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Category Archives: beach

Another Day, Another Beach

Maybe it’s because we live in the mountains that we are drawn to beaches. We looked around for dog-friendly beaches on the trip and were pleased to find lots of places for them to run. This one at McKerricher State Park in California had a long open section in between two closed sections – one because the seals and sea lions hauled out on the rocks and at the other end was a nesting area for an endangered plover. We were there at an exceptionally low tide and saw a fellow out harvesting mussels. Yumm!

Anemones exposed by the low tide
Lots of mussels
Lots of tidepools to explore
Mussels and gooseneck barnacles
Gooseneck barnacles
Sea anemone
Golden beach
Black Oystercatcher
Mussels
Luna went right up to the sign before being called back.

Surf’s Up

Meanwhile, I’ve barely made a dent in the photos from our road trip.

We enjoyed watching surfers playing at Sand Dollar Beach. The weather was so perfect and the water so clear and blue. It looks quite different from the Pacific on the coast of Washington. We went to the beach in the morning before the crowds arrived and again in the evening for sunset. Most folks were there in the heat of the day. When we left late in the morning there was a steady stream of folks walking down the steep stairs to the beach.

Morning on the beach
Playing at the edge of the surf
Nearly midday
Approaching sunset
Evening surfers waiting for waves

Scenes from Sand Dollar Beach

We had really good weather for most of this trip. And low tides too. These things made it hard to leave the beach. It’s always fun to explore a beach and see what’s been deposited by the tides. This beach has nearly no driftwood, making it hard to find a stick for Sky. She used the same stick for three days!

Kelp
Do you know what these are? Several of them were left by the tide.
They did not seem to move on their own.
They were nearly transparent.
Nice to see small sand dollars at Sand Dollar Beach.
Anemone
Former barnacles
Stairs to the beach

Dogs on the Beach

How much fun did the dogs have on the beach? As long we were out there, the fun never ended for them. Sky could go longer than we could throw sticks. Luna would take it easy from time to time. Sand Dollar Beach provided a great place for dogs to run. We went out early in the day before the majority of the surfers and sun lovers made their way down the stairs. This is just a small sampling of dog fun.

Good Times at the Beach

Last week the dogs and I drove across the state and met Ken for a few days of razor clam digging. He’d been working on the Olympic Peninsula and the timing was good for a clam season. These seasons happen about once a month between November and April on the Washington coast. In addition to clam digging there was lots of other fun on the beach. Ken fished for surf perch. His brother joined us for one night. Our friend Mary Ann and her dog Frida and her friend Linda spent two nights there. The dogs loved running and chasing balls on the beach. Sky became seriously addicted to the ‘chuck it’ toy. We had some seriously good weather for February and some normal overcast and rainy weather too.

With three feet of snow on the ground at home, these crocuses were a welcome sight.
The view from our room
One of many creeks that pour into the ocean
We had some really good weather
Clammers at sunset
Bull kelp
Bull kelp
Northwest Crow
Surf perch
Sky is more interested in her ball than the fish
A stringer of surf perch
Luna wonders why Ken won’t throw the ball for her
A flock of peeps
Fishing for surf perch in the rain