sun, sea, sand, and Leta!

Rehobeth Beach with Garden House

Leta learning to swim with water wings

Sun, sea and sand means only one thing – The Beach! And for Leta it means excitement and a lot to do.
Driven by her own determination, she marches around the house gathering essentials in her backpack,
greeting others, a few checks in the kitchen that her lunch is being made… finding her one missing shoe,
then finishing her oatmeal!
The cars are loaded, songs are playing and Leta is smiling and dancing. She is planning on diving in
the sea – and is practicing holding her nose while still on firm ground.
“Bee” (Leta’s word for beach) becomes her mantra
for our car ride, which was anything but rhythmical or harmonious or peaceful. At first Leta was acknowledged and
responded to with smiles from the staff, but after two hours of hearing…:”be”,”be”,”be,” all fellow travelers went from politely saying
“I can’t wait to get to the beach.” to “get me out of this car.”
At the car park there are umbrellas, chairs, toys, coolers, boogie-boards and windbreakers to
carry and Leta is in the middle with hands ready to help. Naturally, she wants to carry multiple things, and thinks nothing of offering her third hand, her mouth.
Finally, when convinced that a little bucket with a shovel is as good as carrying the tent, the cooler or
chairs, we make our way to the beach. Leta carrys her items proudly, using one hand to hold her
bucket and the other to hold on to the person next to her; never mind if that person is juggling 10
chairs too!
Her grip is firm. Her steps are small. The weather is hot, and the word ‘be’ has not subsided in volume or intensity; “beee!”, “beeee!”, “beeeeeeeee!”.
Satisfied that she has arrived, she begins her search to find a good spot – near the water but not too near…she intuitively understands the incoming tides.
Not that it would stop Leta. Come big wave or enormous wave, she continues playing in the
sand. Even when the wave takes her bucket away, she calmly watches with a sorrowful expression,
prompting instant assistance from the public.

Next, Leta begins her diving dance safely on the beach. She holds her nose and makes motions for her brave act to follow. Of course, once in the sea she is
more eager to push, splash and dunk others instead. Enormous waves come upon Leta as payback. And she laughs.

Then Leta is ready to swim. But only if someone is standing on the shore with camera ready to document the moment.
Throughout the time at the beach, Leta makes sure that we don’t forget that she is there. She sits close to us and varies between
pulling large bugs out of our hair to making sure we really
appreciate the feel of LOTS of sand on our skin.
But most of all, we appreciate how entertaining and loveable Leta is. Her excitement is
contagious and her passion for the beach, heart warming. That’s what a beach trip should be after all- Sun, sea, sand and
Leta.