Happier times at Silver Point Beach Club

Officials aren't sure whether lightning or an electrical short caused the fire at the Silver Point Beach Club in Atlantic Beach that destroyed 12 cabanas. The club during happier times is described in an essay by Karen Falk in "Chicken Soup for the Beach Lover's Soul."

Here's a taste:

"When I close my eyes and concentrate, I can see, hear, feel and taste the Silver Point Beach Club. I imagine looking out onto the ocean from the railings of the stilts. I see the seagulls zigzagging over the garbage cans. I see the heavy green doors of the cabana. I look where the sand ends and the water starts. I see the umbrellas and chairs. I hear the waves crashing and people laughing. I smell the salt in the air and feel it on my skin. I feel almost four again, dragging my feet through the sand to leave my train, twisting my body back and forth, and thinking of how good it feels to be part of a family, how good it feels to be loved."

The book was made available via Google Books.

Photo: Chicken Soup for the Beach Lover's Soul cover/Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing/$10.17.