roostlogohead2cropped-transp-blue-owlS.pngroostlogohead2roostlogohead2
  • Home
  • All Quarterly Issues
  • About
    • Vision and Mission
    • Meet the MockingOwls
    • Our Contributors 2021 – 2022
  • Submission Guidelines
  • Blog
    • Art
    • Artist Profiles
    • Best Of
      • Gaming Corner
    • Film and Theatre
      • The Acting Side
    • Inspiration for All
    • Poetry
    • Reviews
      • Book Reviews – Fiction
      • Book Reviews – Nonfiction
      • Film Reviews
      • Tea Reviews
    • Resources
      • NaNoWriMo
      • Writing Prompts
      • Books for Writers
    • Round Ups
    • Series
      • Fitness for Creatives
      • My Favorite Things
      • Positivity Corner
      • Writing Memories
      • Things I Wish I’d Said
    • Travel
      • Literary Travel
  • Contact
  • Resources for Creatives
    • Presses Taking Unsolicited Submissions – No Agent Necessary
            No results See all results
            ✕
                      No results See all results

                      Positivity Corner: Waterfall Bathing in Prony Bay, New Caledonia

                      Published by Meredith Stephens at January 22, 2023
                      Categories
                      • Blog
                      • Positivity Corner
                      Tags
                      • challenging self
                      • positivity
                      • sailing
                      • waterfall bathing
                      sailboat view of water and waterfall

                      “Image credit: Meredith Stephens”

                      Moving around the deck of the sailboat in calm waters was as much as I wanted to do. The rest of the crew would dive into the waters from the stern, and I would remain on board taking photos of them. I did feel envious watching them enjoy themselves in the water. It was just that I hadn’t swum in the sea since I was a teenager and I had lost confidence.

                      One morning, from my bed in the cabin I could hear voices in the saloon. As usual, the rest of the crew was up before me. I could hear water pounding the surface of the sea and glimpsed out of the hatch to see a waterfall on the shore. The next minute the skipper, Alex, was calling to me.

                      “Do you want to come and wash your hair in the waterfall?” 

                      “No, You go ahead. I will take a photo of you from here.”

                      “Come on! You’re going to love it!”

                      I donned my swimsuit and aqua shoes and clambered into the dinghy with the rest of the crew. Alex motored one hundred metres to the pebbly shore. The rest of the crew walked over to the pelting waterfall and let the jets of water shoot over their bodies. 

                      Alex handed me the shampoo and urged me to take advantage of the torrent. I bravely walked under the insistent stream as it hurtled itself on top of my head. Then I bent over and let the stream pound the nape of my neck. The force of the water was overwhelming, but just as I was getting used to it I heard my name called. Unlike the rest of the crew, I have a mop of hair that nearly reaches to my waist, and shampooing cannot be done perfunctorily.

                      “Merri, we’re heading back now! A wave has just surged into the dinghy.”

                      I reluctantly left the fresh ions of the waterfall and turned back to the dinghy, proud that I had finally joined the others rather than passively observing them from the deck.

                      “Has anyone seen my go-pro underwater camera? It’s been washed out of the dinghy.”

                      We all scanned the pebbles surrounding the dinghy. We pushed it aside to see if the camera had slipped underneath. Then we kept searching in front of the dinghy where the waves were thrashing themselves onto the shore. Then Alex slipped his hand beneath the water as the water receded and triumphantly lifted the camera to safety.

                      We powered back to the boat and clambered aboard, departing just before the tide rose to claim our beach.


                      Looking for more? Check out these offerings from the MockingOwl Roost contributors and staff.

                      • Writing Theology Papers
                      • Christmas Traditions
                      • Running Into Holiday Tradition: Jingle Bell Runs
                      Meredith Stephens
                      + posts
                        This author does not have any more posts.

                      Related posts

                      floral poetry book cover

                      Book cover image from Bookshop.org

                      February 1, 2023

                      Book Review: Pastoral Suite


                      Read more
                      green tinted country path with trees over hanging

                      Image created onCanva

                      February 1, 2023

                      The Lull


                      Read more
                      black and gold award

                      Image created onCanva

                      January 31, 2023

                      Adjectives Aren’t Everything


                      Read more

                      1 Comment

                      1. Rachel Baverstock says:
                        January 23, 2023 at 4:33 am

                        Really enjoyed the waterfall story. It would be quite an experience to wash your hair under the force of the water. Quite refreshing I imagine.

                        Reply

                      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

                      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

                      "If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."

                      Toni Morrison

                      Archives

                      • February 2023
                      • January 2023
                      • December 2022
                      • November 2022
                      • October 2022
                      • September 2022
                      • August 2022
                      • July 2022
                      • June 2022
                      • May 2022
                      • April 2022
                      • March 2022
                      • February 2022
                      • January 2022
                      • December 2021
                      • November 2021
                      • October 2021
                      • September 2021
                      • August 2021
                      • July 2021
                      • June 2021
                      • May 2021
                      • April 2021
                      • March 2021
                      • February 2021
                      • January 2021

                      Newsletter Signup Form

                      Newsletter Signup Form
                      © 2021 The MockingOwl Roost.

                      All Rights Reserved