Duck! (Part 2)
Aug. 13th, 2002 01:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidThe vacation continues...
I slept in again (luxury of luxuries), then ended up doing some reading of Harry Potter to the younger cousins.
I finally got myself moving, going out for a long walk on the beach. I have no idea how far I went, because my usual cues for distance/time don't work, between everything looking approximately the same and me beachcombing. I headed south, since that edge of the neighborhood was closer, and realized that I did want to take some shells, but had brought no bag. However, I did have my water shoes, which I'd taken off, to better enjoy the walk, so I ended up with two half shoefuls of beach treasure. This included some nice shells, interestingly worn small rocks, some pieces of beach glass ("white" as well as green), some small translucent rocks, and a half a sand dollar (sand fifty cents? sand four bits?). I watched the birds, the sandpipers darting towards the retreating waves to dig at something (they don't move their necks like pigeons do when they walk), the pelicans flying in small groups north (I didn't see one on the ground the whole trip), the everpresent seagulls. I watched the waves, noticing how the water returned to the sea, then the shadow of the water retreated under the sand, echoes of the waves ebbing from the sand below. I don't know why some stretches of the beach had areas of shells in the process of becoming sand, while others just had a few shells here and there; currents or tides or something, I suppose. It was good to be out alone, able to look and think and not pay attention to other people.
Back to the house for a lzay afternoon of food prep, book reading, a nap. Later, the surf was higher (the moon getting towards new compounded by the winds from some far enough away weather system), and I went back to the beach, watching the higher waves crash into the beach. Some people had built sand walls, but in the hour or so I was there, they were breached. The wind was stiff enough that birds were not making headway if they headed into it. Sand crabs of all sizes, from an inch to almost a foot wide, were scuttling away from the waves. I'd never watched a crab move before; it was fascinating to see their sideways movement, and the tracks it leaves in the sand. I saw how their black eyes would go up and swivel around, and how they could bury themselves in the sand, looking like they were moving vertically down in the process. Quite interesting. At times it felt like we were blocking their path to the water, so that they'd go higher; my cousin said we were crab herding....
Back at the house, I lay in the hammock, the first time I think I've managed that without falling out (it was a rather wide hammock). I didn't stay long, with the wind making it rather chilly.
Off to the dinner event, bearing crocheting and camera. I worked on yet another bag (I ended up making 4 good-sized ones for me, and 2 tiny ones for two cousins), and was surprised at how much notice was taken of my crocheting. Later I joined the photo brigade as everyone posed. Someone wanted a picture of all the "natural born Bakers," which I said sounded like a movie... I don't think those pictures will come out so well; crowds of people don't, usually, at least for me. I tried, though. Someone had an old photo of a family reunion from the 50s, and people were trying to identify the people (much more formally dressed than we were!).
I finally managed to get up early, dashing out of bed as soon as I realized the time, lest I waste my chance. I dashed out to the beach (with my camera), taking pictures of the sun rising behind a bank of clouds. It was still windy, with reasonably high waves (the wind was strong enough that the foam left by retreating waves was blown along.). The beach was covered in sand crab tracks (I was pleased at recognizing them). I was surprised to find a number of clear jellyfish stranded on the beach, each a clear, smooth, powderpuff sort of shape, gleaming when the sun touched it. I walked a fair way, taking pictures, then, as I was photographing a ladybug, a stray wave came up and doused me pretty well. I headed for the first boardwalk back to the road, then made my way back to the house. There were boys flying kites; a lot of people were taking advantage of the sea breezes; I saw kites most days.
Salad prep in the afternoon, using a humungoid bowl (salad for 30+ is hard to estimate). It came out reasonably well: I got lots of compliments on it. Dinner was quieter; I think people had had enough, or were tired. Dessert featured a cake celebrating the 2nd anniversary of a second cousin's wedding.
The other excitement of the evening was seeing smoke coming from behind another house. We called the fire department, and it had already been called in: someone had been setting off fireworks in their yard, and a live ember had landed in some brush nearby, igniting it. I'd seen remains of fireworks on the beach, but hadn't thought someone would set them off by a house... Yes, fireworks are legal there (odd for me, having always lived in Massachusetts, land of firework illegality), but one would hope people would use common sense. I assume incidents like this were why they were outlawed in the first place.
Oh, yes: earlier I'd introduced my younger cousins to "Aquarius," and they took to it: I heard a comment to the effect of "best game ever!" They didn't much like the shuffling of goals, and started making permutations to not use some of the cards. I decided to gift them with it, after checking with their dad. I think he was happy they'd been distracted from the Pokemon Monopoly they'd been playing...
I slept in again (luxury of luxuries), then ended up doing some reading of Harry Potter to the younger cousins.
I finally got myself moving, going out for a long walk on the beach. I have no idea how far I went, because my usual cues for distance/time don't work, between everything looking approximately the same and me beachcombing. I headed south, since that edge of the neighborhood was closer, and realized that I did want to take some shells, but had brought no bag. However, I did have my water shoes, which I'd taken off, to better enjoy the walk, so I ended up with two half shoefuls of beach treasure. This included some nice shells, interestingly worn small rocks, some pieces of beach glass ("white" as well as green), some small translucent rocks, and a half a sand dollar (sand fifty cents? sand four bits?). I watched the birds, the sandpipers darting towards the retreating waves to dig at something (they don't move their necks like pigeons do when they walk), the pelicans flying in small groups north (I didn't see one on the ground the whole trip), the everpresent seagulls. I watched the waves, noticing how the water returned to the sea, then the shadow of the water retreated under the sand, echoes of the waves ebbing from the sand below. I don't know why some stretches of the beach had areas of shells in the process of becoming sand, while others just had a few shells here and there; currents or tides or something, I suppose. It was good to be out alone, able to look and think and not pay attention to other people.
Back to the house for a lzay afternoon of food prep, book reading, a nap. Later, the surf was higher (the moon getting towards new compounded by the winds from some far enough away weather system), and I went back to the beach, watching the higher waves crash into the beach. Some people had built sand walls, but in the hour or so I was there, they were breached. The wind was stiff enough that birds were not making headway if they headed into it. Sand crabs of all sizes, from an inch to almost a foot wide, were scuttling away from the waves. I'd never watched a crab move before; it was fascinating to see their sideways movement, and the tracks it leaves in the sand. I saw how their black eyes would go up and swivel around, and how they could bury themselves in the sand, looking like they were moving vertically down in the process. Quite interesting. At times it felt like we were blocking their path to the water, so that they'd go higher; my cousin said we were crab herding....
Back at the house, I lay in the hammock, the first time I think I've managed that without falling out (it was a rather wide hammock). I didn't stay long, with the wind making it rather chilly.
Off to the dinner event, bearing crocheting and camera. I worked on yet another bag (I ended up making 4 good-sized ones for me, and 2 tiny ones for two cousins), and was surprised at how much notice was taken of my crocheting. Later I joined the photo brigade as everyone posed. Someone wanted a picture of all the "natural born Bakers," which I said sounded like a movie... I don't think those pictures will come out so well; crowds of people don't, usually, at least for me. I tried, though. Someone had an old photo of a family reunion from the 50s, and people were trying to identify the people (much more formally dressed than we were!).
I finally managed to get up early, dashing out of bed as soon as I realized the time, lest I waste my chance. I dashed out to the beach (with my camera), taking pictures of the sun rising behind a bank of clouds. It was still windy, with reasonably high waves (the wind was strong enough that the foam left by retreating waves was blown along.). The beach was covered in sand crab tracks (I was pleased at recognizing them). I was surprised to find a number of clear jellyfish stranded on the beach, each a clear, smooth, powderpuff sort of shape, gleaming when the sun touched it. I walked a fair way, taking pictures, then, as I was photographing a ladybug, a stray wave came up and doused me pretty well. I headed for the first boardwalk back to the road, then made my way back to the house. There were boys flying kites; a lot of people were taking advantage of the sea breezes; I saw kites most days.
Salad prep in the afternoon, using a humungoid bowl (salad for 30+ is hard to estimate). It came out reasonably well: I got lots of compliments on it. Dinner was quieter; I think people had had enough, or were tired. Dessert featured a cake celebrating the 2nd anniversary of a second cousin's wedding.
The other excitement of the evening was seeing smoke coming from behind another house. We called the fire department, and it had already been called in: someone had been setting off fireworks in their yard, and a live ember had landed in some brush nearby, igniting it. I'd seen remains of fireworks on the beach, but hadn't thought someone would set them off by a house... Yes, fireworks are legal there (odd for me, having always lived in Massachusetts, land of firework illegality), but one would hope people would use common sense. I assume incidents like this were why they were outlawed in the first place.
Oh, yes: earlier I'd introduced my younger cousins to "Aquarius," and they took to it: I heard a comment to the effect of "best game ever!" They didn't much like the shuffling of goals, and started making permutations to not use some of the cards. I decided to gift them with it, after checking with their dad. I think he was happy they'd been distracted from the Pokemon Monopoly they'd been playing...
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no subject
Date: 2002-08-13 06:38 pm (UTC)Sand dollars
Date: 2002-08-14 06:51 am (UTC)I wonder why it became known as a "dollar," though: were they used as currency one time or something?
Re: Sand dollars
Date: 2002-08-14 10:43 am (UTC)