the other side of the tracks

I have been spending my mornings working in the garden

and in the afternoon we take long walks on the beach.

So grab your flip flops and look both ways

because we are going to "the other side of the tracks".

The term "the other side of the tracks" usually has unsavory connotations, but in this case it just means we are getting ourselves onto the beach.

"June Gloom" means gray skies, but I like to think of the beach on these days as being bathed in pastel shades.

This is one of Lulu's favorite beaches at low tide because she can chase her ball and play in the surf for miles - actually our round trip walk was 5.5 miles.

I like this beach because the houses vary from quintessential beach cottages right on the sand

to McMansions built for luxury living.

Each time we walk this beach I notice something different

like the buoys hanging along the edge of this blue house

and the little cabana covered with buoys.

These little cottages

are hidden next to a larger house

so I assume they form a compound for a large extended family.

I saw lots of workmen at this house which tells me that the owners are probably getting it ready for summer visitors.

This house

and this house sit next to each other up on the hill

and just below them is a tiny little cottage that sits right on the sand.

I enjoy the variety of stairs people have created to get themselves down to the water -

these look like they have melted into the sand.

I love the old ropes on these steps

that lead up to the cutest cottage

that I can only glimpse from below.

All the steps vary in construction

and height,

but they all serve their purpose in getting the owners down to the water.

Despite it being a public beach,

there are chairs scattered across the sand

just waiting for the owners and their friends to spend the day sitting on the beach.

Despite the haze coating the hillside, it was another lovely day on the beach.

..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..

Here is an aerial view of the beach on a clear day - obviously not a photo I took.

In case you are in the market, there are a couple of houses on the strip of beach for sale - the cheapest is listed for $11 million.