Latest news with #beachcombing
BBC News
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Lego spaceman makes message in bottle sea voyage from Guernsey
A family said they "could not believe" a bottle they dropped in the sea containing a Lego spaceman, drawings and a letter was found on an island nearly 150 miles (240km) away. The bottle was thrown into the sea in Guernsey by six-year-old Leo and was found 40 days later by a family who were beachcombing on St Mary's in the Isles of Rhiannon and daughters Chloe and Eliza found the bottle and called a phone number contained inside it - putting them in touch with Laurent, Leo's said he "genuinely could not believe it" when he got the call, adding "it was a really nice phone call to receive". Laurent said Leo and his sister Célene had the idea to pack two jars with messages, drawings and small toys on the morning of Saturday 29 March."We stuffed them and taped them up nice and tight and we went to the lighthouse in St Peter Port and tossed them into the sea," he said."We never expected to hear any news soon, that's for sure."He said the children were "so happy" when he told them Leo's bottle had been found."It was so unexpected," he said, adding that the family tracked the route the bottle had taken on a said he, Chloe, 13, and Eliza, seven, had been exploring Darrity's Hole on St Mary's coastline on 8 May when he had spotted a jar covered in seaweed."At first I thought it had old paint in it or something like that but then I noticed the paper inside and I could see a little Lego man in there," he said the jar had stayed watertight so the letters and Laurent's phone number were legible."When we made the phone call to them they really couldn't believe it," he added. "We explained and they were in complete shock." 'Absolutely amazing' After the initial call, the two families met during a video call."If you could bottle the look on all the children's faces here and over there, honestly, it'd sell," Matt said the Isles of Scilly had sustained easterly winds which he thought had swept the bottle along, since Guernsey was 146 miles (235km) direct east of the Isles of said his daughters thought it was "absolutely amazing".He added: "We've talked about things that get washed up all the time growing up on an island but then for something like that to come true... they were so excited."Laurent agreed and said: "It's so much fun, it's very wholesome and a really fun way to get in touch with people in a physical way."
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Yahoo
The art of ‘beachcombing' finds room for our heart and soul to breathe
Ever been 'beachcombing'? You know, the art and practice of wandering somewhat slowly and aimlessly along an ocean shoreline? Going out no matter the weather, perhaps on a wide stretch of sand while dodging incoming waves or on a rocky shoreline while pausing and peering into tide pools large and small (always with an eye to the surf status!). Who knows what will catch your eye while 'combing' the beach? That's part of the intrigue—not knowing what you will see, or finding the unexpected. It used to be that colored glass balls from fishing nets, ranging in size from baseballs to basketballs, were the prize sought by beachcombers. But those seem to have gone the way of dial-up phones and other things now absent … except for plastics, found on beaches in increasingly distressing amounts. And while ocean pollution is a huge serious problem with significant evidence; it's the simple experience of wandering in a fashion meandering that I'm presently pondering. Beachcombing may provide the setting and means for musing, for pondering or thinking deeply. The slower pace and lack of purpose-driven intensity ('gotta get there!') allows your mind, heart, and soul room to breathe, to consider and wonder. With few rigid deadlines or demanding agendas, any outdoor space, wherever it is found during a casual stroll, encourages and facilitates priceless inner space where respite, renewal, and creativity can flourish. You are correct if surmising that 'beachcombing' can happen far from the ocean: alongside a river, in a park, or on a mountain meadow or trail. Even city sidewalks or country lanes can provide the setting for this relaxing, de-stressing endeavor. It's the combination of intention and attention that creates the right conditions for proper beachcombing. Intention to just stroll about (the journey more than the destination) coupled with attention to surroundings near and far (looking more closely at that interesting little thing and/or stepping back to appreciate the amazing big picture). Flotsam and jetsam washed up on the sand, sea anemones and sea stars clinging firmly to tidal pool rocks, birds soaring above with seals bobbing in the surf or lounging on shore, grasses and branches waving in the breeze, whales teasing avid spout-spotters—all this is available at the Coast (or the Sea or the Shore, depending on your oceanic context). So remember, beachcombing as an art and practice is not just for saltwater settings, it is available to you nearly anywhere a pleasant, observant perambulation is taken for a while. There will always be responsibilities, expectations, and demands on your time, energy, and attention—these important and deserving outlays are well and good (usually), and exhausting. To recharge, sufficient sleep is essential as are other forms of rest including holy days and holidays, vacations, and sabbaticals. And … amidst all this urgent activity are those blessed opportunities for you to disengage for a while, to unplug and go off-line, to allow a different rhythm to pace yourself, to even discover something new. Today, go beachcombing! 'O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both great and small.' Psalm 104:24-25 (NLT) Timothy J. Ledbetter, DMin, BCC is a retired American Baptist-endorsed professional chaplain and member of Shalom United Church of Christ in Richland. Questions and comments should be directed to editor Lucy Luginbill in care of the Tri-City Herald newsroom, 4253 W. 24th Avenue, Kennewick, WA 99338. Or email lluginbill@
