Evening shadows

Earlier in the week I spent the night with my son and his family at the beach at Ruakaka.  It's not far from home but worlds apart in some ways.  If we wanted, we could go the beach every day, but it would still be part of everyday life.   But when you are staying just over the road from the beach with no farm distractions, then you are definitely on holiday. 

The little girls were having a wonderful time but when I saw these boys I thought boys really know how to enjoy sand.  The beach is just made for rough and tumble and these three were making the most of it. 


During the afternoon the girls and I had been driven off the beach by squally rain but after that blew over there was that lovely clear shining you sometimes get after rain, when everything has been washed clean.  When I went back to the beach it was about an hour before dark, children were enjoying their last play of the day, people were out walking.

and one hardy couple arrived for an evening dip: