The Sunset Ceremony

When I talk about the beach I am talking about Brent's family cottages in Long Beach, Wainfleet. They have more than a handful of beach rental properties right on the best part of Lake Erie. There is along expanse of light tan beach that stretches from wall to water and burns the feet in the height of summer. You can check out the cottages on their website: http://www.longbeachcottages.com/long_beach__the_beach.htm

Brent and I met in the fall when the beach is still warm from the summer sun, but after labour day it becomes vacant. The sun starts to set over the lake on the west side only in the fall and that is how we had one of our first dates that he called "The Sunset Ceremony". I'm sure this is something the long beach boys made up to get girls to come to the beach. It's romantic, lovely and it worked.

For the actually ceremony you start off watching the ball of fire slowly decend into the water while drinking tall glasses of chilled, dry white wine. The talk is light and the contact is playful. Hand holding, hair tugging and giggling. I felt like a teenager.

As the sun drops lower and hits the water we make sizzling sounds and then head towards the water with our candles. The Sunset Ceremony can only be official performed in the fall on a warm still night. With the water barely moving you send your candle floating in a plastic bottle out into the lake. The candle that goes the farthest wins.

How can you get more romantic? Glasses of wine, sunset, candles and gentle cuddles. At that moment it seems the whole world sighs and the tension ebbs away.

This method of getting girls should have a patent.

I didn't know I'd marry this guy, but I did know he could work magic.