Good Friends, A Fine Beach Day, A Rockin’ Song

Yeah, Another Blogger

Up until a few weeks ago, the state of Delaware, which shares a border with my home state of Pennsylvania, was foreign territory to me. Even though Delaware is not terribly far from Pennsylvania, where I live, I’d never spent any time in Delaware whatsoever, except to pass through it on visits to Washington D.C., my nation’s capital.

That changed, all to the good, when my wife Sandy and I spent three mid-August days with two good friends of ours, a married couple who own a house in Rehobeth Beach, Delaware. They fed us well, showed us around their town and neighboring areas, and had us bunk down in their guest bedroom, among other acts of kindness. Good friends make life better, right? Just about everyone needs love and companionship, after all. And if there’s anything I’ve learned over the years, it’s that there’s no such thing as having too many good friends. The more, the merrier.

Rehobeth Beach, I discovered, not only is the name of a town, it also is the name of a stretch of sands within said town’s borders. That beach, about one mile in length and backed by a boardwalk, is kissed every moment of the day by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. On day two of our visit the skies were clear, the winds were mild, and the mid-day temperatures, though we were in the middle of summer, were far lower than normal. Perfect conditions for a beach encounter. So, to the beach the four of us headed.

We soon were sitting on comfortable beach chairs beneath a huge blue umbrella. Umbrellas abounded on Rehobeth Beach, as did the humans who employed them. A selfish f*cker, I prefer to have beaches more or less all to myself, which is often the case on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where Sandy and I vacation in the off-season nearly every year. You know what, though? I didn’t mind the crowds that day at all. In fact, I grooved on the Rehobeth experience right from the get-go. What was there not to like? I was in fine company, the weather was kind, and a fair number of cute girls were in view. What’s more, Rehobeth brought back nice memories of forever-ago summer days when lying, and sometimes frolicking, on crowded beaches, while slathered with tanning lotion in the hopes of becoming a bronze god, were de rigueur for me.

Sad to say, I didn’t become a bronze god back then, and I sure as hell am not one now. What I am is pale and wrinkled and barely suitable to be seen in public. Nonetheless, those realities didn’t stop me from rising from my chair on two occasions to set off on 40-minute walks on Rehobeth Beach. A boy sometimes has got to stretch his legs and take in the sights.

During the hikes I saw scads of folks standing or splashing around in the ocean. I watched a few kids burying two of their peers up to their necks in sand, and gazed at a prop plane flying by lazily. It dragged a banner that promoted, of all things, Pennsylvania tourism. And at a far end of the beach, a section that people hadn’t congregated on, a flock of seagulls was impossible to miss. The birds stood almost motionless, but ready, undoubtedly, to pounce on something tasty when they deemed the prospects to be favorable.

All in all, the beach day pleased me just fine. As did the entire mini vacation. Delaware, I still barely know you, but I’m glad to have made your acquaintance.

Seeing that writing this essay has put me in an upbeat mood, I have decided to raise the good-vibes quotient by including a tune I heard the other day. It’s by a young, pretty popular British rock band, The Heavy Heavy. The song is titled Happiness, and it’s from One Of A Kind, which is the group’s brand-new album.

Man, if you’re a lover of the type of rock and roll defined by potent guitar riffs, pounding drums and ecstatic vocals, then Happiness is for you. Ironically, though, the song’s lyrics aren’t all that joyful. But I think The Heavy Heavy, by virtue of the rousing sounds to which the lyrics are put, are implying that a nice amount of happiness is within the band’s reach. Without further ado, here’s Happiness:

148 thoughts on “Good Friends, A Fine Beach Day, A Rockin’ Song”

  1. kayladoodoo's avatar kayladoodoo September 23, 2024 / 3:44 pm

    nice pictures also would anyone like to visit my blog.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  2. tanjabrittonwriter's avatar tanjabrittonwriter September 25, 2024 / 10:51 am

    Thank you for letting me escape to the beach for a little while, Neil. It’s been far too long since I have enjoyed the rhythms of the ocean. Delaware is one of the (too) many states I have yet to visit, glad you got to enjoy it in the company and with the guidance of friends.

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  3. D. Wallace Peach's avatar D. Wallace Peach September 26, 2024 / 1:20 pm

    Great photos, Neil. It looks like you had a great time, even if you didn’t get a bronze tan. Beaches are wonderful – especially for walking, me thinks. My daughter convinced me to go to Rehobeth Beach years ago because she wanted to visit colleges in the area. I was so gullible! Ha ha. She just wanted to go to the beach!

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  5. andrewcferguson's avatar andrewcferguson September 29, 2024 / 7:48 am

    Great pictures, and I now know 100% more about the State of Delaware than I did before. Lovely 60s style vibe to the song!

    Liked by 1 person

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  6. waywardsparkles's avatar waywardsparkles September 29, 2024 / 7:52 pm

    I enjoyed the retro feel of that song, Neil! Thanks for sharing. Also, glad you had fun getting to know a bit of Delaware! Mona

    Liked by 1 person

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  8. ourcrossings's avatar ourcrossings October 2, 2024 / 1:01 pm

    Beach days are the best days – it really is just that simple. There is something about spending a day at the beach that clears the mind and makes you feel refreshed! Somewhere between the crashing waves, soft sand, and salty air all your worries seem to disappear – it’s almost like magic! Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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  9. Linda Pearce Griffin's avatar Linda Pearce Griffin October 2, 2024 / 5:46 pm

    I agree with you wholeheartedly. Friends make life richer. A day at the beach is time well spent – no matter the weather, in my opinion. And the music was rockin’ and made ME feel pretty happy. Thanks for sharing!

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger October 2, 2024 / 7:55 pm

      Hey there. I agree with you about the beach being good in any kind of weather (except hurricanes et al). I’ve taken beach walks in heavy fog, and others in the rain — those walks were pretty exhilarating.

      Like

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  10. Christie's avatar Christie October 3, 2024 / 12:23 pm

    Nothing wrong having a beach day once in awhile, I’m glad you had a good one, with a lot of entertainment😜

    Happy Thursday!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger October 3, 2024 / 2:47 pm

      Hi. There definitely were a whole lot of activities going on at the beach that day. Crowded beaches are busy places, in a low-key way!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  11. denisebushphoto's avatar denisebushphoto October 4, 2024 / 11:17 am

    Thanks for sharing your beach-going experience! I haven’t been to the ‘shore’ in over 9 years!

    Liked by 1 person

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  12. markbierman's avatar markbierman October 4, 2024 / 2:56 pm

    Thanks for sharing your day with us. I agree, you can never have too many good friends.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger October 4, 2024 / 5:10 pm

      Hi Mark. Right, good friends are crucial for our well-being and peace of mind. Anyone with at least one good friend is fortunate. Eight or more good friends, though, would be better!

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  16. Velva Knapp's avatar Velva Knapp October 6, 2024 / 3:34 pm

    A fabulous escape! Living in Florida I get the draw of the ocean. As always, enjoyed your post.

    Velva

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  17. lookingforthehigherself's avatar lookingforthehigherself October 12, 2024 / 12:17 pm

    Such a nice stretch of beach to enjoy your day. Love to observe the kids enjoying themselves and families having time together. Sometimes this is the highest level of happiness…

    Liked by 1 person

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  18. Silver Screenings's avatar Silver Screenings November 24, 2024 / 10:01 pm

    Thanks for the intro to The Heavy Heavy. Love their sound!

    Also, what a wonderful day to spend at the beach. I didn’t know Delaware had such a beautiful beach.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger November 25, 2024 / 7:31 am

      Hi. The Heavy Heavy would have fit right in during the mid and late 1960s. Their music is really tuneful and catchy.

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