Spirit Beach: Sands of Serenity

By Jay E. Morrow

In "Spirit Beach: Sands of Serenity," Professor Ray Durant, an expert on coastal environments finds solace in his love for the beach. As he prepares for a series of lectures, he unravels the captivating story of his profound connection with Sophia, a mystical spirit embodying the essence of the shore. Through their bond, Durant discovers t

• Language: English
• Publisher: Explora Books
• Release date: Apr 12, 2024
• ISBN: 9781998394111

Book preview

Contents

The Professor      1

Sophia      5

Her First Tale      11

The Importance of their Meetings      17

The Bodyguard's Counsel      19

Alone, with Her      21

His First Break      23

Sophia's Physical Attributes      25

A Well Needed Break      37

Love      41

Her mixed past with the US Navy      43

Boris      51

The Intertidal Zone      55

Summer Visits with Family/Friends      59

Unusual Animals      71

The Rescues      75

The Cousins Again      81

Gathering her Resources      83

Unusual Denizens of the Beach      89

Sophia has Competition      93

Ray's Boat, the Manatee (Sea Cow)      95

The Artist      99

The Attack      101

Epilogue      113

The Professor

Professor Ray Durant sat in his borrowed chair, at his borrowed desk in his borrowed office and reflected upon his life. He looked down the length of both walls and saw a comforting sight, his beloved books. His steel grey eyes perused the shelves. As he stood up and examined some of the older books, which told of devilfish (Octopus) and sea wolves (Orca) he realized that during his lifetime how much had been learned about the coastal environments and its inhabitants.

He loved to bring examples of past thought into the classroom to let his students become aware that conventional wisdom was not always correct and to constantly challenge what was believed to be true until it was proved to be true. He even found his first dissertation on the interaction between predators and prey in beach environments. He grabbed the slim booklet and reclined in the artificial leather chair and put his feet up on the trash can. He laughed at how serious he had been back then and how young. His black hair had turned grey at the temples and he had grown intolerant of the politics of any large institution. But it also brought crashing back to him how he had been essentially cashiered by his school's administration. Although, at this point in his life, he had no need for the paycheck, the new Dean had been one of his students many years ago and his betrayal had hurt in many ways. The hue and cry on his termination for mere age had led the Dean to acquiesce to a series of lectures to be given once each year by Professor Durant on an emeritus position.

Just the thought of how he had been treated by the Dean of the school he loved, turned him another direction. He looked out the window overlooking Lake Union and just watched the numerous boats heading both directions, some to the Sound, some into the gentler limitations of Lake Washington. Lake Union was a natural link between the lake and its confines and the sea. He loved to watch the myriad of boats heading in and out of the locks and the lake. But finally, his thoughts turned to the Dean of the school and that deep inside how he was such a cold-hearted man.

The Dean was a short weasel-like sort of man, that the professor had tried in vain to introduce a passion for the material, but the Dean just wanted to know what it would take to get an A. In other words, the Dean, as a student was bright and industrious, but not driven by any special need to comprehend. His forte was politics and he had quickly risen to the heights of his station. In fact, many people had misinterpreted his appearrance3 with a lack of social skills. They were very rudely surprised to find their careers shortened or terminated by the Dean's cunning use of politics and persuasion. His path to the top was strewn with the careers of many of the oceanologists that had not paid him what he considered to be the proper respect and deference. Now, as the head of the department, the Dean's idea of a successful staff, was not those which taught the best, but those who had published or brought in endowments for the school. Professor Durant had found himself at odds on many occasions, and was not surprised when the new rule concerning age had forced his retirement of his teaching position.

Although the Dean and his new administration at the University had made the decision to forcibly retire him several months ago, using a little-known requirement of publishing every five years or obtaining grants for research. Professor Durant had just lost his wife and was forced to concentrate most of his remaining energies on teaching and lecturing. Several of his peers learned of the Dean's plan and contacted the University hierarchy concerning other options. Originally, they were ignored; but they helped organize such a hue and cry from all his peers and his students. This included a series of protests and angry petitions from his students that had finally forced the Dean to suggest a compromise to his original position and bring him back as a Professor Emeritus for a series of lectures, each year. Although it had not affected his confidence in his own abilities, the effort of fighting the process had aged him and added some steel gray to his temples. The Dean had also demanded pre-approval of his subject matter. The professor hated that kind of censorship, and had ultimately refused. After several months of tense negotiations, the Dean had finally agreed to allow him carte blanche on his subject matter for a reduction in his honorarium.

Although his face was lined with the years of effort to transmit his knowledge to his students, he still maintained his clear steely blue and deep-set eyes, cleft chin and an aging athletic body. And it was not unusual for female students to become caught up in his charisma and try to get to know him better. Something he always refused but was still flattered by their adulation, especially after his wife passed on. His predilection was for more experienced and mature partners. He had learned long ago that he was most attracted to those which loved the dance and byplay of romance versus a quick interchange of sex.

For years he had been known as one of the premier national experts on the interrelationships between marine animals and their habitat, and his classes had been one of those requirements for students who wished to be at the peak of understanding of marine biology or oceanography. But before he had always been reticent about talking about what drove him so hard in his chosen profession, because he was afraid of appearing crazy. But looking back at his relationship with his muse he decided to put all his fears aside. He began preparing for the most important series of lectures in his life. For the next two weeks, he would concentrate on putting into words the story of the most significant relationship in his life, how it had changed him, shamed him and led him into the decision to champion efforts to reduce the impact of humankind on the environment. remembered back to his first time on the Beach, when he was five. He took down a single sheet of paper and began to outline the story of his love for Sophia. He stared at the blank page for several minutes, until he said What the Hell and decided to tell what she told about herself when they first met, along with his favorite story that she had told him; concerning how she came to be the spirit and soul of the beach.

Need to rewrite and from add a transition element. from her to go story to Sophia's history and her team of support.

As he stared at his initial outline for his lectures, he finally decided to start with the spirit that had first moved him to dedicate his life to the study of the beach and its life. Once he decided to tell the full story, he knew he would have to discuss his meme and her story in more detail. He would have to describe what he knew of her origins and the story that she had told him over many years. He would introduce her in his lectures with how she began her life on the beach. Thus, we can now learn the story of Sophia.

Sophia

Sophia had awakened after years of what had seemed like sleep. The feeling that the weight of thousands of pounds of glacial ice covering her was finally beginning to melt and retreat from the deep valleys it had cut, awakened her to the glories of her home. As the ice retreated and animals began to take possession of the beach, she grew stronger with each passing decade. She became the Spirit she was; full figured, womanly, and glowing with an internal fire. As life grew to inhabit the shore where the water remained in constant contact with the land, her powers grew. As the spirit of the Sound, she took up residence along a pristine shoreline on the Western shore.

Thus, for many years her strength and image matured. She was like but not like the first human inhabitants of the area. Her garments were originally made from the marine growths along the shore; clam shells, kelp, and seaweed soften her aspect and enhanced the loveliness of her curves and gave a hint of glories just barely hidden by the materials. She eventually designed a soft wrap made from materials which had washed up upon her domain, lost from some strange overseas environment.

Each year, the shoreline would increase the number and variety of organisms, and her strength grew proportionately. Clams, barnacles, crabs, sea-stars, snails, and fish made up the great preponderance of the growth, but even niche organisms added to her power as she blossomed into a beautiful and magnificent Spirit.

As she walked along her shores one day, she saw two eye stalks looking at her from the waves caressing the eel grass.

She looked directly at them and communed with Crab for the first time. Hello she said. Come walk and talk with me.

At this invitation Crab walked out of the surf sideways, keeping an eye on her at all times. He said, I see you here often as do some of my friends, who are you?

I am Sophia and what is your name? He heard her voice in his head as if it were echoing in his small brain.

Just call me Crab. was his response as his eyestalks rotated to keep watch behind him.

She had been watching him closely and was wondering what he was dragging behind him. Gradually it occurred to her that it was the rotting carcass of a flounder. Trying hard to hide her disgust she asked, "Who are your friend?

Well, I have many among my own kind, but I talk and spend a lot of time with Octopus, Eagle and Raven he responded quickly. Eagle and Raven have been watching you for some time and say that you are a goddess, is that true? Crab asked.

I guess, whatever that means. was all she said.

He had noticed her staring at the flounder he was chewing on and so offered. Well, let's do lunch sometime which was Crabs favorite activity in all the world.

She hid her emotions and said Yes, let's. But Sophia, who was totally unused to conversation at all, was a little taken aback. Before she could continue and ask when or where, crab disappeared under the waves. She could just barely see his eyestalks peering out of the eel grass watching her.

Sophia thought about this discussion for several weeks. She walked the same stretch of beach every day, but did not see the crab again. After living alone for eons, the ability to communicate with another sentient being was a complete shock, but one she