as me - picking up rubbish. We laugh about it, and talk about T. OCEAN for a while.

COLLECTED: nothing


The water was rough enough to play in the shallower water and still get knocked around. T. OCEAN had a blast, and encouraged some other little children watching him to do the same.

We saw two familiar birds - what I had been calling a "blue crane". Luckily my neighbor and her husband told me that they are called Night Herons. At last I have a name - the right one, and a good one at that. They fly so elegantly.


Your,
Little Mama Sea Keeper

REPORT: July 24, 2010 - Saturday - 6pm

OBSERVED: my sleeping child

COLLECTED: nothing


An extremely rare moment turns into an hour to relax. I hardly knew what to do with myself since T. OCEAN fell asleep in his stroller on the walk to the beach. So, I parked him on the high sand in the evening shade of the lifeguard tower and went for a swim--by myself. I cannot recall the last time that happened. I could see him clearly from where I was and darted in and out of the waves for a while - the surf had significantly calmed since the storm Bonnie had passed through yesterday. After some time, I rested next to him on a towel while he slept still upright in his stroller completely oblivious to the breeze and sounds of the ocean - a welcome change from the synthesized "ocean sounds" played for him through the night on a "noise machine".

An hour to myself, and finally my mind has taken a welcome break from the constant demands of motherhood AND as Sea Keeper .... I pick up nothing. I notice only the open and welcoming ocean in evening light. Thanks T. OCEAN!

Your,
Little Mama Sea Keeper

REPORT: July 23, 2010 - Friday - 6pm

OBSERVED: so much trash!! still rough surf conditions; plenty of families out enjoying the beach

COLLECTED: nothing


After several days of continued rough water, the ocean has belched up the dredges of rubbish castoffs -- broken bits of Styrofoam litter the seaweed-lined shore instead of sea shells. In what amounts to probably a mere 100 feet of expanse, I pick up well over 20 bottle caps. And of course, the usual suspects as well - bottles, broken plastic shards, weird medical tubes of liquid. In spite if the debris, the sand has been carved away by the heavy shore break, and has left a winding pattern worthy of an ink painting - ribboned and extending well beyond my sight-line. The ocean as sculptress.


Your,
Little mama Sea Keeper

REPORT: July 22, 2010 - Thursday - 5pm

OBSERVED: heavy chop with strong rip currents; plenty of debris along the shoreline; the incoming tropical storm named Bonnie is named and heading into the Keys/Miami area, then will be making its way over into the Gulf towards Louisiana within the next few days...hence the rough surf.

COLLECTED: a bag of trash, all kinds

We make the most of the ocean swells, and C. LEV enjoys the action in the water swimming against the strong current that wants to pull him north. A beautiful evening once again.


Your,
Little Mama Sea Keeper

REPORT: July 21, 2010 - Wednesday - 6pm

OBSERVED: an unrelenting amount of trash visible up and and down the coast along where the seaweed was deposited by high waves. The shore break is a watery pesto of seaweed and shells and almost too rough to play in. We make the most of it playing catch along the shallower water.

COLLECTED: nothing


Your,
Little Mama Sea Keeper

REPORT: July 20, 2010 - Tuesday - 5pm

OBSERVED: shore break so strong only C. LEV went out. I lost my sunglasses in the crashing waves. Oh well. Plenty of trash (so much plastic!!) to pick up. The sun kept up its heat, the water a constant 85 degrees.

COLLECTED: nothing


It was T. OCEAN's turn to create tonight...his marker painting en plein air shown here.


Your,
Little Mama Sea Keeper

REPORT: July 19, 2010 - Monday - 6pm

OBSERVED: continued heavy shore break. more trash - enough to fill a shopping bag. beautiful evening.

COLLECTED: nothing

REPORT: July 18, 2010 - Sunday - 5pm

OBSERVED: more people + rougher currents = more trash. Some of it has barnacles on it indicating its voyage through the tides, and some of it is up on the sand, a recent addition.

COLLECTED: nothing


Another gorgeous evening. I kept T. OCEAN close since the rip currents and shore break where incredibly strong. I almost lost my swimsuit body surfing a wave into shore. A man next to me lost his eyeglasses as he attempted to fight off a 6 foot break. He didn't stand a chance. None of us did with that pounding water, but it sure was a thrill to try.

This evening I read a wonderful short passage from a thoughtful and poetic book called Still Life with Oysters and Lemon:

...the Atlantic expanse...that shoreline's a perpetual image of change, and of freedom. Nothing stays there long, be it shell or seawrack or seal, dinghy or beached boat. The exact edge where where water touches land is never still, constantly revising itself, expanding and contracting...And mobile, too, instable. The open horizontals of coast are the figure of fluid and aerial being--not rooted, not grounded, not held down or back by attachment.


Personally, I take a deep satisfaction of knowing that every day will be different along this coastline. Perhaps it is the sense of freedom in that wide open space - that feeling of not being rooted or attached - which allows me the joy of simply being right there with no desire to be elsewhere.


Your,
Little Mama Sea Keeper

REPORT: July 17, 2010 - Saturday - 6pm

OBSERVED: more people, stronger currents, more debris, seaweed tangled with debris, shells, bits of wood strewn high above the tide line, pelicans and osprey overhead

COLLECTED: seaweed, wood


The path to (and from) the beach is the one place T. OCEAN loves to walk through very, very slowly. To him, it is part of the journey. He picks up sticks, throws them; finds more sticks, uses it to pierce through mangrove leaves, throws them again; watches ant trails; takes it all in. It's a journey to me, watching him.


Your,
Little Mama Sea Keeper

REPORT: July 16, 2010 - Friday - 6pm

OBSERVED: more bottles and plastic, heavy chop with strong rip currents; amazing clouds overhead; gorgeous evening

COLLECTED: seaweed, shells

A swim together; a few moments to paint a little; watched my son and my husband play in the soft light, ocean breeze. We SLOWLY make our way home, happy that summer will last.


Your,
Little Mama Sea Keeper

REPORT: July 15, 2010 - Thursday - 5pm

OBSERVED: drink bottles, plastic, debris - enough to fill a shopping bag; birds overhead, stronger rip currents, great swimming

COLLECTED: nothing

Upon approaching the beach, I overhear an adolescent boy telling his father - "Dad, Mom just called and she said that the cap worked. They've stopped the oil well. It's plugged."

Indeed the plug is still working, although ultimately it may be a temporary solution until the relief well is finalized. It is a much-needed reprieve though; a welcome to so many, and a chance to catch our breath and for the sea creatures to catch theirs.

Today at the beach I began making some quick watercolor sketches - something I can only do when C. LEV is around to help watch T. OCEAN. They play, I paint for about 20 minutes - enough for me to feel a small sense of satisfaction.

When I arrived home, I received a letter in the mail from The White House. It was a response from our president, Barack Obama, to a letter I sent him back in mid-June, five weeks into the oil spill. My heart was heavy with it, and I felt compelled to write him (something I had not done for the past president even during my experience in NYC during 9/11, nor as a New Orleans resident after Hurricane Katrina).

Even though his is a generic response letter not specific to me, it was signed by Barack Obama on White House letterhead. I plan to put this away along with my letter in T. OCEAN's keep-sake box for a time when he is much older.


For now I remain, your,
Little Mama Sea Keeper

REPORT: July 14, 2010 - Wednesday - 6pm

OBSERVED: some trash, clouds, no rain, good swimming

COLLECTED: nothing

REPORT: July 13 & 14, 2010 - Tues/Wed

OBSERVED Tuesday: a puzzling amount of strewn drink bottles all over the beach (about 10 altogether); osprey flying over, pelicans, lots of tiny fish and bits of seaweed in the dark green water.

COLLECTED: nothing



OBSERVED Wednesday: predicted rain, with clouds just the south pressure me to keep our swim time all too brief. We made it home only for me to realize that we were in fact gypped, short-changed on our daily beach run. No rain after all; our day feels off after that.

COLLECTED: nothing


And as scientists and BP operators work to solve the still gushing oil, I read this today, Tuesday:

As of Wednesday, the 85th day of the disaster, between 92 million and 182 million gallons of oil had spewed into the Gulf.


Next time I hear of threatening rainstorms, perhaps I should just let us stay out until the rain is upon us.

Tomorrow. For now, we have tomorrow. I look forward to it!


Your,
Little Mama Sea Keeper

REPORT: July 11 & 12, 2010 - Sun/Mon

OBSERVED Sunday, 3pm: small amount of trash; pelicans and gulls; super clear blue, very calm water; tons of fish everywhere; hot sand; plenty of people out enjoying the beach. Lovely!

COLLECTED: seaweed



OBSERVED Monday, 5:30pm: again, only a small amount of trash; osprey, gulls and pelicans flying; water was a darker green and had picked up some more movement with a light chop and notably cooler temperature; nice breeze; still more-than-usual visitors out. Was wonderful! Wish I could fall asleep out there.

COLLECTED: a tiny piece of wood


Your,
Little Mama Sea Keeper

REPORT: July 10, 2010 - Saturday - 6pm

OBSERVED: clean beach, warm water, fish jumping everywhere, sun, a slight breeze

COLLECTED: nothing


There has been a thought rolling around in my mind that became very clear tonight. And that is that T. OCEAN, C. LEV and I are three really lucky people. Not only do we love each other's company, but the thing we each enjoy - being at the beach and in the ocean - is even better together.

This evening while swimming there was a man near us who struck up a conversation with me. He spoke of the fact that his kids didn't really like the beach. Perhaps they were bitten by a jellyfish once and didn't want to return. They required lots of sand-tasks...digging holes, making sand castles. Not much chilling out in the waves or getting in the water. His children hadn't been back to the beach with him in well over a year even though he visits it often.

I look over at T. OCEAN. He genuinely ONLY wants to be in the water, and is delighted when he feels safe enough to unhinge his hands from ours and venture out until a wave topples him, reminding him of his limits. He loves it. And he could care less about the jellyfish.

I'm so grateful for it too - those moments spent quietly side-by-side with my child, outdoors taking in nature in that wide open space. It is a real gift.


Your,
Little Mama Sea Keeper

REPORT: July 8 & 9, 2010 - Thurs & Fri - 6pm

OBSERVED: a fairly clean beach, both days

COLLECTED: seaweed


Two great days of swimming. Today was calmer than yesterday. Only one plastic bottle was found and thrown out on each day. Nice!

The newest news about the Gulf is that Texas is not (yet) affected from the oil disaster which I heard two days ago. The oil found there was not from this particular gusher. Best not to jump to conclusions I guess.

Today we saw three different birds feeding - pelican, gull, and that same blue-ish crane. The pelican and gull came darting out of the sky, plunging into the water for fish. The crane feasted on sand crabs. It seemed like thousands of fish were swimming all around us, there were SO many - jumping out of the water and in huge schools. The birds had a bounty of offerings tonight.

And T. OCEAN and I had more than an hour to do nothing but float around the warm south Florida Atlantic. So awesome.


Your,
Little Mama Sea Keepeer

REPORT: July 7, 2010 - Wednesday - 5pm

OBSERVED: fair - clean

COLLECTED: nothing

Another quiet evening. Rain came in, but no lightning. So. T. OCEAN and I kept right on swimming. It adds texture. And it's easy to be unconcerned if you're already wet. A strong south current was utilized to send a coconut down the beach just by throwing it back into the waves. The water was so warm at 85 degrees it made the air seem cool.

We are in day 79 of the Gulf oil disaster, and nothing has changed except that even more shoreline is directly affected. Texas too. And Lake Pontchartrain. And our government has put restrictions on media getting within 65 feet of cleanup operations. Huh?

I wonder if it will rain tomorrow? Keep swimming, I tell myself. Keep going out there, I think. Our daily beach runs are keeping me from imploding from frustration, anger, fear, and sadness. Stay focused on that boy in front of you, Little Mama.


Your,
Little mama Sea Keeper

REPORT: July 6, 2010 - Tuesday - 7pm

OBSERVED: Quiet. Trash!!!! a lot of it!

COLLECTED: unusual sea sponges of various colors, sea shell, curious bone (fish) cartilage, coral, seaweed


It was a gorgeous evening despite the earlier rain. I collected and threw away a very full bag of ALL KINDS of debris. It was understandable since the holiday brought in extra visitors. But, finding the torn up scraps from the fireworks littered right on the shoreline also demonstrates that the basic beach cleanup can't get everything - that includes what's in the water (plastic with hanger, bait fish bags, pampers bags, etc.) So much plastic.

With or without the rubbish, we enjoy the time together in the water - T. OCEAN swimming between us and learning the timing of the waves.


Your,
Little Mama Sea Keeper

REPORT: July 5, 2010 - Rained Out

REPORT: July 4, 2010 - Sunday - 11:00am

OBSERVED: LOTS of people on the beach. sandcastle contest. trash. extra chairs, umbrellas. stormy weather brewing in the south and moving north to us...

COLLECTED: seaweed, sand

Plenty of people hangin' around who show up only for holidays. Luckily, I was able to catch this photo of C. LEV and T. OCEAN alone, even though there were swimmers all around them. We were fortunate too to get a quick swim in because a storm blew in just as we were heading home. It lasted through the day and into the night. The sandcastles contestants built were washed away, and the fireworks show went on regardless. The 4th on Delray Beach...

Your,
Little Mama Sea Keeper