Back in the beginning of July, as I was walking the Everest Challenge, A, J, and I decided to head to the beach and have a nice afternoon walk.

The weather was overcast, as is typical here in Ireland, and the water was freezing. It didn’t stop us, however, from slipping off our shoes walking on the tidal flats

and then going for a bit of a wade into the salty water of Malahide beach.

Despite sinking quickly once I was out in the water, I did have to laugh when A decided to get up to a bit of mischief…

by splashing J (who, like me, was shocked at how cold the water is!) to help her get used to it. Taking off with a cackle, she promptly sped out of range, so she couldn’t get splashed back herself…

J took it with a fine sense of humor,

and very quickly, we were off to find the “perfect” bit of sand to dig our heels into – and leave our footprints behind.

It’s just a good thing it didn’t mess up our toenails!

On the way back, we passed 3 old ladies sitting on a wall, overlooking the beach. As we paused to brush the sand off our feet and then replace our shoes, they commented on not only what a lovely day it was – but also how well we 3 younger ladies seem to get along. The funny thing was that somehow, I could picture A, J, and me, in 40 years, sitting on the wall – and see a reflection of ourselves in them. Just goes to show – the more things change, the more things stay the same.