A Perfect Day at the Beach

We talk a lot about the campers of Playa el Coyote on this blog for good reason.

Last December, Shannon Miller and the Friends of Casa Hogar arranged a “beach day” for the children. Shannon and her family frequently camp at Playa el Coyote, and they wanted to provide the children with an opportunity to enjoy the water, sand, and a crowd of loving adults.

It turned out to be the Best Day EVER! The kids had an absolute blast, seconded only by the tremendous joy the adults experienced.

The ripple effect from that short encounter has been astounding. In two short months, Coyote Beach dwellers have stepped up in a number of ways to enrich the children’s lives – and just not financially.

So we arranged for the kids to return to the beach for another perfect day of fun in the sun. Upon arriving last Saturday, they were greeted with Mardi Gras beads and cheering adults who were thrilled to see their smiling faces.

Searching for the perfect shell

Raven Gary organized a treasure hunt of collector-quality shells that he scattered along the shoreline. The children were given cups and some adult supervision, and everyone went home with a wonderful beach souvenir.

Some of the children were recently ill, so Laura was hoping to keep the children dry. She quickly gave up her losing battle, as the 85ºF, windless day was perfect for water play. As you might imagine, once the first little guy wandered in a bit too far with his rolled-up pant legs, the rest soon followed. Not to worry, they thought of everything. Paddle-boarding lifeguards were abundant.

There were plenty of kayaks, paddle boards, rafts, air mattresses and swim noodles for the kids to enjoy. Some squirt guns kept everybody wet after that.

The children also discovered that Coyote Beach is where Santa comes to spend his winters. Through the courtesy of “Santa Wayne,” they all got to decorate gingerbread cookies with him.

The beach community also provided a “kid friendly” potluck, and the children got to roast their hotdogs over an open fire. The sugar intake was a bit over-the-top with all of the desserts that were provided. So after lunch it was back to the sand and water to burn off the crazy energy before loading them up to go back to the casa.

That delightful day will likely remain an important memory of all involved for a long time. The Friends of Casa Hogar would like to thank the folks at Playa el Coyote for all of their efforts. They are making a difference in these children’s lives, and we want them to know it.

Hopefully you will enjoy our day through pictures as much as we enjoyed witnessing it.

The End