Return to the Shore

It had been over a month since we were last at the beach.  Slight withdrawals were going on....okay, maybe more than slight.  The razor clam dig over the weekend brought us back.  The onslaught of rain was supposed to hit, and we were prepared.  But, in true ocean style, the weather was always changing and unpredictable.  While the city soaked in rain, we frolicked on in sunshine foam of the surf.

 The clam dig this time was at night.  It's always a little eerie to be out on the beach in the dark.  You can hear the surf pounding, but you can't see it until it's crashing over you.

The next morning, we went out for an agate hunt, and ended up helping this couple dig their mini-van out of the soft sand.  They had parked to walk out to the water's edge, in the meantime the weight of their vehicle caused the tires to sink just that much too far in the sand.  They were stuck, with high tide beginning to roll in.  We brought our truck to help, and another couple of guys came along as well.  They had more equipment than we did, but guess what?  They got stuck too!  Lots of shovels, some fast digging and a tandem pull finally got everyone out safely.  When I was chatting with the woman afterward, she said that she and her husband had come out to the beach that weekend for an adventure.  I guess they found it!

The cloudy skies gave way mid-morning to an absolutely gorgeous afternoon.  The tide was rushing in so far and so fast that we were racing back into the dunes to get away.
 

A beautiful sunset lent itself very well to some fun with S'mores.....

We won't be back again for a little while.  The tempuratures will have dropped even farther.  The water will be even colder.  I'll miss the summer sand, but I am grateful that we had one last barefoot walk before winter begins its descent on the shore.