Dinner at the Beach

The sun sinks lower toward the horizon and spreads deep orange rays across the waves. Gentle breezes carry the salty mist over the deserted beach. We swish through the sand to place our blanket near the protection of a sand dune. With wine glasses, thick bread, cheese, and grapes, our banquet is laid out.

Thunk! The cork is released and the wine spills into my glass. I stretch across the blanket and bury my feet in the warm sand. As I lift my glass I position it to view the sun through the swirling drink and I take a sip of sunshine. The breeze swirls around our blanket while mixing the food, wine and salt air into a medley it carries away over the dune.

Click! Ting! One more delicacy! My friend offers a surprise. In his hand is a jar of creamed herring. We savor its briny bites as we lean back to gaze at the sunset. Out of the corner of my eye, a small figure moves nearby. Then another shadow appears. A pointy beak pecked at our blanket. Another seagull rushes across our blanket and squawks while stabbing for the herring. Within seconds there is a violent flurry of wings, beaks and bodies all over our blanket and a cacophony of screaming and squawking. Wine glasses tip over and we pull back on our blanket and try to salvage our meal. This is a full on assault. Cheese and bread are pecked and carried away. What’s left is scattered as we try to shield ourselves from this noisy swirling mass of assassins attacking from all sides.

The herring! They are after the herring! Click! Swish! The lid is wrenched back on the jar. Within seconds… silence.