Monday, August 27, 2007

At Observation Point. Finally.

Another moment from my long walk along the Cowes beach, completing my recent but strung out trilogy of that walk.

Anyway on the same foggy morning I told you about before, I went for a walk along the Cowes Beach towards Observation Point there. As said then, it was a reasonably easy walk about 3 kms along the sandy beach at Low tide, and the sand was hard and I made good and easy progress on my way to Observation Point and eventually reached the Point, which is only reachable on foot. I also know now that I wasn’t supposed to be there either! I know now as when I finally reached the very point from my side, I saw a sign on the other side to the one I approached by. So I walked over and read it. The sign was placed so as to be readable from the water. It said,” Absolutely no coming ashore here. Bird Sanctuary.”

Well! It was a bit late to tell me wasn’t it? So turning around and backtracking as fast as I could I headed back the way I came but higher up the beach now because the tide was now coming in. Thus I was walking high up along the high-tide mark where the sand was a little firmer than lower down.

As I was going back I saw another sign even higher off the beach and slightly buried by sand, so I went for a closer look and brushed a little sand away before I could read it. It warned people not to walk any further (along the beach to the point) as it was a restricted Bird Sanctuary.

A bit further on and closer to civilization was another sign that said, among other things, “No dogs at any time past here. Stay out of the Dunes. Walk along the water’s edge.

As I had no dog with me the first didn’t apply but the other two requirements were the very things that I did, but because I did so, I was not able to read/see any of their signs, could I? I know that it is impossible to put signs at low tide level but bigger signs along the way and more of them still would have done the trick for all but the stupid. I include that last little bit because I did see someone in the Bird Sanctuary area earlier with a dog on the loose.

Reflecting on the above, I wondered how many signs I have put out in the past and have I checked them lately to see that they are either readable or even still current, as well as in the right places? How about You?

What are some of the things in your life that you have put up signs to and then left them? How many of these things do you need to check to see if the signs are still readable or even still current? Over to you: Walter

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