This landscape is one of the harshest, and most resilient, experiencing every storm surge, the stark beating down of the day star, and the ever present intrusion of waves. Across the vastness, pools of eelgrass, crab, urchin, anemone, jellyfish all play together in a chorus of resilience, dancing their way through the enchanted speckled shimmer.

It truly feels like big sky country amongst the tide flats, pulled in strong by the moon. She has a strong pull today, a whole assemblage of critters exposed, but only for part of the day. This interplay of moon and earth reveal a plethora of enchanted, resilient homelands.

I pause to take in the colors and textures at play. A soft contrast of blue and white are what I first see, across the vast open expanse, and then I zero in. These tide pools are rather elongated ovals, waves of green eelgrass dance. Also, I take note of a harsh white shell which is contrasted amongst the subdued green eelgrasses and shimmering tan sand below.

Finally, I walk a few steps closer to the water’s edge. Underfoot, I hear my feet shuffle, a crackling sound emerges, as I walk to the shore, I shuffle over barnacle filled rocks protruding just a few inches above the waterline, but quickly receding amongst the crash of another wave. The slack tide has now arrived given respite to this harsh and beautiful environ so close to home.

Field Notes

Posts tagged with Pacific-Northwest

Tide flats

Forests