Anniversary celebration: Late or early?

A ducky greeting

When Husband Walter was making reservations for a night at The Tides Inn,  Shelter Cove, California, what he thought was a casual conversation followed a query about recent special occasions on our calendar. He had mentioned that our 45^th wedding anniversary had come and gone.

Evidently the conversation was more purposeful than he realized. The result was the little bride and groom welcoming committee above that we saw as we entered our suite at The Tides Inn.

It was worth the drive on a winding, narrow road to reach our night’s lodging perched high above the rocks and waves at the edge of the Pacific. It was the slow season, and we were the only guests.

Sunset view from our third-floor balcony

The weather was beautiful and our cozy suite included a balcony that overlooked the Pacific with a front-row seat for experiencing the changing hues of sky and sea, the calls of seals, the sounds of waves breaking on rocks and shore, and the clean salt-water scent and sensations that accompanied our air supply. It was a picture-perfect end to Day Three and to the start of Day Four of our nine-day West Coast trip.

The first flush of dawn

I still haven’t figured out if we should label our impromptu anniversary celebration a late 45^th or an early start on our 46^th anniversary. I am leaning toward that early start idea with maybe a once-a-month quiet but planned “something.”

Perhaps my procrastination has already cast the die for 45^th, though. The opportunity for a November anniversary something is almost gone. One thing for sure, whenever and wherever we celebrate future anniversaries, the setting will not match the dramatic environment of Shelter Cove, California.