I wiped away the weeds & foam. / I fetched my sea-born treasures home... Ralph Waldo Emerson







Monday, November 17, 2014

Sweeping Out the Cobwebs in my Mind








Hi! Time to get away from the sewing machine and the fall cleaning.Time to blow away the cobwebs in my mind instead. We're expecting rain and gale winds this week, so today is the day for a November beach walk.



In the crisp calm sunshine the tiny bird tracks beckon. What are they? What are they looking for?

 
 




Do the tiny migrating birds eat seeds hidden in these fluffy weeds?

 
 



It seems one of the wild cats/ feral cats is tracking the bird!



These are rather big tracks, maybe a rock dove or mouring dove. They're common in the dunes this time of year.



And what is this odd thing?



It looks like a manhole cover! It's huge, maybe two or three feet across. Imagine that washing up on the beach! I'd hate to meet up with it while swimming. Clonk!

Or maybe it washed off this second odd ring?


An old cistern or septic tank? Or a Nike missile tunnel!? Once upon a time this area was a Nike missile base, or so our local legends tell us.



It seems to be dated 196[9]?...(on right section)

 
 
 


The ripening dune grass makes me think of moors in Scotland.



These are the weird manmade dunes that were built last spring. This project cost millions of dollars and involved tons of sand. They are filling holes in the dune complex, holes created by H Sandy, two years ago now.



We are told not to climb on them (looking for treasure! The sand was siphoned out of the ocean bed offshore!)...because they are perhaps less stable than natural dunes. So intriguing though as each windstorm rounds their tops and exposes more shells and junk.



This is an ancient treasure, a giant tree trunk, squared and flattened for use as ---something. A ship's keel, a wharf flat?



This is a quarter section of the tree. See how small my hat looks?



This section is at least 24" thick, imagine what a giant tree this once was! This driftwood has been here as long as I have lived here, sometimes buried, sometimes exposed.


In front of the driftwood log is an old dump or midden. When the wind blows the sand aside, seaglass and odd metal bits appear. It's ugly but potentially a good place for ''finds''.



If I need some rusty wire or weathered rope for a project, I know I'll find it here, along with big old nails and bolts the size of cigars, and giant rings like washers, as big as bangle bracelets. Whole, intact seaglass bottles too. Strange.....



This is my favorite beach path.



It's so hidden and silent, only I know it's here.



But this year someone official found it and blocked it off. The fences make beautiful patterns, but the climb is soft and, again, not too stable. Some days I can't resist and I sneak over the dunes on explore.



Here I am, in my shorts. I usually wear shorts til December. But this year, who knows?


 

Coning home for a well-deserved cup of tea, I see Mr. Mockingbird in the ugly locust tree! I am thrilled to see him again. I'll add dried blueberries to this week's shopping list, just for him.



Back to work! Today's projects are sorting family paperwork and sewing the Sawtooth stars for Flags. Have a great week! Stay warm!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...