Huntington Beach State Park w/ Casey

This past Saturday Casey and I went to Huntington Beach State Park just outside Murrells Inlet, SC. Since both of us enjoy strolling through nature parks we decided this would be a good starting point for our celebration of being together three months.

The park is great! It has three miles of undeveloped beach where sea turtles can nest. It has intertidal ponds and marshes which are very diverse ecosystems. Both of us had an excellent time walking the trails and being together on such a beautiful day. The trail meandered about a mile through what I first thought was Atlantic white-cedar(Chamaecyparis thyoides). But after consultation with web resources I've decided that it was just eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana). I was hoping for the former since I've never seen a true stand of it (on the video posted disregard my comment about it being Atlantic white-cedar).

Anyway, the trail came out onto some great beachfront. There were all kinds of shells and plenty of seagulls. Many jellyfish and fiddler crabs had washed ashore. We found a stingray on shore but it was dead. We walked the beachfront back to the car, battling the sun the whole way. For most of the walk back I was thinking about how awful it is that so much beachfront is developed. I was also pondering the tides for some reason. I don't know what Casey was thinking but I could tell she was enjoying herself since she was frolicking the entire time. I often wish I had her vitality for life and her ability to see most things in the world as beautiful. Maybe in time.
That night we went to dinner and saw Revolutionary Road. The film was good but very depressing. It was very intense for not being an action movie. It made me uncomfortable throughout. But it was a reminder that things don't have to be drab in your life.

I'm glad I've been able to spend these last three months with such an incredible woman. She is simply wonderful and beautiful and a joy to be around. May we continue to find happiness together!