The northeaster is finally over and wind is practically gone, but it’s cooler today. Only a few clouds were around earlier, but now we have a moderate overcast in three layers. Without the wind the water is pretty quiet and background sounds come through, mostly bird life.
The tide is high, but not so as to prevent our passage by the big fallen tree. A previous high tide reached the bank in a few places leaving a wet line where the water wicked up. It also brought in more sand to smooth and fill as it passed. In some places a trough exists behind the last place sand was deposited. Water pooled there before seeping out through the sand. A broad smooth expanse of wet sand evenly spotted with bits of shells shows no new tracks, yet, and it is hard packed enough that our passing leaves little evidence.
More birds are around, but mostly in singles. A lone eagle hops from tree to tree as we approach. Another raptor of unknown type searches over the river looking for a fish to target. A small tan-backed shore bird works along the beach with us for awhile. When he flies it is just inches over the water and only flaps its wings in short spurts so that I’d swear it shouldn’t stay aloft. A single kingfisher hops back and forth over us a couple times near our turnaround point. A single woodpecker can be heard working on an overhead tree at one point.
In one place the previous high tide dissolved some red clay and spread it along our path over the beach. It turns out to be very soft and a couple inches thick when I step onto it, a gooey surprise. Only wear old shoes you don’t care about on these walks. It doesn’t stick to Izzy’s paws, just shoes!
Two places on the riverbank more large chunks of soil and subsoil have tumbled from the bank to the beach. These are at our big promontory and on each side of the gooey clay place. Each is a pickup truck size load of debris. They’re easy to overlook as they blend in with the irregular nature of the bank.
Five oyster boats are mid river and sort of clustered together, but not so close to the lighthouse base as before.
It finally dawns on me that the stuff I think is coral and looks like light fabric bunched up and petrified is more likely limestone deposited in the same way that stalactites and stalagmites are made. It may even have been deposited on top of fossilized coral so there is a mix of the two materials. I finally found a piece that’s a good example and small enough — about ten inches square and an inch thick — to carry home. —-
