Are you a beach person?

People ask me this question every once in a while. I'm sure you get it, too. I'm never sure how to answer, since for me, it isn't that simple.

Maybe it's because I'm an aquarius or maybe it's just me, but I love being near the water. Not a murky swamp, mind you, but give me anything remotely blue, and I'm ready to stare at it for hours. That's especially true for the ocean. Throw in a sunrise or sunset, and I'm all over it.

Here's one of the many photos I've taken of the sunrise from my in-law's condo in Florida. The photos never do it justice.

When you throw in the waves crashing on the shore and the scent of salt in the air. Perfection.

Except for one very important thing...the sand. The sand somehow ruins my beach experience. It's often hot. I don't like the feel of it between my toes, and I certainly don't like it when those tiny grains find their way to other places where they most definitely do not belong.

There are truly some very scary things out there. Once while visiting my in-laws, I was watching my girls swim near the shore. They were only about knee-deep in the water, which was a very good thing since a couple walking on the beach stopped and told me that sharks were swimming nearby. Yes, sharks. It wasn't like in the movies with dorsal fins circling, but when I looked out past the breaking waves, I could see a disturbance in the water. Apparently that meant sharks were feeding there. Who knew? Of course I got my daughters to shore right away, but they do bring up that great "Mom of the Year" moment every once in a while.

What's underneath the surface can be frightening, but it can also be beautiful. I was fortunate enough to go snorkeling earlier this summer in the Bahamas. From above the water looked just like it always does. There was no hint of the life underneath. As soon as we put our heads in the water, it was like a different world.

Brightly colored tropical fish were everywhere. At one point, a school of them swam toward me and then around me. It was breathtaking. For me, at least. A few seconds later there was a scream. The other family with us did not think the moment was a lovely as I did. Here's a shot of me from that day. I was very happy to be near that gorgeous water.

Basically, if I don't have to go near the sand, I'm happy. Aunt Betsy, a character in my new book, Tide of Deceit, lives on the ninth floor of a condo building that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. The views from her windows are incredible. That's the kind of beach person I'd like to be. Close but not too close. I'd love to have this kind of view of the ocean on a daily basis.