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| Roger at the back of the cave photographing me walking out |
This is the rock that has the cave. It's nice to see it from the outside too!
Mowing the lawn
1 hour ago
Monday, July 16, 2018
Minus Tide At Houda Cove
We
had been planning to drive 10 miles north on Friday the 13th for an early morning walk
during a -2.0 tide at Houda Cove. The lowest tide of the day was at
6:30 am, and we were ready. But when we opened the blinds
and saw how low the fog was here two miles in from the coast, we knew it
would be crazy to head out. We wouldn't be able to see a thing out
there. So we waited for Saturday morning when the tide was still a -2.0
and at a more reasonable hour of 7:30 am. We woke Saturday morning to
the clearest skies we've seen for a while. We got our stuff ready-- tea
and toast, kibble for Harold who we planned to feed before we headed for
the short drive north. Then we looked out the window again... oh no...
the fog was blowing back in. We thought about it and decided to go
anyway, and we are so glad we did. This is what we saw when we arrived.
The hint of fog made for wonderful optics, and the blue sky over the
Pacific was perfect.
The
beach was still in the dark shadows of the hillside. We walked down the
long stairway, headed toward the ocean and then turned around to
look where the sun was just coming up over the hill.
This
is what we saw, a beautiful view of crepuscular rays lighting up the
beach there. What a grand start to the day! We met a woman who was looking at the rays as well. She
asked us if we were planning on going into the cave that's only
approachable at minus tides. We said, "No way! We've watched the videos
of the kids trapped in the cave in Thailand. No no no!" She said, "It's
only 60 feet deep and worth the trip. Mmm... we wondered, should we do
it? So of course we did. It was pretty interesting in there.
There was lots of sea life on the walls, particularly close to the opening. Here I am walking back into the light.
We walked north on the beach for a while and the sun continued to light the beach in the most beautiful way.
And in every direction the views were grand.
We
spent quite a while out there-- breathing in the ocean air, walking,
laughing, and skipping over water flowing into the ocean. And for a little while the
whole world was just this, and it was perfect.
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I would've enjoyed a wander there. Coastal fog can be a real nuisance on the coast and one we see frequently on the east coast of England where it's called a "haar" - one of the more unusual words in the English language. Interesting cave and rock too.
ReplyDeleteJohn-- I love knowing the word "haar," I've never heard it before and it's got a lovely sound to it. Somehow more interesting than the word "fog."
DeleteSimply beautiful! What a lovely escape.
ReplyDeleteColette-- We are always so grateful to have such an escape.
Delete"The beach was still in the dark shadows of the hillside."
ReplyDeleteYour photos of this morning are sublime. I'd forgotten about that phenomenon of standing on the beach in the morning in the shadow of the coast mountains, looking out at the sun on the ocean and the sea stacks. Brings me back to winter of 1970, waking up on the beach at Big Sur with R and also to last August while driving north alone along the Columbia River in Eastern Washington just before dawn, after viewing the eclipse the previous day. The bluffs to the east of the Columbia river cast a dark shadow on the river and on the highway, but the bluffs on the west glowed in the dawn light.
Shadows and light. The play of light in the shadows. Breathing the morning air.
Thank you!
am-- Our earth is such a beautiful place for a walk in the shadows and light everyday. So glad you liked it.
DeleteHeart lifting scenes, thank you
ReplyDeleteisabelita-- We were glad to be there. So glad you liked it.
DeleteA little patience paid off. Those crepuscular rays looked like spot lights.
ReplyDeleteI am impressed you entered the cave after the grueling time we just went through with those 12 boys. Glad it was safe and uneventful.
Patti-- We loved those rays. Never know when such a thing is going to happen, always a thrill when it does. I probably won't go into another cave again.
DeleteBeautiful, you were lucky to be able to visit such a beautiful beach that time of day, I envy you.
ReplyDeleteBill-- The best part of being retired is being able to plan for the tides and go when the weather is just right!
DeleteI miss living by the sea so very much, you have no idea. But you take me to the most amazing coastal places every time.
ReplyDeleteThanks!!!
Sabine-- We are always so glad to be out there and to share the experience with our friends.
DeleteI so appreciate your posts about your visits to the ocean. You take me away from all of this nonsense, just for a little while. Splendid photos, Robin. Cool cave, though I would have been spooked. Wait. I mean, would NOT have been. (Get it?) I'm yearning to make a trip up there to get a little of that sea action with you and Roger.
ReplyDeleteTara-- It's the reason we moved back... this... being able to have the calming sea air, the sound of the ocean, the moderating effect on the temperatures. When you have a chance to make the trip here... I hope you do it!
DeleteThank you thank you thank you! The perfect counterpoint to the craziness of this week (and, it seems, every week nowadays). The beauty & serenity of your images plus the frisson of excitement going into the cave made for an exceptional post. Though I appreciate always the care you take & the outlook that you share so generously with your posts.
ReplyDeleteJencie-- You are so welcome! Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting. Always glad to share the beauty of our world.
DeleteAmazing pictures! So beautiful! But man, oh man, I don't think I would have gone into that cave. :)
ReplyDeleteSteve-- So glad you liked these photos. It was fun being out there. The cave was spooky, but also beautiful. Thank you so much for commenting all the way from Cambodia!!!
DeleteThe photos here just blow me away. I love them all, but #5 and #6 are obsessions. Our world is so, so, so, so, SO beautiful! We are blessed to have this earth's riches of beauty and some of us even realize we're blessed. The rest just "lay waste (their) powers."
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking along on this most beautiful walk.
CCorax-- Our world is so beautiful. We have to go out and appreciate it everyday. What a stunning planet we get to walk on. So glad you liked the photos.
DeleteWonderful photos that take me back to some misty early mornings along the northern California beaches. Sometimes I miss them very much. The sea cave sounds so exciting and interesting. Wow! And yes, the world actually is still perfect in so many places. It's good to get out there an be reminded of that. :)
ReplyDeletebev-- When we were walking along being dazzled by the rays, I was reminded of the first time I ever saw rays coming through the trees and it was here in misty northern California, driving through the redwoods. It's really so beautiful here. The coastline here is really grand.
DeleteOh my, what beauty! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSharon-- So glad you liked it. Thank you for stopping by.
DeleteWonderful post, Robin. The photographs are amazing and make me feel almost as if I were there breathing the sea air. I especially love the cave, but all of them are lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking us away from politics for a few minutes. I might just keep my laptop handy and go back to this post when the "news" makes me so angry.
NCmountainwoman-- It is so good to get away from politics these days. It's all so overwhelming. So, we take long walks and remember the beauty of our planet. I'm so glad you liked the photos.
Delete"The whole world was just this, and it was perfect." Oh yes.
ReplyDelete37paddington-- The last line in the song "Coney Island" by Van Morrison, "Wouldn't it be great if it were like this all the time?" Yes.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn2CeHlKrTw
Pretty cool. Once years ago I passed through the NW with a couple of friends and my dog Sheba, who loved the water. We stopped somewhere that looked a lot like this, but probably wasn't. I let Sheba off the leash, and she took off. She must have run a mile down the beach before she came back. The beach was totally deserted except for us and the dog. I'd like to see that again.
ReplyDeleteMark-- The beaches here are mostly deserted. There are miles and miles of beautiful dunes and rocky coastline. We love it.
DeleteGorgeous pictures! What a nice area to visit. Thank you for sharing the beauty!
ReplyDeleteoldwhitelady-- It's so good to hear from you! It's been a while. Glad you liked these photos. We love going for these minus tide walks.
Delete