Some things hold power over me. The call of a beach is one of them. But what is it? The sound of the waves is lovely. The smell of the salt air is unique. The warmth of the water in the summer months is a welcome feeling. Nope, it’s something else.

But those feet touching the sand as the flip flops are slipped off. The feeling of the ground molding to the shape of your foot. The sudden tug on the calf as you’re using leg muscles not challenged on a hard surface.

Warmth from the sand heated by the morning sun while the cool breeze is still coming off the water. Kids excited voices and screams as the touching of the sand signals the start of a beach day. The many toys and buckets lugged to the beach by parents and grandparents occasionally dropping and being picked up.

That older couple walking towards the beach that suddenly join hands as they hit the sand. The teenagers and young adults running as footballs and Frisbees are thrown around on the way to the beach with the random towel snapping at each other.

The rabbit or fox sitting on the sand dune watching people walk the path to the beach. The blankets and beach towels are all laid out. The sound of music (loosely defined) fills the air. And then begins the endless trips to the shore and back to the family area of the beach to build the foundation of the Great Wall of Maryland. Well until the kids decide to play Godzilla and knock it to pieces while laughing their heads off.

And then at times it’s the coolness of the sand that is so embracing. That early morning walk as I turn on my camera as I touch the sand an hour before sunrise waiting for the morning painting of the sky. Or that evening walk with my better half on the cool sands after a nice dinner, while a warm summer breeze makes it a beautiful evening as the moon rises over the water.

Maybe catch some of the fishing fleet leaving port. If you’re out early you can catch the surfers entering their realm.

Or the father putting up the tent staking out the prime spot on the beach.

There is nothing I don’t like about sand. I don’t care if I get caught in a wave and it’s in my shorts. I don’t care if kids accidentally kick it in my hair. I don’t mind if I’m covered head toe in it when I leave the beach. I don’t even care that the car is covered with it and needs a deep cleaning upon return from the shore.

Sand is very cool with me. I could use some sand, but weather people are talking about snow.