Another thing I learned from living on the island is how dramatically the composition of the beach can change.
For example, I once assumed beaches had a static sand to shell ratio that was determined solely by locale. Now, I realize how dynamic the shore can be.
Some days, the sand is relatively clear of all manner of debris. This is a typical look for our beach.
Yet, over the course of a few hours or a few days, this can drastically change. Often, for instance, the shore is scattered with small shells, like these.
On occasion, we wake up to a particular type of shell deposit. On Valentine’s Day four years ago, I think, my husband stepped out onto the beach for his morning run, and there were at least two dozen conch shells, right in front of our house. These are a few of the shells he found.
Lately, we’ve had lots of driftwood washing up, more than I’ve ever seen before. The boys love using the pieces for all sorts of things, from weapons to figurines. Last Sunday, our neighbor gave them a piece that I believe is predestined to become a slingshot.
Then, there are the less common wash-ups, like this.
Finally, there are the anomalies. I’ve seen everything from natural, living things to decidedly unnatural things, like shoes and tires.
Oh, and one time, I saw this.
Before you get concerned, please note that this is an “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear†sort of picture. And then some. And then some more. Furthermore, thankfully, it’s the only one I’ve ever seen, either on shore or in the ocean.
That looks like a dogfish, which I think is part of the shark family, but apparently delicious to eat 🙂
Well, I have to say that eating it was the farthest thing from my mind at that point! I was just so amazed because I’d never seen anything like it before (other than in aquariums, of course, which is clearly not the same thing) that I called my husband out of his office and we all went out to see it. Then, my husband put it back in the ocean, using a stick just in case, to see if it could survive.
You had me until the shark pic. ((shudder)) I am a freshwater girl, and as such, have an unnaturally strong fear of sharks.
I can’t say they are my favorite either. But, on my honor, those pictures make it look way more scary than it was. In real life, the shark was definitely under 3 feet in length and its head looked really small. At the time, I remember thinking that, while I wouldn’t want to be bitten by it, if it did it probably would have felt like being nipped at by a little dog. Those pictures were actually taken 3 or 4 years ago, and I never looked at them until recently, so I was shocked to see how much larger it looked in the pictures than it did in real life. I’m not sure why the pictures turned out that way, but if I were so inclined, I bet I could really make up a great story to go along with them!
WHAT THE ****!!!! Just looking at the picture I’m feeling a scream rising up in my throat. When Ray took me (tent) camping out west a couple years ago (yellowstone, tetons, and all that) I was convinced that a bear was going to drag me out of my tent in the middle of the night or would decide he wanted my gorp while we were out hiking in the tetons.(thanks to Shelly and Mike sharing every bear attack story they ever heard over the last 10 years). It obsessed my thoughts the whole time we were out there. I’d probably struggle with the same thing re: sharks/sting rays/killer whales/piranhas/lochness monster if I was living by the ocean. I love the beach, but I don’t like being in the middle of the food chain.
But if I had the choice of living in MI or on the ocean I would still choose the ocean.