Sun flirts through the fog—tantalyzing, teasing of a July day at the beach.

The abandoned pier looms as a ghostly presence from the past—it could be a hundred years ago and a tall-masted schooner might be edging in through the murkiness, eager to make landfall after an ardurous trip down the Strait. White crowned sparrows twit about hoping for a handout, while swallows rise and fall, swoop and glide, up and down the beach, mimicking the gentle rhythm of the waves. Robins scour the high beach, dining on insects in the silvering driftwood, and crows discuss the morning from fir tops on the bluff. Fog horns and the blare of a huge ship passing by unseen punctuate the rich texture of birdsong.

Patches of white pearly everlastings dot the high driftline like sea foam left behind by the receding tide. Wild roses are intensely fragrant and blush the bluff pink in the hazy morning light. Beach peas grow miraculously out of the sand, nestled among sea grasses and driftwood at the winter tideline. In blues, purples and pinks, they sprawl across the beach, anchoring themselves against gusty weather with their delicate yet strong tendrils. They sing of adaptability and grace, of perseverance and joy.

Summer is in bloom on the island.

CONTEMPLATIONS

• To what do you need to adapt?
• How does grace appear in your life?
• What is asking you for perseverance?
• How can you reach out and extend joy across your world?

Soar with other bird allies here.