Alexander considers the remnants of his towers after the waves have washed away most of his work.
Most of the hard labour is complete at this point. I have been working for several hours. Everyone else on the beach thinks I'm insane: sweating, digging and shoveling sand.
The first waves of a neap tide are filling up the moat. Some of my towers have already fallen as I have pushed the design limitation of my building material. Alex has a carving tool in his hand and a grin on his face.
The beasties work furiously on the their towers as the waves close in on the castle. The moat has been flattened and the bottom half of the castle has already washed away.
A surge of water surrounds the castle.
I have poured myself a vodka tonic at this point. The kids have decided which tower they are living in - there is always a competition at the end to see which tower will last the longest. We are watching the slow destruction of our work. Many people stop to ask questions, admire the work, take pictures and comment on the design.