It was bright, sunny and 82 degrees this afternoon, so J and I rode our bikes to the beach. I wasn’t expecting the water to be warm enough for swimming, but it was perfect. Not to be deterred by lack of a swimsuit and a towel, I waded out into the salty Atlantic in my dress. I thought it was a novel idea at first — the kind of thing you only see in movies or magazine photo shoots. But after awhile, I realized it was the rare sort of day where you find lots of people in the ocean with their clothes on. It was as if we all flocked to the beach a few hours ahead of the cold front, expecting the water to be freezing. The realization we were wrong, coupled with the fact that the temperature is going to take a 20-degree tumble overnight, made taking one last dip somewhat irresistible…dresses, shorts, jeans or otherwise.

I’ll still be holding out for a few more warm days, but if today truly was the last beach day of 2012, I’m glad I managed to spend an hour walking along the water’s edge enjoying it. =)

In the meantime, I’m looking forward to autumn taking the reins, so I can wear boots and plaid flannel, cook chili with J, and not have to worry about mosquitoes outside. =)