I purchased some delicious, fresh tuna in Charleston on Saturday when we went to Sunset Beach for the afternoon. I was excited to grill some of it and make fish tacos. I grilled it up with some garlic, olive oil, basil, a little salt and pepper. They were thick tuna steaks and cooked up on the grill so beautifully. A nice char on the outside and soft, tender and flaky inside. yum! I fried some corn tortillas for chips and taco shells and grated Monterey Jack cheese over the tops. Add a little spicy salsa and we had a great meal. The evening was warm and peaceful – perfect for dining al fresco. The sun had already gone down so we turned on our deck lights and added a couple of candles to the outdoor patio table. I love the twinkle of the deck lights wrapped through the railing and the flicker of the candles made enough light to see what we were eating. Eating outdoors has always been my favorite way to eat. Food just tastes better outdoors. Maybe it’s something about breathing in the fresh air as the food goes into my mouth. After we were finished eating, we sat out and talked for a bit under the stars. We blew out the candles so that we could see them better. Am I the only one who loves the smell of a blown out candle? The smell of the hot wax? Suddenly, we heard a loud SPLASH in the water! At first it wasn’t very startling. There are birds and frogs and fish that splash often in the evenings in the water. Then, in unison, we looked at each other as we realized that it was no ordinary splashing. It sounded like a human-sized-something (or larger) swimming towards the shore. We sat in silence, listening for clues of what might be out there in the dark. The splashes got closer and closer until the beast was on shore. Surprisingly, we could hear it (whatever *it* was) BREATHING loudly. Every labored breath sent chills down our backs. wih… huuhh… wih… huuhh… wih… huhhh I finally asked out loud “What is that?!” Dennis shook his head. He had no idea either. He walked quietly inside and got a flashlight. While he was gone, I continued to hear the beast’s breath get slower, however still amplified over the whole cove. The crack and creak of breaking branches began and continued up the hillside. Dennis returned and lit up the cove with his flashlight. We didn’t spot a single living thing out there. I have a feeling it was gone out of sight before he returned. We contemplated what could have been out there in the water. We told ourselves that it was most likely a bear coming down for a drink or a snack of fresh fish or a quick bath. Although I could not help thinking that it might have been a Sasquatch. It sounded BIG… even tall, somehow. We decided it was time to go inside. Gathering up our plates and leftovers, we walked across the deck back inside. I trailed behind Dennis a moment and as I walked past the hillside where I heard the branches breaking, I called out “Goodnight Sasquatch”. Was it a Sasquatch or was it a bear? You decide…
