The Passionate Sea

I am delighted to have Jaime sharing one of her passions here today. She is a photographer, a musician, a piano teacher, a poet with words and light, and my mentor in open-hearted living. Jaimie really does have a poet's heart, as you will see. She's one of my earliest blogging friends and such a blessing to me. Don't forget to stop by her house and tell her I'm sending my love. ~ Relyn

There is a mountain near my house that I climb in the mornings. I passed a man and his little girl one day as they headed toward the summit. He was telling her that when they get to the top they will see the ocean. She, very matter-of-factly replied, "And mermaids too."

I share in her wonderment. My passion for the ocean has left me spellbound countless times. For I have seen many magical creatures while diving under the wiggly surface that looked as though they came straight out of a fairy tale.

Slow moving sea slugs that look like they are adorned with frosted white glass feathers.

Multi-legged sun stars the size of dinner platters.

Colourful feather pens sticking out of the sand.

An octopus eye watching me carefully from a hole in the rock.

Moon jellies and brittle stars, wolf eels and giant crabs.

Forests of huge white billowy mushroom-shaped anemones big enough to swallow your arm.

Phosphorescence in the night waters...thousands of shooting stars firing madly all around me.

I even got to feel what it would be like to be a mermaid as I swam through a kelp forest as the sun rays streamed through the long tendrils, making everything an emerald glow.

But I didn't have to go under the surface to know that the ocean was a mystical netherworld. The rolling tides leave clues on the shoreline. Moon shells and sand dollars linger as the waves slowly retreat. Sea glass must be the jewelery of mermaids, no doubt. Those same mermaids that were spotted by a little girl who believes.

How can I not be passionate about such a vast and ever-changing entity who shares its mysterious secrets to those who go in search of magic?

I much prefer feet to fins, and lungs to gills, but a perfect day is any day spent next to the ocean... beach combing, seal scoping, picture making or listening to the poetry of the whispering surf. I hold on to its secrets most passionately.

All the images in this post are by Jaime. You can find more of her words and images here and here. Jaime adores big clumsy fuzzy bees, cozy rainy days with can't put down novels, wild natural spaces, secret hide out places, sun sparkles on the surface of the ocean, digging in the dirt, cupcakes, starfish, bookstores and of course, a good piece of luscious dark chocolate.