Another year at the beach for a week. This time we decided that rather than sitting on the beach day after day we would find other things to do. So we went online and explored the area. One of the places we found was Sunset Beach. The brochure promised "unsurpassed sunsets". "Due to the atmospheric conditions caused by the interaction of sea breezes across the bay, the sunsets seen here among the most brilliant and colorful one could ever imagine." Umm, maybe we were there on an off week. There was a small line that said "evening flag ceremony". What it didn't say was - an evening flag ceremony in which you will turn your back to the sunset or risk appearing unpatriotic in front of a hundred or so others, and it's guaranteed to last 10 - 15 mins, timed so that the sun will set while you have your back turned. The last time I checked "God Bless America" is not our national anthem, and I do not have to stand and salute the flag while all five verses are being sung. I did salute the flag while the "Star Spangled Banner" was being played and thus missed the sun dipping below the Western horizon. Next year I think I'll set my alarm to go and see the sun rise above the Atlantic - which is what you're supposed to do while vacationing on the East coast.
We did, of course, make it to the beach several times. The first day there the girls found several small jellyfish that they played with. Middle DD is holding one in this picture. I think oldest DD caught most of them, but the littler girls found them fascinating. After the first day the larger stinging jellyfish were in the water, the girls weren't nearly as fascinated with them.
Youngest DD was the only one still thrilled with digging in the sand. The others spent most of their time in the water catching waves. 
All those years we spent trying to get them in the water, and now we can't get them out :o)
