Low tide was
around 8:30 this morning, although it wasn’t to rise more than a few inches
until past 10 o’clock. After a light
breakfast of cottage cheese with fruit and a slice of toast, we launched the
dinghy and headed out to explore the low tide shorelines. The next bay over to the west has a shallow
shoaling area along its western shore and we headed over there after I thought
I saw a bump on the beach move. It
turned out to be a couple of raccoons feasting on the variety of tidal sea life
at their feet. The beach was very
active, with lots of clam spurts and of course there were all those little
crabs and other critters that scurry off whenever a rock is turned over. They turned over small rocks and also dug
some holes, at one point pulling out what looked to be some sort of small
eel. We watched from just off shore with
the motor off, slowly drifting along in the same direction they were doing
their beachcombing. Eventually they were
joined by a third,
smaller raccoon that came out from the nearby trees and
rocks. We surmised it was mom, dad and
junior at the beach buffet. They knew we
were there, and would stand on their hind legs to look us over from time to
time before deciding we weren’t a threat and returning to their meals. At one point a nearby heron took off,
spooking them and sending them running for the rocks, as did our oars if I made
a splash, but they
kept returning for more grub. Eventually two more raccoons appeared, and
before we left there was possibly a sixth. We probably have 50 pictures and a
half dozen video clips, most of which will be destined to the cutting room
floor, but most likely those of you who will see our vacation video will have
to suffer through some of it.
After we returned
to the boat it poured down rain for awhile, and we thought from the looks of it
that it would last the rest of the day.
But it soon stopped, and by late afternoon it was pretty nice out, with
temperatures in the mid 70’s. Erin also collected an orange sun star while we were out,
and is trying Rebecca’s procedure for curing it to retain the color. She first coated it with sugar for a few
hours, and then soaked it in sugar water.
It still needs to dry, which might happen if the sun stays out long
enough. Later in the afternoon we took a
high tide dinghy ride before dinner, putting through the lagoon where we walked
the beach last month collecting sand dollars.
We can pretty much
tell when slack is approaching at the various rapids by the time that boats
weigh anchor to leave – followed shortly thereafter by new boats arriving,
having come through the rapids at Hole in the Wall, Upper Rapids, or Surge
Narrows to get here.
We may stay yet
another day – it’s one of those decisions that can be put off until tomorrow.
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