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In Praise of a Beach Canopy
Last week, they predicted rain all day every day. But the sun showed up Sunday afternoon and we hightailed it to the beach.
We always take our beach canopy with us. I find it essential. It’s funny to look out from our shade and observe all the sun worshipers. They carefully turn their chairs to catch the most rays, while I meticulously arrange so no inch of skin ever extends past shadow.
It’s also amusing to watch beach umbrellas blow from their anchors and tumble across to the water. Or flip inside out.
But our beach canopy is a wonder. Very lightweight. Made of lycra — or “parachute material”, as we say. That thin, thin, slick fabric that folds into near nothingness.
The canopy measures 8 feet by 12 feet. Big enough to share with friends. At each corner, matching lycra bags dangle from six-foot cords, ready to be filled with sand. Like the digging dogs we grin over during our walks, we scoop deep to bring mounds of sand into the bags. Then we stretch them, and stretch them, until tension wrinkles each corner like a fan of fingers.
Everything about the canopy is lightweight. Who thought that up? Who realized that trivial…
