Over the years I have spent most vacations camping on the Oregon coast and now live about 30 minutes from the beach so I get to spend a lot time on the beach. But Oregon beaches are different from those in Florida and California; they are cold. Even in the summer a north wind blows hard and cold down the beaches, so we have learned to live the lizard life.
Oregon beach bums know where all the rocks, bluffs, and coves are that offer a warm spot out of the wind. The August sun heats up the rocks even though a cold north wind scours the beach. On or near the south side of those rocks one can bask in the sun like a lizard—maybe even shed a few layers.
I use to long for the tropical beaches, but have never been. But that’s okay because I have embraced the lizard life. It seems truer to life than the tropical paradise. Life seems more like a trudge into a cold wind and some moments basking in the sun than endless warm days under palms.
The lizard life has taught me the coastal geography of warmth. I know the rocks, coves, and headlands that offer refuge from the cold. I even know a few big logs that will protect from the wind. I have learned to bask.
