Water water everywhere

It's probably my need to keep both feet solidly planted on the Terra Firma at all times possible. I mean the reason why I am crazy for mountains and forests but never cared much for the stuff that occupies 3/4th area on this planet - the sea.

However, this week I had an occassion to observe it at different times of the day at close quarters - as close as one can be without getting in water that is. :-) And I fell in love with it. I had absolutely no idea that the sea can be so beautiful.

Early morning came with the water gently lapping at the shore. The waves following each other in succession reminded me of a story. The waves are the darling daughters of the sea king who has a beautiful palace at the bottom of the sea. They liked to visit the shores. Their only grief was that they felt homesick soon. The Sea King had a solution - every 7th wave to visit the shores will go back to the palace to meet her parents. From then on, it is said that anything thrown in the 7th wave to lap at the shore goes to the bottom of the sea :-( and you never get it back! I didn't have anything that I wanted to send away forever so I just watched the sea with all its little boats and flocks of sea birds.

It was late afternoon when I next got a chance to look at the sea again. But what I saw made me gasp and I stood rooted to the spot. The whole sea was shimmering like a bed of precious jewels. The sight was bewitching and for once I knew what "feasting your eyes" means.

I made it a point to look out the window about the time the sun was setting. The whole sky was a riot of colors and somehow the sea looked sad at the prospect of losing the source of light. It was oddly comforting to see the birds coming back to their nests. Someone had once told me that it is inauspicious to look at the setting sun. But I have always loved the sun more when it's setting it seems so gentle and mellow then.

I knew there wouldn't be much to look at when the night fell. But fortunately for me, I woke up in the middle of the night. A half moon was up and one patch of sea was lit up like a pathway in the moonlight. I remembered the scene from the movies "Macanna's Gold" and "The Mummy" where the shaft of sunlight shows the way to be followed. Was this the road to the Sea King's palace? :-)) I almost expected a pair of dolphins to jump up high in the air in the glistening moonlight or a lovely mermaid to rise up from the waves.

I couldn't tear myself away from the sight for a long time and when I finally could I promised the sea that I will continue his love affair!