#### Before I begin this post, I want to just take a deep breath and soak in the fresh air outside.
My little writing nook for today
It seemed very appropriate to get out of the house *(beautiful as my sister's house is!!)* and go step out onto the lanai to write this post. No sooner did I slide the glass door, than I was greeted by the singing of the tropical birds. I would try to describe it, but my words would fall severely short of the symphony of sounds I'm hearing. Suffice it to say, she and her family live in a mini-paradise.  The beautiful backyard with pond in the distance
### But who defines paradise? I've always said that I love my *mountain* paradise. I don't hear the sounds of tropical birds, or live 15 minutes from the ocean, but I do live where the air is crisp and cool, the water is refreshingly pristine, the snow is visible on proud peaks that stand 12,000 feet high, and pumas, bears and wild boars roam the neighborhood. I don't like winter weather very much, but every time I see this picture of our snow-encrusted creek, I fall in love a little bit more with my mountain paradise!  A totally different kind of paradise - but a paradise, still.
Yet, today I'll talk about another paradise that is, once again, completely different: the ocean. I've always had a special connection with the sea, but my relationship with it is so much more intimate than what you see splashed across the magazines, ads, and brochures. Don't get me wrong - I love the summer season when tourists flock and frolick. I love the warmer water, the pulse of the crowds, the sound of the boardwalk, the smell of barbecued meals, and the overall energy of the shore.  But, when peak season arrives, I can't commune with my ocean in the private way that I prefer. I need to share her, and I don't like to share. My special connection is when I have those powerful depths all to myself. It doesn't matter the weather; it can be stormy, overcast, or frosty. I don't mind as long as I have her full attention. I simply like to be able to sit in silence and project my thoughts out over the waves.  I wonder what it is about the ocean that lulls me into a tranquil trance. I have seen the devastation that water can bring and it is anything but a peaceful ally. It can be powerfully destructive, and downright murderous. It can intimidate and bully, decimate and deceive. I wonder though, if that's part of its allure. Though it is capable of all these things, it also transcends them. It's not human; it's natural. It's not vindictive; it's impersonal. It has no need to flex its ego; its raw wildness simply is. One one hand its supremacy is undeniable, and yet, we have learned to harness it, utilize it, and thrive while subduing it. It's a mother, or an angel of death. It can cleanse, or breed illness. It can bring relief from drought, or flood crops to annihilation.  When I sit before it, hypnotized, it is all these qualities that mesmerize me. Not only one characteristic captivates, but all - floating in a sea of mystery, depth, and eternality. And I can't help but wonder if the cycle of life will see me return to the earth as dust, and allow the rains to eventually carry me back to the sea, where I will be part of the same power and peace that one day captivates another dreemer like me. ***** ***** ### ALL IMAGES ARE MINE, TAKEN BY MY SMARTPHONE! 📸 This has been a joyful post to write for me! And it is my very first post submitted to [EcoTrain](https://peakd.com/c/hive-123046/created) Community's [QUESTION OF THE WEEK](https://peakd.com/hive-123046/@ecotrain/question-of-the-week-105-share-a-story-about-one-of-your-favourite-nature-experiences-why-is-connecting-with-nature-important). If you have never joined in their QOTW, I highly encourage you to join! They pose wonderful questions to get your mind churning with quality content to share with the rest of the platform! And if you've always wanted to do it, but simply haven't had the nudge to make the leap yet - Please consider joining in for the month of May with our [DreemPort Challenge](https://peakd.com/hive-123046/@dreemsteem/how-long-did-you-rest-time-to-dreem-again-with-drum-roll-please) as we support this wonderful community founded by @eco-alex! Not only will you get to network and engage with the community, but you'll also have the opportunity to earn some DREEM tokens as you help DreemPort get more eyes on your work and the work of others! Need to find out more about that?? It's very simple! Check out 👉[THIS POST](https://peakd.com/hive-123046/@dreemsteem/how-long-did-you-rest-time-to-dreem-again-with-drum-roll-please)👈 RIGHT HERE! We'd love to read you! ❤️
It seemed very appropriate to get out of the house *(beautiful as my sister's house is!!)* and go step out onto the lanai to write this post. No sooner did I slide the glass door, than I was greeted by the singing of the tropical birds. I would try to describe it, but my words would fall severely short of the symphony of sounds I'm hearing. Suffice it to say, she and her family live in a mini-paradise.  The beautiful backyard with pond in the distance
### But who defines paradise? I've always said that I love my *mountain* paradise. I don't hear the sounds of tropical birds, or live 15 minutes from the ocean, but I do live where the air is crisp and cool, the water is refreshingly pristine, the snow is visible on proud peaks that stand 12,000 feet high, and pumas, bears and wild boars roam the neighborhood. I don't like winter weather very much, but every time I see this picture of our snow-encrusted creek, I fall in love a little bit more with my mountain paradise!  A totally different kind of paradise - but a paradise, still.
Yet, today I'll talk about another paradise that is, once again, completely different: the ocean. I've always had a special connection with the sea, but my relationship with it is so much more intimate than what you see splashed across the magazines, ads, and brochures. Don't get me wrong - I love the summer season when tourists flock and frolick. I love the warmer water, the pulse of the crowds, the sound of the boardwalk, the smell of barbecued meals, and the overall energy of the shore.  But, when peak season arrives, I can't commune with my ocean in the private way that I prefer. I need to share her, and I don't like to share. My special connection is when I have those powerful depths all to myself. It doesn't matter the weather; it can be stormy, overcast, or frosty. I don't mind as long as I have her full attention. I simply like to be able to sit in silence and project my thoughts out over the waves.  I wonder what it is about the ocean that lulls me into a tranquil trance. I have seen the devastation that water can bring and it is anything but a peaceful ally. It can be powerfully destructive, and downright murderous. It can intimidate and bully, decimate and deceive. I wonder though, if that's part of its allure. Though it is capable of all these things, it also transcends them. It's not human; it's natural. It's not vindictive; it's impersonal. It has no need to flex its ego; its raw wildness simply is. One one hand its supremacy is undeniable, and yet, we have learned to harness it, utilize it, and thrive while subduing it. It's a mother, or an angel of death. It can cleanse, or breed illness. It can bring relief from drought, or flood crops to annihilation.  When I sit before it, hypnotized, it is all these qualities that mesmerize me. Not only one characteristic captivates, but all - floating in a sea of mystery, depth, and eternality. And I can't help but wonder if the cycle of life will see me return to the earth as dust, and allow the rains to eventually carry me back to the sea, where I will be part of the same power and peace that one day captivates another dreemer like me. ***** ***** ### ALL IMAGES ARE MINE, TAKEN BY MY SMARTPHONE! 📸 This has been a joyful post to write for me! And it is my very first post submitted to [EcoTrain](https://peakd.com/c/hive-123046/created) Community's [QUESTION OF THE WEEK](https://peakd.com/hive-123046/@ecotrain/question-of-the-week-105-share-a-story-about-one-of-your-favourite-nature-experiences-why-is-connecting-with-nature-important). If you have never joined in their QOTW, I highly encourage you to join! They pose wonderful questions to get your mind churning with quality content to share with the rest of the platform! And if you've always wanted to do it, but simply haven't had the nudge to make the leap yet - Please consider joining in for the month of May with our [DreemPort Challenge](https://peakd.com/hive-123046/@dreemsteem/how-long-did-you-rest-time-to-dreem-again-with-drum-roll-please) as we support this wonderful community founded by @eco-alex! Not only will you get to network and engage with the community, but you'll also have the opportunity to earn some DREEM tokens as you help DreemPort get more eyes on your work and the work of others! Need to find out more about that?? It's very simple! Check out 👉[THIS POST](https://peakd.com/hive-123046/@dreemsteem/how-long-did-you-rest-time-to-dreem-again-with-drum-roll-please)👈 RIGHT HERE! We'd love to read you! ❤️