Sunday 27 March 2016

Turning the frown upside down








 

 





 

Okay, so I know that the photographs above aren't picture perfect. There's raindrops and smudges on the camera lens for a start. Some are slightly blurry, and horizons not entirely straight. And yes, I could have administered some tender loving editing via PicMonkey. But for me these pictures capture perfectly a rather exhilarating morning spent at Porth Leven today.

It was a day of bright sunshine, and terrific sharp downpours of rain. The wind was blowing a hoolie, whipping up the sea into white crested waves that rose up and out of the Atlantic ocean, and crashing onto the shingle beach. My Mum and sister, Jane, sat out of the wind, and watched their ridiculous relative running up and down the beach taking snap after snap after snap of her son and nephew. They were having the time of their lives. Racing to and from the thundering surf. Letting the water rise up and over their wellies. Ignoring the nip in the air. Tasting the salt on the lips. Whopping and laughing and literally jumping for joy.

They reflected the environment around them perfectly. It was a beautiful thing to witness. That unadulterated joy of a child. After a weekend of a lurgy ridden birthday, lack lustre Easter egg hunt, arguments, tears and tantrums and tiaras chez Today's Stuff, it was a real tonic to embrace this mini adventure. It soothed the frayed edges of this newly forty six year old. It helped her to come back down to earth. Not with a bump. With an ear to ear smile.

I joined them at the edge of the sea, and we watched the water swirl around our wellingtons. We threw pebbles into the surf, and ran up and over the jagged blue grey rocks. I was called hither and thither by my Olly and Billy, as they pulled me into their gang. What a privilege to be included in their fun and games. Even an old crone like me can reach inside herself and find that inner child every now and again. It's not lost. Just forgotten. I'm so glad it was given a nudge in the right direction today.

Here's hoping that you all had a very lovely Easter. And hello and welcome to anyone new to this space. How wonderful that you'd like to tag along.

Leanne xx












22 comments:

  1. Happy birthday and happy Easter, my friend. I think those photos are just perfect. I can tell how much fun they had by the way their bodies are moving. And rain on the lens just makes it more interesting. I wouldn't mind being on a beach in the rain right now. Your post is the next best thing.

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  2. Happy Birthday Leanne! Your photos are so full of energy and life, it is beautiful. We haven't done anything like this walk on the beach for about a million years. I really must drag myself and the weans out tomorrow. Have a wonderful week. x

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  3. Happy Birthday! Such beautiful photos - the boys look like they're having the time of their lives and how lovely that you were allowed to join in. It's blowing a hoolie (love that phrase!) here too at the moment, so I'm off to bed with a hot water bottle and a book. Happy Easter, my friend. xx

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  4. Happy Birthday Leanne. I love winter windy walks and rough seas like this, much better than a crowded summer beach.

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  5. Happy birthday old girl xxx

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  6. Hope you had a good birthday. A gallop around outside by the sea in the wild weather with small boys is the very best tonic. I can feel the exhilaration from here. CJ xx

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  7. I have lots of memories of holidays in Wales as a child, paddling in my wellies because it was too darn cold to take them off. Seaside air is magic, and being 46 is not so bad (I can say this as I'm older than you, even if only by a year ;) ) - it gives us the right to do whatever we like and blow anyone else's opinion (within reason) because we are OLD ENOUGH TO DO IT!! :) xx

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  8. What a great way to spend your birthday, I reckon that inner child of yours is closer to the surface than you think! Let her out everyday :-) x

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  9. Happy belated birthday. What a wonderful day, the weather may not have been fantastic but it's all about getting out there and making the most of it, you certainly did that.

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  10. happy birthday wishes, that sea is the perfect antidote to life x

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  11. Happy belated Birthday. How I would have loved to have been on that beach on such a day, really exhilarating and great fun. xx

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  12. Happy birthday-plus-a-few days to you! How lovely to have a birthday over a bank holiday weekend - sorry you've been poorly... Love the photos and the fact you've blown away some of the cobwebs! And all households have hissy fits and tantrums, whatever other people might or might not admit to..! Xx

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  13. There might be one comment from me or ten.....having trouble with my google account due to my recent name change! Anyway what I was commenting was to keep smiling and enjoying those carefree moments xx

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  14. I'm glad the child in you reappeared for your birthday weekend, belated birthday wishes! It must have been wonderful to play at the edge of the sea and also feel it's power! Your images are so natural and it looks such fun! Sarah x

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  15. Happy birthday lovely Leanne! Your words perfectly portray the excitement of your morning playing in the surf. Makes me want to go to the seaside for some beach fun. Thanks for sharing your lovely photos. Bee xx

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  16. Happy birthday Leanne ,gosh i would love to be frolicking in that sea ,i love cornwall ,sorry you havnt been well ,big hugs x

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  17. Happy Birthday Leanne. Love the photos & so pleased you left them untouched. Just as they should be xx

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  18. Thanks for the welcome - I've been reading for a few weeks now. Absolutely love the photos...I certainly didn't notice anything off...as you say, simply the joy of the children (and in the lens of the photographer).

    Happy Birthday! 46 is not old in the least, I just celebrated my 57th so you've got a few more to catch up.

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  19. Happy Birthday a few days late, Leanne. I'm glad you were able to redeem the weekend with that outing to the beach. I love the pictures, even more so for the fact they aren't edited. I could almost feel the salty mist on my face when I looked at them.

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  20. Your photos are amazing - wild and free and full of life and movement. Leave them unfiltered, I say! I love the post title here - it reminds me of an Octonauts episode about the frown fish, and they think he's sad but he's just upside down...or something like that.

    Those are some big waves. I can't stop looking at them. xx

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  21. Your photos are fab, they capture the power of those waves, I have sea, beach and sea photo envy, must get to a beach soon. Happy birthday, a year older than you I decided to grow old disgracefully, it's more fun, people never know whats coming next (neither do I sometimes lol) keeps them on their toes xx

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  22. That looks bracing! And I'm glad your inner kid isn't hiding too far away. I found mine last week whilst bouncing up and down on a fallen tree. Funny, it tends to be those moments outdoors when we have these realisations...
    Kids love parents who'll join in and be silly and go on adventures.
    It does look bloody cold though.
    S x

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