Sand

Grains of sand.  Sands of time.  White sands.  Sandpaper.  Sandpiper.  Sand crabs.  Sand bar. 

All of the above.  And more.

The sand that inspired my love today is paver sand.  I spent the last two days patiently digging out the weeds and grass and moss that had grown between the pavers on my front walk.  Pete and I laid that walkway a couple of decades ago, and I am not about to dig it up and replace it with something more durable or fashionable.  I can recall us going to a local wholesaler of pavers, hiring the son of a friend (who had a trailer), and procuring the pavers that would become our front walk.  It was a do-it-yourself project (as were most of our projects at this house) and we did it together.  (My mother-in-law never got that memo, as she always talked about the walkway that Pete made.  As in everything else that Pete did that I had no part in, including giving birth to our three children.)  Nonetheless, the walkway has some sentimental value to me.

But every few years, the weeds become too much, and I have to dig up an inch or so of soil and sand and essentially, start over.  And that is what I am in the process of doing.  I am halfway done, and I will complete the job tomorrow.

Am I in love with paver sand?  Not really.  But in many ways, sand is sand, and I can easily conjure up some good love for beach sand.  My favorite beach, by far, is a stretch of beach on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  This was the site of our two-week family vacation every August for a dozen or more years.  Another favorite beach is Pawleys Island, South Carolina, a great spring vacation site.  Sanibel Island on the gulf coast of Florida is a favorite spot, and I have discovered another great beach on the Atlantic coast in Delray Beach that suits me fine.  In truth, I don't think I have ever found a beach I didn't like, although the crowds at the Jersey shore kind of cramp my style.  I have been on beaches in Australia, Greece, Jamaica, Vieques, Oregon, and California.  I have loved them all.

But for now, it is paver sand that has my attention.  If I have done things correctly (tamping the pavers after sweeping the sand, solidifying things with a spray of water, etc.), the weeds will be kept at bay for awhile, and my front walkway will look as good as it is supposed to.  There will be time for beach sand once all of these spring and summer household chores are done, and I do intend to cash in on those opportunities.  Meanwhile, there is sand and work to be done, and I will love the results of my hard labor.  I've always imagined a border of perennials lining the walkway, so maybe I'll be inspired to tackle that job next.  Hmmmm . . . .


But speaking of sand crabs . . .