Beachin’

One day you walk to the beach. Climbing the dunes deeply churned by horses, your quadriceps burn. A break in the mounds of sand reveals her, The Pacific. The roar of the waves grows as you get closer. One last climb and the grand space of the ocean spreads out before you with clouds so thick and low that it’s hard to imagine the horizon. Vacant driftwood forts and giant sand mandalas are left from humans and their creative play. A lone fisherman in waders casts his long line into the water. Cormorants surf the waves like the experts they are. Flocks of snowy plovers run into the retreating waves to dig in bubbling holes for snacks. The air is wet and salty fresh with each deep breath. How close to the tide do you dare stand to see if it will catch you before you can run away? Sitting on a log gazing out, the repetition of waves is mesmerizing and you lose time. The day is gray and misty magical. Looking back, the waves of grasses mirror the water. As you return into the dunes, the roar of the ocean is suddenly hushed and you feel calm protected from the beating wind.

Another day, you venture out in the bright sunshine filled with life. A ginger walk down the cliff stairs covered with scree lands you on the open sand. Shoes are kicked off to dig your toes in the coolness. Closer to the water, the land is filled tiny pebbles worth running your fingers through their smoothness, as you search for beautiful shiny ones and bits of seashell treasure. A little girl squeals when her kite suddenly flies up in the air. “I’m kiting, Grandma, I’m kiting!” Family picnics dot the beach and everyone enjoys playing chicken in the waves. A stroll to the rockier section reveals tide pools. So many tiny wonders in this vast, somewhat violent intertidal zone! Black rocks are encrusted with barnacles and mussels, and starfish are packed around the bottom.  Anemones are almost invisible, covered with tiny pebbles, until you spots the ones under water, their short wiggly arms opened wide and inviting. As you pick your way over rough rocks and into cold shallow water, the bright green grasses and kelp tickle your legs. Red crabs jockey for position in their sideways dance, and crawling shells reveal the hermit crabs underneath. Across the mouth of the river, sea lions lumber over the land or sleekly dive in and out of the waves, while sea gulls line up in profile on the nearby breaker. Your feet, numb from walking in the cold waves, take you back up the narrow cliff trail where you clean them off with the truck towel.

Sunset on the west coast is like nothing else. Some days you time it just right. As the sun is going down, you wait and watch the surf hit the rocks, trying to guess the biggest waves that will create the biggest, most dramatic spray. Then when it dips below the horizon, the clouds are just the right volume to catch the angled rays without choking out the light. The colors reflect on the wet shore where tides roll out. You feel like you’ve wandered into another world. A couple and their old dog finish a dinner picnic nearby.  Glassy jellyfish wait to be carried back to the sea. You take many photos, but it can’t quite communicate the feeling of being there. When the show ends, you are happy to be bundled up in a fuzzy hat and windbreaker to walk back to the truck in twilight. You’re the last ones there, but you know someone else enjoyed those views somewhere else along the coast, which brings a smile.

We are adoring living near so many beaches. Unlike the balmy, swim beaches of the south, this northern coast is so very rugged and dynamic to us. Each location seems to have such a unique personality. And the weather and life make every visit totally different. Many happy returns to soak the ambience in!