Young and free: Felixstowe beach 365 #08

2014-02-17 Felixstowe beach 020

2014-02-17 Felixstowe beach 023

We try to visit Grandma during the school holidays. We look forward to the trip – aside from anything else, Grandma has dogs, the thing we most covet at the moment. But even better is the chance to rummage around  on Felixstowe beach. It doesn’t have to be swimming weather, and we don’t need buckets and spades; we’re happy with simple things:

  • filling Mum’s pockets full of stones suitable for the rock tumbler
  • finding the perfect stick for drawing in the sand
  • throwing pebbles – distance and skim is not important, it’s the satisfying plop into the foam that we seek.

Throwing stones on Felixstowe beachWe could spend hours there; I’m not sure what it is that keeps us in thrall for so long. There is something there that keeps our attention beyond the physical fact of pebbles, sand and driftwood. Perhaps it is the rhythm of the waves, sometimes gentle lap, sometimes breathtaking smash against the beach. Maybe it’s the fresh coldness of the air, or the call of the gulls, the occasional honk of the container ships as we try to guess their destination.

Finding the perfect stick on Felixstowe beach

 

Of course, the call of a hot sugared doughnut eventually gets the better of us and we’re quick to abandon our games for a sprint to the kiosk.

Simple fun: Felixstowe Beach

We’re joining in with Project 365 at The Boy and Me, and Better Photo Project at Love All Blogs. I tried the black and white newspaper effect tip from last week on my first image, but I’m not happy with it. I think possibly the light was too flat in the first place, as I’ve struggled to edit the others. I know purist photographers are not fond of gimmicks, but my personal favourite is my second shot, where I used a sunglow effect in Picmonkey. I love the promise of where that stone might go…

Also linking up with Coombe Mill’s Country Kids, Mummy Daddy Me’s Ordinary Moments, I Heart Snapping’s Living Arrows, Mummy Never Sleeps All the Small Things, PODCast’s What’s the Story, Snowing Indoors Point and Shoot, and The Olivers Madhouse Magic Moments. All blogs whose photos are inspiring my journey to get better at this thing!

59 thoughts on “Young and free: Felixstowe beach 365 #08”

  1. Love the top two – can’t make up my mind which I like the better. There is something about throwing pebbles on the water that can entrance kids.

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  2. A visit to the beach is good for mind and body and there’s always lots to explore and things to do to keep everyone happy. Thanks for linking up and sharing your lovely photos with Country Kids.

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  3. I think I prefer beaches in the winter, always seem more interesting somehow! I know what you mean about coveting a dog too, I think it’s getting nearer to the day when we might actually get one.

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  4. This is such a lovely post. I grew up by the sea and I miss it so much as spending time messing around on the beach really does blow the cobwebs away. We are planning a trip home to my parents at Easter and I am already getting excited about taking my newly mobile little boy down to the seafront to play on the beach and on the promenade!

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  5. I love the sea, it’s magic whatever the weather (apart from perhaps severe storms). I’ve just discovered pic monkey thanks to Love All Blogs and their excellent photography series-having great fun with it too. Lovely images, I can almost hear the stones ‘plop’ 🙂

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  6. I love the fact he looks like superman when he throws the stone. The light is so warm in the picture even though you were all probably freezing!

    Thanks for popping over to my blog earlier. I’m hoping to link up to LAB linky more now I have a new camera to play with 😉 x

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  7. These are gorgeous photos Helen, I love the sun effect in the second one and I love the gif as well. We need to make a winter visit to the beach soon. And in reply to your comment over on my blog, it was so lovely to see you and get to know you a bit more on Friday too. xx

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    • Thanks Katie. Funny how we can know each other online for so long, and yet not really know each other at all! I shall look forward to putting that right 🙂

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  8. I unlike most am not a black and white fan and LOVE colour and so I LOVE how you have edited that second photo and the photo itself is a brilliant action shot. We can’t get enough of the sea and the sand and throwing stones is the ultimate activity for my wee man.

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  9. Look at you go! Love the two photos of the Bug skimming stones especially although great timing with GG at the bottom! Sounds like you had a great time seeing Grandma in Felixtowe, must have been nice to be by the sea too. Thank you so much for sharing with #whatsthestory

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  10. Lovely moments captured. i love these pictures. So cute. Brought back many memories of me and my brothers throwing rocks into the water. So very therapeutic and fun. I still like doing it as an adult. lol hehe Lovely post.

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  11. We now live in Hampshire but I was bought up in Weymouth and my husband in St Ives and as adults there is still just something about a beach. Blustery autumn walks with cold ears with the waves roaring my personal favourite. I hate standing still, I am the kind of person who can always find something to do, but not on a beach, the only place I know where time stands still and so can I.

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  12. What a stunning post. I love the way the black and white shot is followed by a colourful one – it looks as though your son has changed into superman while throwing the stone!

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  13. Lovely photos – the beach is wonderful at any time of the year as long as you’re dressed appropriately!! I think the newspaper effect in the first photo looks fab, but I’ll admit I’m no expert!! And impressed by the animated gif – what option do you use to add it to the post? #LivingArrows

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    • Thank you Catherine. Unfortunately the pier is closed off nowadays but I remember lovely walks along it as a child when we would holiday there with my grandparents.

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