I enjoy being near water. Not on it. Certainly not in it. But near it. The smell of it, the motion of it, the sight of it can be quite intriguing. But there are always reminders that it's a hostile environment, even when it looks benign.

This post would once have been proudly painted white to protect it from the effects of sea and spray, yet that protection has worn off exposing the underlying texture of the wood. That texture will in turn start to disintegrate over time, from the bottom up.

In this sense, this image is indeed representative of the generic waterfront.