There is a lot to be done. Papers to grade, gifts to wrap, a house to maintain. But. This morning, as dawn creeps over the land, I drive to Island View Beach for a solitary walk.
Glaucous-winged gulls. Buffle head ducks. Common Golden-eyes that look anything but common with their striking white markings. Crows.
The night's frost lingers on the logs. Dawn stains the eastern sky. Last week's fierce storms threw up massive piles of debris.
All the wind and rain and still the weeds, sere and brown, stand.
Driftwood is irresistible to children and adults alike. I wonder who created this shelter?
More light in the sky. More grasses to bend before the wind.
I turn towards the car and the wind, formerly at my back, buffets my face and chills my ears. Gloved fingers sting with cold. One last photo - a tangle of seaweed caught on a bit of sand.
It's evening now. A full day has passed. Fatigue set in a few hours ago. But looking at these photos from the morning, my senses remember.
