Cindy and her parents live near the beach with Cindy’s dog, Nick. Cindy’s father is a bank manager. Her mother is an artist. Cindy’s mother likes to paint pictures of the ocean when the weather is stormy.
During the school year, Cindy doesn’t have time to play with Nick except on weekends. But when summer time comes, Cindy has a long holiday from school. She takes Nick to the beach every day.
Sometimes Cindy and Nick run along the edge of the water. Nick barks loudly because he is happy to be out in the sun with Cindy. His tail wags as he chases the sand crabs, but the crabs are too fast for him. They bury themselves in the sand before he can catch them. Sand crabs are small. Cindy can hold one in the palm of her hand but she has to be careful because they bite.
Nick loves to play with Cindy on the beach and go swimming in the ocean. Cindy is a strong swimmer but swimming in the ocean is different from being in a pool. The water in a pool becomes still when no one is swimming or splashing. But water in the ocean is never still. It is always moving, even when the waves look calm.
One of Nick’s favourite games is water Frisbee. Cindy throws the Frisbee so that it glides along the top of the water. Nick swims into the waves and brings it back. Each time he brings the Frisbee back to Cindy, he shakes the water out of his fur. Drops of water fly everywhere. Cindy throws the Frisbee close to the shore line because rip tides and other currents can pull Nick out to the open sea, and that could be dangerous.
Rip tides are just below the surface of the water. When the weather gets stormy, the waves get bigger and rip tides get stronger. Rip tides remind Cindy of water draining from the bath tub when she removes the plug. Sometimes she puts her toes near the drain to feel the pull of the water.
Today, the sky has grey clouds, but for now the water looks safe to swim in and play Frisbee. Cindy’s mother decides she wants to paint a picture of Cindy and Nick in the ocean. She packs her portable easel with a fresh canvas and some paints and brushes.
When she arrives at the beach, Cindy's mother squeezes different paint colours around the edge of her palette. She mixes blues, greys and greens with purples and black to paint the sky and the ocean. She uses white paint for the crest of the waves and the foam that stays on the sand when the waves break against the shore. Not all the clouds are dark, so she adds a touch of white to the sky. When the sky is blue the sand is the color of bright gold, but today the sand looks grey, like the clouds.
Cindy puts a life jacket on Nick and wears one herself. Wearing a life jacket is a condition Cindy’s parents have made Cindy promise to follow when storm clouds cover the sky. Today, Nick’s jacket will save his life, but Nick and Cindy don’t know that yet.
Cindy throws the Frisbee and Nick jumps into the water. He swims back to the shore with the Frisbee in his mouth and drops it by her feet. Cindy throws it for him again, and then a third time. Nick swims after the Frisbee. Suddenly, he gets caught in a rip tide.
Cindy grabs Nick’s leash, which is lying on the sand and wades into the water. Nick is barking loudly, but it is not his happy bark. He is scared. The tide is pulling him farther and farther from the shore. Nick can see Cindy coming to rescue him and he struggles to meet her. But the more he struggles the more the rip tide pulls him out to sea. Cindy's mother hears Nick's bark and sees Cindy in the water. She calls out to her to wait, but Cindy is already swimming toward Nick.
Cindy knows the rip tide could pull her out to the ocean as well if she is not careful. So she stays calm, even though she feels her stomach churning like the waves. She swims as fast as she can toward Nick. It is not easy to hold on to Nick's leash and swim at the same time, but Cindy knows that without it she will not be able to bring him safely back to the shore. When she reaches Nick, Cindy hooks his leash onto the life jacket and pulls him along the line of the shore until they are out of the current and the water feels safe again.
Cindy’s mother gets to the edge of the water as Cindy and Nick step onto the sand. She hugs both of them. Nick shakes himself to get the water out of his fur. Cindy’s mother wraps Cindy in a towel and pours some hot sweet tea from a thermos. Then she removes Nick's life jacket and rubs him down with a towel while Cindy drinks her tea.
“That’s enough adventure for one day,” Cindy’s mother says. “I think I’ll finish my painting at home, after I get you and Nick dry and warm.” She packs up her painting and paints and walks back to the house with Cindy. Nick walks in front of them. Every few steps he looks back to make sure Cindy and her mom are following.
When they get home, Cindy takes a hot bath while her mother lights a fire in the living room fireplace. Then she makes a bowl of thick soup for Cindy and gives Nick a tasty snack.
After lunch, Nick lies by the fire and dreams of rip tides. His legs twitch and his whiskers tremble. Cindy’s mother goes to her studio to finish her painting and Cindy records Nick's ocean adventure in her journal.
Cindy's father has had quite a day, too. The bank where he works was robbed. The thieves stole a lot of money and jewels. The police have asked Cindy’s father to help solve the crime. But that’s another story for another time.
Coming soon
Cindy and Nick build a Snowman
Cindy and Nick rescue Misha
Cindy and Nick on the Ice
Cindy and Nick find the Loot
