A Winter Walk ~ February Thaw

Hi! It's the February Thaw, tah-dah, winter's version of "Indian Summer".

Oh what a difference a week makes. Many of us went from single digit temps to this week's balmy almost-60 degrees. Yesterday I  set aside projects and housework and headed down to the beach to see what was going on.

It takes a true beach lover to discern beauty in this wintry landscape. The high winds last week brought down many of the beautiful tall beach grasses and sent the birds off and away to more hospitable areas. It's hard to find color or beauty but there is peace and calm instead. [sort of...]

Even the sand is ugly, marred by footprints and the deep gouges from the trucks' tires, that black line on the horizon.

On the boardwalk, I looked down as always...

...seeing the tiny tracks of the hidden residents of the dune.

Amusing how they follow our man made path.

Up close there are beautiful patterns, berries and weeds to admire.

The red berry and single thin grass stem centered themselves and drew this perfect circle.

But then as I approached the open beach, ahead loomed the huge work trucks.

They are so big and loud and scary. I  know they are doing good work, but I kinda hate them. The winter peace of my beach is mauled and shattered, starting dawn, through til late afternoon.

They've made themselves quite the little city out here: porta-potties, office trailers, a wind break truck, massive stacks of supplies, and SUVs galore.

The big trucks have created, uncaring, a deeply dug and ugly highway in the empty winter sand.

The ruts are deep and wide, and for me, with my sometimes hip pain it was hard to step down into the knee deep ruts then climb back up--again and again. Or--jump over, step over? Hahaha. It was too big a workout for me, I admit. I was very exhausted by the time I reached water's edge, had a brief panicked moment, could I manage the walk back home?

I stood and studied the waves, regrouping.

This is nice, isn't it.

So far the truck invasion has not damaged the ocean itself.

The shoreline is very barren, though.

Only a few bits came home in my pockets.

An angel wing shell, a red berry, and a washer for my oh-so-weird washer collection.

This collection is new and eccentric in an unattractively hoarder sort of way, I admit.

So strange, but starting at Christmas, every day when I walked Mo, I'd find a washer or a lugnut or a weird metal piece. I couldn't resist, I'd bring them home. Finally I started threading them onto an old piece of chain. There's one on the dunes that I can't reach, but it's painted bright turquoise. I can see it! I want it.

Found objects. Coin of the realm.

Do you find odd small objects? Do you bring them home? I passed up this treasure trove, below. Four big sturdy bushel [5 bushel?] baskets. They were waterlogged and too heavy for me to carry. The bases are wonderfully useful round wooden disks, 5/8" pine.

Once scrubbed and dried for months I use them for artwork and to cover my large  bowls of herbs.

Later Mo and I enjoyed the ''warm'' day.

We found, despite the 5* days, that the daffodils are bravely peeking out about 2 " already! So hopeful.

Indoor paper whites, after one week:

love


lizzy


gone to the beach...

 ***these photos were taken by a neighbor who I do not know and published on a local website. It seems our beach is graced with a snowy owl! I'm surprised because of the truck havoc. And I would dearly love to see the owl in real life.

Photos by MK.