Introduction to the beach

view towards mainland mountains

This blog is about a beach.  It’s a 2 kilo-meter stretch of sand and rocks along the ocean.  It starts at a protected river estuary, runs past a rural settlement and along the edge of a forest then forms a flat curving bay where the land is covered with grasses and low growing vegetation.  The forest and bay area are parkland.

The beach is on the west side of an island facing the mainland so it is somewhat protected.  Here the ocean floor is relatively flat with large but shifting sand bars that are exposed at low tide to create miniature aquariums or swimming pools that are attractive to small children and dogs.

The park is a favourite with campers.  The summer months belong to families with small children.  In the spring and fall older adults and retirees take over the campsites.  The winter months are for the hardy few who enjoy rain and the more ardent bird watchers.

Like all natural phenomena, the beach is subject to cycles.  It has a short term cycle that follows the seasons and much of this blog will look at the short term cycle.  It also has a long term cycle that isn’t always so easy to discern but there are clues if you look for them.

The vast majority of people who come here treat nature with respect but they still leave behind traces of their activities.  There is some human need to make a mark where ever you go.  The blog will look at how that plays out on the beach.

January in the fog

There isn't much to see on a foggy January morning.  The atmosphere suggests whispers, hidden secrets and ghostly beings.  A group of ducks are feeding in the shallows.  You might be able to imagine them in the photograph.  A loon is calling out there on the water. An eagle comes out of the fog to settle on a dead tree and a pair of gulls glide towards land.  High overhead some Canada geese are making their way eastward.

Welcome to the beach