| Sea Gull Lunch Much of what litters the beach is death—little corpses of sand crabs, crab shells, dead sand dollars, starfish, and the like. Here, two sea gulls found some meat inside a crab shell. They didn't like me interrupting their lunch, though. |
| sand dollar trip |
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| A Day to Remember My favorite sand dollar beach: the Netarts Bay Spit near Cape Lookout State Park, five miles west of Tillamook, Oregon. The road to get there is called the Three Capes Scenic Route. Scenic, it is. The three capes are Cape Mears, Cape Lookout, and Cape Kiwanda. I have lived on the Oregon Coast off and on for 25 years. And it still takes my breath away. |
Cresting the Trail
Looking north toward
Netarts and Oceanside,
from the trail at the top
of the sand dune at the
campground at Cape
Lookout State Park.
Looking north toward
Netarts and Oceanside,
from the trail at the top
of the sand dune at the
campground at Cape
Lookout State Park.
| Cresting the Trail 2 Looking south at Cape Lookout. |
| Looking South Over the Cape I love the colors: crystal clear blue, puffy gray white, green of the trees, browns of the sand, jade green of the waves . . . a myriad of colors to delight. |
| Down On the Surf Wearing my boots here. The water is cold. |
| The Perfect Half Where is its other half? |
| Ooo! Is it . . . ? Many shy sand dollars need a quick flipping to see if . . . |
| Yay!!! It's perfect!! Flipped it over with my toe, and look! It's beautiful and soon to be added to my collection. |
| Nope Not a keeper. |
| Another Treasure Though, I'm only here for sand dollars. |
| Nice Shot In its natural habitat. If a skeleton could be said to have a habitat . . . (other than on my windowsill). |
| Pelicans At Play Several flew by that day. I love how they skirt the water's edge. One time, through binoculars, I saw their wings actually leaving lines in the water—they flew so close to the inside of the wave and dipped just the tips of their wings in as they sailed by. I couldn't believe it. |
| Da Beach Ahhh . . . da sand, driftwood, beach grasses, sea gulls, and a brisk north wind. Delightful. |
| Turn Around Point Looking south at how far I had come, but I still walked another quarter mile at least before actually turning around. |
| Almost There I walked and walked, hoping to reach the end of the spit, but I bet it is at least another mile up there. |
Footprints
See my toes? And where I've
been? Look quick—the wind
will soon wash them away.
See my toes? And where I've
been? Look quick—the wind
will soon wash them away.
| Treasure No message in this bottle. |
| Fore and Aft Close up. Far away. All to savor. |
There It Is
Whole and perfect. And peeking
out at me just in time.
Whole and perfect. And peeking
out at me just in time.
Do You See It?
Yep, there it is. Soon to be
buried and gone.
Yep, there it is. Soon to be
buried and gone.
| Well, Well I stopped to take a quick break and heard that unique call of the bald eagle. Turned around, and there he sat. Up the hill, perched on a branch. Looking out over the pounding surf. And keeping an eye on me. |
What I'm Looking For
Whole ones are easy to spot. They
seem to jump out at me and say,
"Take me home!"
Whole ones are easy to spot. They
seem to jump out at me and say,
"Take me home!"
Undisturbed
Simply stunning. But I soon pick
it up and place it in my bag.
Simply stunning. But I soon pick
it up and place it in my bag.
| Worth the Trip This photo alone. |
In the Glow
Sunset paints the cape in a
beautiful purplish glow.
Sunset paints the cape in a
beautiful purplish glow.
From the Cape
The next morning, after spending
the night at the campground, I
start for home. Heading south
along the Three Capes Scenic
Route, this is looking out over
the Netarts Bay spit. My sand
dollar beach.
So long until next time.
The next morning, after spending
the night at the campground, I
start for home. Heading south
along the Three Capes Scenic
Route, this is looking out over
the Netarts Bay spit. My sand
dollar beach.
So long until next time.
| Call It A Day The sun sinks low, then disappears. The day is done. |