Ocean’s Calm – Weekly Photo Challenge: Relax
“Remember the time to relax is when you don’t have time to relax.”
Sidney Harris
This week’s challenge is a timely one as many of us scurry about trying to get ready for the holiday season. As I thought about relaxation I recalled a scene I photographed this past summer. The woman on the pier had stopped whatever she was doing to enjoy a peaceful moment on the waters of Bandon Oregon as the sun set to her right and the lighthouse created a lovely silhouette to her left.
Like the woman in the first photo and the couple above, I too find a visit to the beach is a guaranteed form of relaxation. There, the scents and sounds of the ocean’s calm are all I need to make stress and worry disappear. While I am very fortunate to have Kiawah’s beautiful beach just a few steps from my home, I’ve chosen instead to include some scenes I shot this past summer along the rocky shores of Bandon, Oregon.
“Just relax and enjoy the magnificence of life.”
Debasish Mridha
Clearly I am not alone in being drawn to the ocean’s calming effects, as illustrated in several of today’s captures. For example, if you look closely above, you can see two very tiny people walking just beyond the massive rocks.
To have a restful mind is to relax in your nature.”
Gyalwa Dokhampa
Here again we see two beachcombers strolling along the waters’s edge, this time with an even tinier little dog running ahead. What is it about the lapping waves and the warm sand that takes us so far from life’s daily challenges to a place of peace and contentment? I’ve heard it said that in theory our evolution from sea to land-based creatures makes us yearn for the world of our roots – who am I to argue with that one?
“If you have to think about relaxing, are you really relaxing?”
Janice Thompson
My husband and I, along with two very good friends, were in Bandon to play golf at the beautiful Bandon Dunes resort. It’s a bit of a mecca for serious golfers and as such doesn’t have much else to offer 😀 (although we did find some terrific meals at local restaurants!) . A good friend and golf buddy who recently left Kiawah for Sonoma California, recommended that we check out nearby Face Rock State Vista, which as you can see, was a wonderful suggestion.
“Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges. So relax.”
Bryant McGill
Golf is a challenge that requires serious concentration, especially when played in the 30-mile-per-hour winds for which Bandon is famous. What a welcome respite it was to unwind with a scenic walk in a beautiful place with no thought of whether a little white ball would ever get into a tiny little far-away cup! Happily it does not take any level of talent, skill or focus to enjoy an evening stroll along the ocean’s edge.
“Relaxing after intense effort not only provides an opportunity to rejuvenate, but also to metabolise and embed learning.”
Malti Bhojwani
After our full day of golf, a delicious dinner and our evening walk, we returned to our hotel revitalized and rejuvenated, and ready to face another day’s challenge on the links. Somehow as winter creeps in and holiday chores become more pressing, a brief photographic stroll through summer’s warm memories is every bit as good as a hot cup of tea and some beautiful music – which is where I’m headed next!
Here’s wishing you all a relaxing week ahead. If you have an extra moment, drop in a comment to let me know how you like the new Travelsandtrifles format.
Feels so relaxing to look at your photos😀
Thanks very much for the reblog!
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Wish I could go on Vacation to the beach
Beautiful!
I really love that pic with tiny people and big seagull and those rocks that look surreal on the beach.
Thanks BBB! That’s an amazing beach in Bandon Oregon which is forever away from any civilized place! It was a fun shoot.
Ocean is both thrilling and relaxing. You have wowed me with these, Tina 🙂
Thanks Paula, glad these caught your eye!
Ooo, I love Bandon, thanks for sharing your wonderful shots!
Me too Dunelight! My pleasure 🙂
Beautiful Tina!
Many thanks Adrian
Absolutely GLORIOUS shots…and words….a perfect escape from this very dark rainy day ….especially loving ‘pausing to refresh’
just spectacular!! love the new format😜
Thanks April – just the smile I needed on this dreary day! >
Sorry – my comment seems to have disappeared
I love the new format
The green is fresh!
The menu is simple and with three options feels minimal
And I did not know you had ten books –
I really need to peruse the options –
My only other feedback is that I prefer when pages open to a née page so when I close them I can resume where I was – and. Both pages did not open to new pages but took me away – and then the website one did not allow me to press return-
Please delete this comment if duplicate or a double
😉
****starts this comment with the nicest exhale the day****
thanks for the beautiful photo and words and may we all model the lady who
“stopped whatever she was doing to enjoy a peaceful moment”
and the windy golf sounds extra challenging….
hm
oh and I cannot really tell the new format as I viewing via reader – but I will drop by the main blog to see the updated look.
Many thanks Yvette! We should all model her indeed 🙂
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Gorgeous Tina! I find the ocean and water very relaxing. I used to play golf but haven’t for a long time. I loved the hard challenge and despite not being very good I still found it relaxing being outside for hours.
I agree Nicole, the 5 hour walk on a beautiful day is a big part of why I love golf. It’s also a wonderful social experience with good friends. Appreciate your visit and comment. >
Wish I could still play golf. My husband hurt his neck so without him playing I just don’t play anymore. But we enjoy lots of other fun activities. 🙂
TINA, THOSE ARE FABULOUS PICTURES. CALMING, TOO.
Thanks very much Cynthia >
Beautiful photo set, Tina. I’m a fan of most things nautical, especially lighthouses. I’d like to think most people’s attraction to the sea has to do with the freedom it offers and the elements, and how they are so different from land.
BTW, I like your format refresh. 🙂
I like your thinking David! Thanks for sharing and for the input on the theme change. >
Every element here in your photos I LOVE Tina … ocean , rocks, beautiful skies , lighthouse … totally r e l a x e d ….
A new discovery at a familiar place – brilliant .
Do like the new look for your blog I can read everything with ease 🙂
Excellent! Thanks so much Poppy
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Oh dear, I am so unobservant! I was looking at your photos wondering what was different about them and hadn’t realised (until I came to the end) that it was the whole blog format that had changed!! I was thinking maybe your photos were taken in HDR or something but maybe it is just the background that is different? Anyway the new format is great, though I’m afraid without seeing the old one again I can’t make any further comments. I really like the top photo – I think it makes a lot of difference in a photo to have a person in it, even if that person is quite small. It does add something to a view.
Thanks Annette, and LOL on the unobservancy 🙂 Appreciate your sharing your thoughts!! >
I had a similar idea for this week’s challenge. I love long walks along the shore and the sound of the waves really calms me. Nothing more relaxing than this! Thanks for this, Tina. 🙂
Thanks 2BF, looks like there are lots of bloggers who agree with us! Thanks for stopping by.
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As always, a great collection of images that meet the challenge theme. Surely there is something special about lakes and oceans that is truly relaxing. It’s not just the repetitive soothing sound of the movement of water. It’s so much more than that.
I agree John, definitely something primal. Thanks for stopping by.
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Lovely photos, Tina. I especially liked the serenity of the sunset shot near Bandon.
Thanks jane- hard to beat a great sunset!
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Such a lovely photo series Tina! I really like this coastal scenery – it is beautiful:) I didn’t see the tiny people on the rock before I read the text and started looking for them, amazing rocky shapes 🙂
Thanks Inger, yes I mentioned the people because they were the only way to show how huge those rocks are! Appreciate your visit and comment!
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I really like the first quote by Sidney Harris. Don’t we all feel like relaxing when we are busy and rushing about and in general have a lot to do. It is times like these we have to remember to take care of ourselves and take breaks so as to not get overly stressed.
Good to hear that you had a great summer along the beaches. I didn’t realise how big those rocks were until you pointed out the two people. The rocks are massive and I suppose it will be quite challenging to climb up and over them 😀 I too like the beach – when it is not overly windy. As summer is now approaching here in Australia, I’ve been to the beach a few times but on all occasions it was very windy, to the point where hair flies all over your face 😦 But we have three more summer months coming up so hopefully I will get to have a pleasant beach experience soon. Hope you stay safe and warm this winter. Have another cup of tea when you feel cold 😀
p/s – I like the new theme 🙂
Thanks Mabel, I agree, so true! Yes, it’s hard to imagine how massive those rocks are. So different from our very flat Lowcountry beaches. Happily we have few really cold days here so I’ll take flat and warm over rocky and cold any day!! I do envy your approaching summer though😊
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Wonderful places to relax, just perfect for the theme.
Many thanks Rupali
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Hi Tina, wonderful and interesting pictures for this week theme.
Thanks Robert
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Your shots remind me of Rod McKuen’s song My Friend, the Sea. Lovely shot’s, Tina..https://youtu.be/t1EvRKV5Q00?t=2
for sound effect. Perpetua
Wonderful sound, thanks Perpetual!
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Loved this, having lived at one time in Port Orford just down the coast from Bandon. There’s an interesting legend for Face Rock. Great post! 🙂
Thanks Maverick – yes I had some photos of Face Rock and read the legend but decided to save those for another post :-). Stay tuned! >
Wonderful Tina. I clearly need to drive the coast to Brandon. Have a great week 🙂
Thanks Andrew – you do indeed!! A fine week to you too my friend. >
Indeed, a calming set of images…well done.
Many thanks Sally >
Love the photos as usual, especially the first one. I’d stop and pause to look at that sun setting too! As for the format I am never keen on black backgrounds and white writing though on this theme at least the font is a decent size. It does seem to be a popular choice these days though, but when I worked in IT designing a web site in black and white was considered to not be good HCI – I am sure to be out voted on this though, I usually am! The neon green is a bit hard to focus on. Sigh… I always have trouble with green and red text even though I am not in the least colour blind. It is your web site Tina, and if you like it then that is all that matters. I certainly won’t stop viewing your photos 🙂
Thanks for the candid feedback Jude. I’m a big fan of black specifically for photography, and I think the text is readable. I agree with you on the green font but the standard formats support only that color with black. Sigh. Will keep tweaking, thanks again for you continued support! >
Looks a bit nippy out there, but a long walk would take care of this, wouldn’t it? I would love the chance to photograph Oregon’s sea stacks. Lucky you!
Thanks MK, it’s forever to get there but well worth the time. hope you get to see them soon!
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Love the new format.
I’m all for a clear, easy to read format and I always like blogs that have large images (being so short-sighted myself). I’m sure I’m not alone in following too many blogs and ones that are easy to open and read are always a winner with me.
Great feedback Vicki, thanks very much!
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yes, such a good thing to remember –
I love the quotes you always include, it increase the pleasure of reading your posts.
Thanks so much Claudette. This week was a bit harder than most! >
What a lovely visit to a place I have never been.., not the first time I have had to travel through your lens.. eerily beautiful ….
Thanks Miss Linda. It is indeed. Missed it completely the first 2 times we visited Bandon. Luckily Marilyn pointed me in the right direction this time around! >
Excellent reminders of the golfing Mecca, Tina!
Thanks Sharon – have you been up to their beach? It’s gloriously beautiful – photos can’t do it justice! >
I’m fighting with technology today, interspersed with Christmas decorating and other things, so I really appreciated your beautifully relaxing shots. I hope your December is off to a great start. That first quote is particularly true!
janet
Thanks Janet – I feel your pain!! My format change was way more challenging than it should have been 😩. Enjoy your results when you get through it; as you surely will !! >
I’m trying to get iPhone/iPad photos to my non-Apple pc, something that used to be simple. Not anymore. I’m at the point now of sending about 40 shots at a time to myself via Mail Box, then download them, copy, and move to my desktop in a file. Sigh. When I started, I had over 3,000 photos and I haven’t yet copied the ones in the files to discs. Merry December to me! 🙂
UGH!! iF it makes you feel better it’s not so easy on Mac any more either. They’re trying to force the use of “photos” app and you have to figure out how to get them from there to any other editing software. 😡 Good luck! >
Once I get caught up (one day in the future), I’ll just have to do this every week so it’s not so daunting. I really hate Apple in so may ways!!
What a beautiful part of the world. Great set, Tina, especially Beach Vista. Like your new theme. Very vibrant fonts!
Thanks Jane – thought 3 years might be time for a refresh LOL!! As for the set, let’s just say the beachwalk was a lot easier than the golf!! >
Beautiful beach’s Tina, I just love the huge rocks! It seems we both are drawn to the water!! 🙂 T.
Thanks Ladybuggz – those rocks are SO different from what we see here on the east coast. I had fun finding different perspectives of them! >
We don’t have those formations up here on our west coast here either…so amazing how the scenery changes within a few hundred miles! 🙂 call me T. (for teresa) 🙂
Thanks T 😀 >
Even the sounds of the ocean can be so relaxing! But being there is the best. I have not been to Face Race in years and years, thanks for the memories!
My pleasure Patti. We’d been to Bandon before but were unaware of this beautiful beach nearby. Was really pleased my friend recommended it! >
Ocean’s edge is the perfect prescription to relax.
New format is nice and clean. Love the neon green post comment button.
Many thanks Ruth – appreciate your comments on the new format. >
Certainly looks most relaxing, Tina!
Thanks Sue – it was indeed. >