The Pipe

I could not sleep after going to bed. Probably 'cause I'd fallen asleep while reading in the afternoon. So after laying there restless for some time, I went into the bathroom to read without disturbing Chris. I don't know how long I read, hours most likely. When I had almost finished the book, I came to bed. We woke up around 6:30 or 7. We dressed and went for a walk on the beach. The water was warmer than yesterday and still clear. I picked up a few shells that caught my eye and saved them for Becca. When we got back, we had breakfast. I used Alfred's computer to check e-mail. I ruthlessly deleted things I know I'll never have the time to read. Then a group of us put on our suits and went to the beach. Michele came with us. The water was nice, and the sun was out. We were out there quite a while. One by one the others went in until only Cecily and I were left. We had a chat. When I came in, I went to my room. I showered and did some tapping. Chris came in for awhile then left. Cecily stopped in to pay for the purses I made her. Then Chris came by to offer me his computer. So I spent some time checking the e-mails that take longer. I did go upstairs briefly to make a salad for lunch. Then spent the rest of the afternoon listening to audios and interviews. I gave up when one of the videos stopped loading. A strange man appeared in my room. Apparently he was looking for a broken vacuum cleaner which he was supposed to fix. I checked the closets for him, but there was no vac. I could have given him a list of other things that need fixing around here. Soon it was time for supper. Chris and Becca had prepared 4 pizzas. I think they were all different. I ate chicken legs and salad. While we were eating, some interesting boats and earth moving equipment arrived on the beach. A large black pipe was floated to shore on a pontoon. Tug boats positioned sections of it until they formed a straight line. Then they primed it with slurry. We had heard that someone would be dredging up sand and adding it to the beach, but were not expecting it to happen on our watch. When everything was in place, they covered the end of the pipe and drove away. Then the public who had stood by so patiently during the long, drawn-out process, came over to touch the big pipe and maybe look for shells caught in the slurry. We had finished supper and were sitting around chatting. Chris decided to go to bed early, and once again, I will try to sleep, too.