I had been walking on the beach early with my dog Illy. There was a low king tide and the wet sand reflected the intense blue of the sky. There were more birds on the rocks than usual and the roll of a gentle swell had the definite sound of Autumn to it.

I walked back up the hill through the foreshore noting the change in the light. How it was noticeably golden and at a low level it was catching on tips of vegetation that are normally in shadow, highlighting detail we don’t normally see. I was reminded why autumn is the time of year I find most invigorating and motivating. I want to get up and get things done.

Our native plants are doing the same thing. Autumn is the time of year for setting seed and putting on growth after the heat of summer.

On my return I was chatting to guests who had been on the beach, with their dog, earlier than me and they had had a similar experience, suggesting that perhaps Autumn should be considered the best time to visit the beach rather than the expected summer.

This got me thinking and prompted this post. Autumn days can be considered “crispy”. There is still a lingering warmth from summer, but the early mornings and evenings are often crisp and still with the sounds of the environment around us magnified.

My daughter Jess recently paid us a brief visit at short notice, from her other home in Northern California. She captured some beautiful moments prompted by her memories of living here as a child. It is the light that makes them special. At one point she commented “if there’s not seaweed it’s not Somers” but that’s a subject for another post.

Yes I love Autumn, especially on the beach and walking through the foreshore, but I love other times of the year as well. Blustery walks on the beach in Winter and returning to stoke the fire to a roar with a hot cup of coffee … or glass of red wine later in the day. Long summer days with the warmth of the sun on bare skin and wading through the shallows. The promise of Spring, wondering which display of extremes the weather will turn on next and enjoying all of them for what they are.

I don’t think there is a best time to visit the beach. The best time is now… whenever that happens to be.