The Beach of the Dead, the State Park Full of Shit, aka Woodlawn Beach State Park
Look, the weather is great, it's a hot day, let's go to the beach, walk around the lake shore, watch the sun set, watch some distant boats, and let's take a swim in the crystal clear water sparkling with the reflections of the setting sun! What a wonderful day, what a wonderful feeling, what a wonderful place. It' just so gorgeous here.
Absolutely, this is the best $7 ever spent. I am glad they charge admission here so that they can properly maintain this place and keep it up for all to see and experience in its pure beautiful form. Wow, they should charge more. What a great beach. The fresh smell, the breeze of the evening wind, the water, the fish jumping all around enjoying a beautiful swim, come on, let's finally get in this water. It's a paradise right here in Buffalo.
Seriously, why pay $1,000+ for a trip to Hawaii when you have a beach like this right here. The lake is huge, your eyes can't really see the end, the breeze keeps the waves moving, it's just like a beach in the middle of Pacific.
Oh, wait, what's this? It's a dead fish. Hmm, a bad luck I guess, a skillful bird must have gotten it and had enough so left it behind for other scavengers to enjoy, right? What else could it be? Walk on and enjoy the paradise since there's nothing wrong around here. Wow, the sun is really nicely warm tonight, shining its beautiful golden light across this pristine land.
Wow, what an evening. Too bad the kids did not tag along tonight because they would have enjoyed this so much! They would have liked picking through the sand looking for shells, rocks, and other treasures. They would have loved to wade through the crystal clear water and watch the abundant underwater life. They would have enjoyed asking me about all of the different fish swimming by that I'd have no idea what they're called. Actually, I should have grabbed them with some friends of theirs and organized a play date here, right on this beautiful beach. There could not be a better place for kids to hang out, this is the dream.
Look, as the sun is setting down, it's turning the place into a bigger and bigger miracle. Seriously, I am so glad I came here tonight to see all of this beauty. And not only can I see it with my own eyes, I brought the camera along and can share the beauty with my family, with my friends, with the whole world! How lucky am I!
The air is getting fresher and fresher, its not like Hawaii, it's better. It does not have the salty smell to it. The freshwater just smells so much better. And the westerly wind just brings the freshness all the way to me. This was so easy, what a choice, I have to come here much more often, I have to come here every day.
This is the place to be in summer!
Oh, wait, what is this, another dead fish. Two in one day, strange. Why two dead fish in one day on a such a beautiful beach, on such a beautiful evening. Hmm, the water currents must have brought tit here from a faraway land that is not so lucky to be so untouched. Oh well, that can happen even to the best of places.
Let's walk on and not let that spoil the joy, the complete overjoy of pristine land on the shore of one of the Great Lakes, on the shore of Lake Erie. Wow, am I glad I came here tonight and have the opportunity to enjoy this beauty first hand. What a wonder, how bad for all of the people that will miss this opportunity tonight.
Look, seagulls are flying over and enjoying the sight as much as I am. They must be thinking the same I am. The pristine waters full of fish are a great sight for them because they'll have a super diner, super healthy organic fish for dinner. Look, there's one diving right now! Wow, I wonder what he caught.
I should have brought my fishing pole tonight and caught something for myself. Fish from a place like this would have been a delicacy! I will have to remember it next time.
Wow, no kids, no fishing rod. What have I done? Why was I so selfish and did not share this experience with my family and friends? Should I call them and ask them to join me to see the beauty by themselves?
Too bad, the sun is almost setting, they'd never make it. I will just have to click the shutter a few more times so that I can show them what they're going to see next time I head out this way. I am sure they will want to go with me once they see my photo catch of the day! What a beauty!
Ok, this is now making me wonder. What's this third dead fish doing here on this beautiful beach? It must be some strange coincidence. Or did someone bring the fish here to scare others away and keep more of the beautiful beach for themselves? Yes, that must be it, someone really smart has plotted a conspiracy here and figured out a way to get a bigger share of the fresh warm pie!
Ok, I've managed to set my camera right and froze a fish jumping out of the water in its high point in perfect light, perfectly frozen, perfectly sharp, appearing to be flying over the fully transparent three feet of water and look, there's another fish in the water that is enjoying its wonderful underwater kingdom.
Wow, what a shot, people will be impressed and not believe I got that shot on Woodlawn Beach. They won't believe that's Lake Erie and not the Pacific. How lucky am I to have chosen this place tonight.
Wow, and the sun is now even lower slowly dipping close to the horizon and illuminating everything in an even warmer light, bathing everything in the happiest light I've ever seen. Wow!
Now wait a minute, a dead fish number four. This is becoming more and more bewildering, this can't be a coincidence, this must be someone's deliberate act. I wonder who would do such a thing!?! Such a beautiful piece of nature and someone just could not resist to bring in all of these dead fish to spoil it for the rest of us. Why are people like that? Why do they have to be jealous? Why can they not take others being happy and enjoying our outdoors in full! This is really hard to believe.
Anyway, I'm not going to let one mean individual rob me of this beautiful experience, there is no way!
I am proud of myself again, I managed to dismiss all of the worries the few accidental dead fish brought and am fully enjoying this wonderful state park again, trying to soak it all in, trying to remember this occasion forever. Trying to remember every single detail so that I can tell all that missed this opportunity.
This just might be the best place in the world to be right now. I again get to wonder why the admission is only $7. With today's value of dollar and the splendor of this place, I think double would be more appropriate. I should write the New York State that they're underselling this place and it would be in everyone;s interest to crank the admission to $14.
Well, would $14 really be enough? Thinking of the price for Zoo admission, for amusement parks, for sports games, for concerts, ... $14 would still be a steal for a place like this. How lucky are we to have this gorgeous place tight here in Hamburg, just south of Buffalo, NY. Others have to travel to faraway places to witness natural beauty like this and we can just hop in the car and be here in a few minutes. How lucky am I!
Let's take a few more pictures. There are more diving seagulls and look, there's a group of them seemingly tanning on the beach! Is it possible that they're enjoying the sunset as much as I am? I wonder what they're thinking, I wonder what they're talking about. They must be the happiest seagulls on the planet to live right here, to be able to fish in these waters!
Wait, now this is really over the top. Not just one dead fish, but two. What kind of a sick-o would do such a thing? Killing fish and then dumping it on the beach. Who in the world, who, who, who?
But still, look at the sun, look at the rays of golden and orange light blasting the water and the sand with warmth all around. It just all looks so beautiful!
One more time does the whole scenery go through my head from the fish deep in the water visible from where I stand, other fish jumping happily out of the water, seagulls cruising around and looking so pretty with the sun lighting them up from below, diving down occasionally for a perfect snack after their dinner.
And people on the beach enjoying the heat of the evening, the beauty of the sunset, listening to the waves crashing on the lakeshore. What a wonderful world, really, what a wonderful world!
I am starting to run my schedule through my head to remember what's the next open evening to invite my family and friends for an unforgettable evening on Woodlawn Beach. We have to do that soon. Wait, maybe even tomorrow will work. That would be great!
Now I apologize since I am not 100% sure about the blogging etiquette but I am struggling with the words here, with being politically correct.
If it looks like shit and if it smells like shit, what can it be?
And yes, I am full of shit. I am as full of shit as this beach is. This beach of dead fish, this beach of death, this dump site called state park, this sewage dump people get the privilege to pay for seeing. What's the deal here?!?
So I will tell you what, let's finish tonight's exploration in style, let's enjoy this place to its full potential. There are so many more photos to be captured, so many more photos to be shared with everyone. You've made it so far, don't quit on me now and explore the rest of this place.
Even better, click this link to YouTube to fire up Ikena Dupont's island tune to really feel like you're in Hawaii. Set the volume right, maximize your browser window, and keep scrolling down. It's an experience like no other, that is for sure!
More shit on the beach. I'm not one with a weak stomach but the looks and smells are starting to work on me. Maybe I should turn around and increase my pace.
The death parade continues, another dead fish that does not care about the sunset a bit! And another dead fish in the smell of feces that does not give a @#$% any more.
And look, dead fish #10. Maybe I've captured enough beauty for the evening and can put the camera away.
Let's just capture one more, this one is worth it. See the brown water? See the brown formations on the shore. Smell it? Yep, you got it, this is not Hawaiian dirt, this is pure @#$%!
But wait a minute, this is a State Park, this is a place of natural beauty, this is a place people pay to visit. I must be missing something, this can't be true. Let's walk away couple hundred feet, let's put the sunglasses on, let's finish the day looking at the final seconds of the beautiful sunset. Oh yeah, now you're talking, this is what I came here for. See the beautiful pristine water of Lake Erie? See the gorgeous shoreline? See the sun making its way here from faraway. Yes, this is a gorgeous place, this is a place more and more people must see, this is a place I must come back to soon!
