Haiku - "Elation"

Fresh air lifts one's soul

Seagulls beckon, bare feet sink

Beachside elation

The poem above is part of "The Haiku Challenge".  The picture prompt for today is the photo below:

Photo Courtesy of "Few Miles" host of the "The Haiku Challenge"

The above is a part of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore - Mount Baldy.  We lived near here for a number of years and when we visited last year I was shocked to see the erosion.  The trail we used is now rerouted and a temporary fence put up to block access.  The dune is moving inland and all efforts are in full force to allow the dune grass to establish roots and stabilize the dune.  So, we were not able to walk up and over like the old days. What you see from the photo above is beautiful - but the full view is not the best Lake Michigan has to offer.  Nearby is what I used to think was a nuclear plant, but someone else told me it was a cooling plant (photo below).  Either way, not pretty.  And looking the other direction another ugly facility in the distance (not shown here)... I think a prison!  If we only had a couple of hours this is where we went (I always worried about what was in the water with so much "industry" surrounding this beach).  I preferred going to the St. Joseph, MI beach if time allowed.

I remember the first time my oldest son (maybe 6 yrs. old) climbed the sand dune of Mt. Baldy (below).  He made it 96% of the way and then looked down and FROZE.  I was helping his younger sister and toting a baby...  I was exhausted when we finally made it with picnic basket and all to the other side.  The photo is only 1/2 of the sand dune - I zoomed in with the camera.  This picture was taken 12 years after that initial climb.. and is significantly smaller.