Ocean Haiku

As some of you know, my husband and I were in beautiful, sunny Florida for two delightful weeks. The second week, he took a Chapman's seamanship course which gave me plenty of time to reflect, read, and of course, write.

While walking the beach (white sand on the Gulf side and brown sand on the Atlantic side), I took in the warmth, sand, and blue water! I also met several interesting people (more on that in another post) and was especially entertained by the birds. I loved watching their rituals.

As promised, I'll share some ocean haiku I wrote. I hope some of these give you a feel for the beach and ocean. I wrote too many haiku to post here but chose a few favorites. Please tell me which one you like, and feel free to add some of your own in the comment section!

LUNCHTIME
By Beth Carter
Pelicans circle.
Dive headfirst into ocean.
Pluck fish from the sea.

WAVES
By Beth Carter
Rolling, boiling sea.
Tide foamy like shaving cream.
Splashes on my toes.

AHOY, MATEY
By Beth Carter
Ship on horizon
Friend or foe? Looms large and then
disappears from sight.

WHAT AM I?
By Beth Carter
Underwater blimp?
A pig or small elephant?
Manatee, of course!

A KID AGAIN
By Beth Carter
Buckets of brown sand.
Plastic cups of all sizes.
Castle emerges.

THE BOSS
By Beth Carter
Waves frothing at mouth.
Rolling, lapping angrily.
Telling all who's boss.

FOOTPRINTS
By Beth Carter
Footprints in the sand.
Leading to nowhere and back.
Wiped clean by the tide.

Swimming With Sharks

Ah, you might say, "Sure, you're swimming with sharks. You're a writer. Writers deal with all kinds of sharks of the human kind--publishers, editors, agents, critique groups, reviewers, other writers, right?" Well, yes, Probably. Definitely.

But I really, truly swam with sharks!!! Three couples recently toured the Exumas in the Bahamas via a chartered cruise, the Alexandra Bear. We had an amazing vacation, enjoyed warm, sunny weather, terrific food, clear, turquoise water and SHARKS!

My two good friends, Bruny and Linda, and I were brave enough (or dumb enough) to swim with nurse sharks. The guys kidded us, said we were crazy and they should have taken out bigger insurance policies. But did they dip their toes in the shark-infested water? No. They did not. Instead, they stood on the dry dock and took pictures and videos.

Now, you know why I've been remiss and haven't posted in awhile. Instead, I've been swimming with sharks. How about you? What's the craziest thing you've ever done on vacation?

Haunted Hotels & Ghosts

In the spirit of Halloween (and since I just returned from a supposed haunted hotel in San Diego), this week's post is about ghosts. Last week, my daughter and I stayed at the Del Coronado Hotel (affectionately called "The Del") in San Diego, California. Built in 1888, The Del has hosted many major celebrities including Madonna, Brad Pitt, Barbara Streisand, Marilyn Monroe and many other celebs. The movie "Some Like It Hot" was shot there. Also, ten U.S. presidents have stayed at The Del. But their most famous guest is Kate Morgan. The story goes that Kate went to The Del decades ago to meet her estranged husband. We saw pictures of her checking in and walking alone along the beach. One problem: her husband never showed. She waited and waited and finally, allegedly took her own life on the stairs near the salon. A bellman who has worked at the hotel for 27 years said she was murdered and that's why she can't rest. She wants everyone to know and has appeared in many rooms, turned on ceiling fans, televisions, opened closet doors or appeared as a shadow. Eeek! Every person we spoke with (front desk, bellman, elevator guy, and servers assurred us Kate is still very much around). I specifically requested a non-haunted room, and we were placed in a newer addition which looked just like a Holiday Inn. At the high room prices, I requested a change of rooms (Madonna apparently requested five changes) and we were placed in the old Victorian section. Oh, my. AND...our room number used to be her room! Since they remodeled, it was a different room but the same room number. I was terrified she'd get confused and visit our room! For that reason, I slept with my eyes tightly shut, took sleeping pills, and hated to get up in the night to go to the restroom. Luckily, we didn't see her. Apparently, Kate most often visits the rooms of couples because she's jealous. As I mentioned, I was with my daughter. The hotel is very unique, has great restaurants where you can eat along the beach, and an old-time elevator operated by scary old guys. There's also a unique wine/cheese/chocolate bar. Yum. The beach was gorgeous, there's a pool and a spa/salon. I'd highly recommend this hotel if you aren't afraid of Kate. Have you ever stayed in a haunted hotel or encountered a ghost? Please tell us about it. BOO!!!