A Beach Walk
On a cloudy, cool day last week, I decided to go for a walk on Mukilteo Lighthouse Beach. It’s not a very big beach, but it’s always filled with small surprises. The thing is, you have to look for them.
Because I am part mermaid, I tend to find shiny pieces of sea glass. I have several jars of sea glass in my house and most of it is from the shores of Lake Huron. To find sea glass on the beach of Puget Sound is kind of rare in most places. I guess it’s the way the tides and the currents work. Puget Sound is a mystery to me and I still haven’t figured out her moods. I knew Lake Huron’s moods like the back of my hand and could even predict the weather with 90% accuracy just by looking at the lake.
Here? Not so much. I will go visit the beach and end up looking for seals, sea lions, whales, sea stars, etc. The Sound is so full of life.
Story time: When we first moved here in 2015, I drove down to the Mukilteo Lighthouse Beach on a rainy morning. It was the end of autumn and everything seemed so dreary. As I sat in my car, I noticed a big flock of seagulls and other sea birds making a ruckus. They were all just above the water, with some diving in and bringing up a fish. Now, it wasn’t just one or two birds, it was enough birds that it caught my attention and made me nervous. As I sat in my car, pondering the implications of what this vast amount of birds could possibly be doing, up out of the water came and Orca, with salmon in her mouth. Then, another, And, another. I had my windows up, and I still heard the oohs and ahhs of the other people who were on or near the beach. I was speechless! I didn’t even think to take a photo. I just sat in my car, full of wonder and amazement. That is the ONLY time I’ve ever seen an Orca. Still gives me goosebumps.
I took my camera, my macro lens and my curiosity out for a walk. I was looking for anything that caught my eye. I found sea glass, amazing shells and even tried a long exposure on an incoming wave. I actually love the way that image turned out and it’s inspired me to try something new.
I’ve also discovered that rain makes everything look a bit brighter and more interesting. So, the next time it rains, I’m going to take my camera and my macro lens back to the beach and see how different things look.
Holly