Weekly Photo Challenge … Sea

I grew up by the sea.  My father, a boat builder in the late 1940s after the second world war, converted a landing craft into a houseboat on the Hamble River, on the south coast of England. I was a child of the river; which didn’t flow down from the hills and valleys of Hampshire.  It was a tidal inlet that rose and fell twice daily; this too is unique.  Due to the river’s proximity to the Isle of Wight, the tide comes and goes either end of the island.  This unusual happening was one of the reasons why the nearby Southampton Docks became so huge and influential in world trade.

However,  from a child’s point of view (and it’s parent) it meant that life fluctuated more quickly. The coming and going of the tide was like the breath on our lips; it never stopped, our life depended upon it. We learned from infants the dangers and the joys. The state of the tide, the direction and the strength of the wind and the moon was our guide, teacher and motivator. We learned to stay safe, was to be watchful and to be present.  To be distracted was to put yourself and others at risk.  Of course we lived our life, went to school, collected firewood, sailed and played but always we were watchful of the river (sea) as it came and went bringing and taking life from the vulnerable shoreline.  

As you know I am faithful to the Postaday Challenge. While my blog is littered with images related to the aforementioned life on the river; I didn’t want to use them again,  

I no longer live by the sea so I am not in a position to pop out and take a snap! I do live by the Thames, but sadly Reading is far beyond the tidal reaches.  So while the river is vibrant and changeable the effect is not nearly so dramatic.  

So, I emailed my dearest provider of ‘other’ images often seen when I am lost for resources on the Weekly Photo Challenge.  My daughter as you know does lives conveniently by the sea in Rio.  By return she sent me three pictures.  One of which is perfect for this post; it was taken in the docks at Rio where the ferries come and go to Niteroi just a cross a huge inlet from the Atlantic Ocean.

The graffiti is part of a work created in this particular font and is much admired by locals and tourists.  It is only seen at certain states of the tide and a perfect image for my post.