This Moment

Here's a link to Soulemama's moment, and I'm cheating again, words and multiple photos!

{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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I was determined to get one last wild swim in for the year. Especially since September's balmy weather transformed, literally overnight, into a cold, wet, windy October and it really didn't feel like we'd got to say a proper goodbye to swimming. So we headed up to the beach at the weekend for (probably!) our final swim of the year. To be honest, cold, wet and windy was still a reasonable description of the weather, but since we weren't expecting it to improve, it felt like now or never.

Maria wasn't tempted to come along, partly because of the weather, and partly because of some very cute, new arrivals in our household...

There are actually 3 babies, 2 brown ones are cuddled up together!

She wouldn't be torn away from them and was very happy, cuddling each in turn on the sofa!

Anyway, the hard core beach enthusiasts got to the beach, and it was beautiful. Late afternoon sunshine one side of the horizon, and dramatic, stormy grey skyline the other. The beach was almost deserted except for a couple of dog walkers, wrapped up in hats and scarves, and looking at us as if we were completely bonkers.

The boys wasted no time in getting in the water, which was actually very sensible given the biting wind that was blowing! 

Venetia, however, had to be coaxed from the car, was seriously regretting not bringing a wooly hat herself, and muttered words to the effect of 'there's no way I'm going for a swim, it's freezing, you're all crazy!'. She gave me a very dirty look at the suggestion she might want to put on her wet suit. Big mistake, of course! After a few minutes of watching us swim, her coat and shoes came off and she dipped a toe in. A few minutes later, the leggings got rolled up and she started jumping waves.

It really wasn't long before she was pretty damp, and then it was in for a penny, in for a pound!

But happily, the water wasn't actually that cold, and she had a great time too! Although the heating was on high in the car all the way home! We haven't altogether given up hope of another dip, but if it doesn't happen then this was a perfect goodbye to the waves for 2014. 

Have a great weekend,

Sally.