Wind and rain, bark and bone. Sounds like the start of a spell, but it’s a small list of the gritty and grainy outdoor life we’ve been experiencing the past little while.
I was lucky enough to find an extra hour on the beach last week. A meeting finished earlier than expected, and there wasn’t enough time left in the day to get back and start something new – if I drove really slowly, and I never rush in the Jeep…
The wind was blasting down the beach, from north to south, and provided a real push in the back as I headed out. In a positive frame of mind, I likened it to a helping hand. Sand snakes were racing past me, long writhing ribbons that I couldn’t keep pace with.
A few hardy kite surfers were performing tricks in the surf, traveling scarily fast and leaping up into the air. Holding onto my hat, I stopped to watch them, admiring the skill and choreography as they appeared to narrowly avoid colliding with each other. A tip of the hat there, not that they could see. It was too cold to stop for long, and I’d targeted a particular set of rocks as my goal for a there and back trip.
I clambered up on the rocks, and goodness me it was windy up there! I decided not to linger too long, knowing the walk back up the beach was going to be a tad more trying without that helping hand. It really was a bit of an effort, and every now and then an extra strong gust would blow the sand somewhat higher than knee height. My apple snack was a trifle gritty…
I’ve written before about the joys of a few “stolen” moments in a work day, time when you can get outside and enjoy the elements. This was very much the case last week. I wouldn’t choose a big blow as my favourite weather, but I didn’t mind blowing away a few post-committee cobwebs!
The photograph above of Scout on the rocks was taken a few days later, at the rocks I’d headed to earlier in the week, and the day was a good deal calmer. Still windy, but manageable.
Bark and bone? A different weekend day, one where we heard logs crashing into the rocks guarding a small cove. The deep booms were something to hear, as these tree bones were thrown against stone. The tide was dropping, as were the winds, but so close to the end of a fierce blow, we weren’t going to venture down onto the upper sands of the cove. Every now and then a heavier wave would still have enough energy to surge up the beach. Gritty outdoor types we might be, but we weren’t going to risk a sudden foot soaking or worse down on the beach. We’ve got sand, but also plenty of prudence.
The forecast for the coming long weekend looks rather damp. We will aim to get out, no matter the weather, but if trips are shorter, then we’ll have to head indoors, empty the sand from our shoes, and eat a small chocolate egg (or two!)
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
OldPlaidCamper 
Tree bones crashing into ocean stones grittiness… Always a pleasure to read your accounts of beach visitations, Adam, and the clarity of pictures is transcendent.
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Thanks, Walt! As with your delight in the rivertops, everything is better with a spell outside in natural places – and more so on a “work” day…
I hope you’ve had an enjoyable long weekend.
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Seeing those logs tossed up onto the rocks was a very visual reminder that that environment could be quite dangerous at times. Love the veins in the rock that Scout is perched on, and her little lick. Happy Easter, and enjoy the eggs.
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Thanks, Jane! Yes, beautiful but often dangerous if one isn’t paying attention.
I hope you’re enjoying a pleasant long weekend, perhaps with a chocolate egg or two?
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Glad to see you challenging yourself to walk just a little bit past where you might have in challenging weather. Over the last few years when we hear the wind howl and know it’s colder than we like, there’s a pause. We consider…and too often curl up with a book. So, should we be getting out there or just sitting back with a chocolate egg?
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I think the answer lies in getting it just right – enough of a challenge when out and about to thoroughly deserve a chocolate egg (or two) when you head back! Having said that, we’ve kept walks very brief today due to heavy rain, so it’s been good books, coffee, and chocolate this afternoon.
I hope you’ve had a great long weekend!
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Enjoy your chocolate egg or two and I hear they make great snacks on a long walk…much better than a cliff bar.
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Mike, I’ll resort to a cliff bar if there’s nothing else at the bottom of the pack – they taste pretty awful no matter the eat by date, before or long after! Chocolate is a preferred option…
Hope you’re having a good long weekend!
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Beautiful photos and a perfect place to unwind after a meeting and clear those cobwebs!🙂 Loved the Scoured and Sand Snakes photos and the Kite Surfers was a favorite this week (sorry Scout). I cannot believe because of a wild puppy that I missed all of the Everton goals and have forgotten to wear my lucky Maple Leafs jersey. I’ll be wearing it for game 7, so no worries!! Hope you enjoyed your chocolate and the weekend!🙂
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Thank you! If the Leafs fall, I’ll get over it and support the Bruins. Boston was the first US city I ever visited, so I enjoy their hockey success once the Canadian teams are eliminated. And I have to confess to backing the Bruins the year they defeated the Canucks in the final, mostly because I couldn’t stand the humourless-looking Sedin twins.
Did not see Everton getting that win, and I also missed the goals by not bothering to watch the game! I was getting my pre-defeat sulk on. Shows what I know…
I hope the wild puppy allows you some time to follow a couple of good game sevens!
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Absolutely stunning pics, Adam!
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Thanks, Bob! Hope you had a good long weekend.
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Those stolen moments are often the best aren’t they. Rain or shine, cloud or mist why not grab every opportunity. There’s always something by the water that soothes. Love your posts PC, they always transport me and this one is no exception. Beautiful pics too.
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Yes, the stolen moments are the best! Thanks for your kind words here, Miriam – much appreciated!
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Loved the windy trip to the beach, pc. Your descriptions are wonderful, expressing the wind in all its mightiness. Sand snakes, kite surfers. Wind on a sandy beach has many aspects, so powerful that you ate it in your apple. I am always fascinated by the trees that wash up on your beaches, too; loved that photo and the sound of the “deep booms” and your term “tree bones.” Glad you had an extra hour to unwind after work in this windy paradise…thanks for sharing it with us.
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Thanks, Jet! I like the big weather we get out here, but I’m also quite happy right now to be in the midst of some sunny, calm and pleasantly warm days after another big blow. Apples taste better without sand!
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