The Importance of Chatting

Time we were off? exclaimed Ageless. But we've only just arrived.

We're not getting anywhere, said Baby Pierre. Have you forgotten the quest?

No I haven't, said Ageless. The Jellyfish Oracle is an old friend. We've been chatting.

Yes, said the Jellyfish Oracle. Some folks don't know the value of chatting.

There's no value in chatting, said Baby Pierre. It's just wasting time.

Wrong! said the Jellyfish Oracle. I have learned something new about sand dunes.

What? asked Baby Pierre.

They move, said the Jellyfish Oracle. They move over rubbish and hide it, then
they move on and the rubbish appears again. It's brilliant.

That's not quite the point, said Ageless.

What kind of rubbish? asked Baby Pierre.

Tins, said Ageless. I think Ralph's rubbish was tins.

Ah, tins, said Baby Pierre. That gives me an idea.

I hope you're not going to suggest what I think you're going to suggest, said Ageless.

He is, he is! said the Jellyfish Oracle, getting excited.

How do you know? said Baby Pierre?

I'm an Oracle, derrrr, said the Jellyfish Oracle.

How about letting me in on it? said Ageless.

Well, said Baby Pierre, your tin of yam biscuits is holding you up, right?

Not necessarily, said Ageless. Sometimes I'm holding it up. Oh....you mean it's a nuisance!

Yes, said Baby Pierre. So why don't you leave it on the beach in front of a sand dune, and wait till the sand dune moves over it?

Not likely! said Ageless. They're not that sort of dunes. These dunes are more likely to disappear altogether, due to coastal erosion.

Goodness! Are they? said the Jellyfish Oracle. But this is my home!

Good Remembering

It's not last Saturday but the Saturday before. Can I really go back that far in time and remember it well?

It's very hot and we've driven all the way down to Semaphore. We've crossed the road and the beachfront carpark, walked down the track through the sand dunes and onto the beach.

There are people there, it is still hot even at the beach. We walk into the sea taking our shoes off first. Now this is the part I want to remember.

We're standing in the water. It's sunny and above us the sky is blue. Yellow electrical patterns crisscross the warm tea green sea. Clouds build in the northern quarter of the sky. They're roiling and boiling, they're cumulus, nimbus, cirrus and stratus all tumbling together, advancing as fast as a bus. Not a fast bus.

They'll soon be directly overhead.

It's nice in the water. We are up to our waists, no, not quite, looking towards the horizon.

The horizon is playing an optical trick, either that or the sea level has dropped.

We look at the puzzling line. Ships move along it, it fritters away at one end. We discuss these things.

When next we look up, the approaching clouds in the northern quarter of the sky have stopped moving. In fact they look to me like they have started moving backwards. This is puzzling too.

Yes, good remembering by me.