It was an eerily quiet beach this July 4th; nothing in my memory banks to even remotely compare to 2020. The few faces to be seen, were covered by masks. Eyes were suddenly the only visible feature, making eye contact more important than ever before. Diamond Beach had some renters, but nothing like years past. The lazy river was empty most of the time, with a scattering of floaters passing through every now and then. The volleyball pit was empty, except for the random seagull. Even the beach shared with the condos down the way was deserted.
Panama Jack and I decided to cruise the seawall in search of some signs of life. We found “Keep Out” signs everywhere, and surprisingly no “outlaws” parking there. Even our favorite fishing jetty at the corner of the seawall and west beach had no fishermen. Since they had nowhere to park, they couldn’t reach their favorite spot. It was just me, Panama Jack, and the seagulls. In all my decades at the beach, there has never been a fourth like this one; and I pray there never is one again. The fourth is meant to be bonfires, barbecue, patriotic music, and fireworks. We will come back strong and wiser next year, I have faith!
islandwidow 