The Velvet Strand, Portmarnock (Port Mearnóg; near Dublin; Ireland; early February 2013): A chilling wind cuts through however many layers of cloth; it carries the salty tang of the Irish Sea to the East. A gentle tide swirls around our boots on the miles of strand stretching towards Howth Peninsula to the South (an enchanting patch of Earth, looking not unlike Iberia, just flopped over to the right). Bird droppings and flotsam cover the fields of boulders protecting the dunes at the high water line, unruly tufts of grass unyiedlingly guarding the shore.

For a slightly different, less contrasty rendering, see "Braving the elements (Alternate take)" on this page.