I went to my regular beach the other day and decided to take a walk on a new path they have put in that goes around the mountain and to a formerly very secluded beach. It was a glorious day with deep cobalt waves and a luscious trade wind.
...and so i set off on my journey -notebook, water and collection bag in hand!
There was so much new to see and explore....
The wonderful thing about
Kauai is that the beaches not only have good sand, but the surrounding areas are also gorgeous. Everywhere is like being in a park...almost no houses are visible!
Below is a little
rivlet going to the ocean.....
blue blue skies....
an even bluer ocean
rocky shores
...back on the path (only for people and bicycles)
About a third of the way there was a metal fence that had been put up that said "Road closed" and "Beware! Falling Rocks". But I'd seen other people skirt around the fence, so i did too!
It was a long hike, and eventually I came to another fence, that said the same thing, but in the opposite direction.
...the path continued, winding around the hills.
...an old and crumbled pier, with a lookout point. I stopped here for a while and saw a family of whales playing out in the distance. I took picture of them, but they didn't turn out very clear.
.
The sign says that this is a "
Shearwater" (that's a bird) releasing site....
Another
lovely rivlet...
At last I came to the beach....but I had to climb down a small cliff to get to it.
There weren't too many people there (which is normal, our beaches are almost always empty!)
So peaceful.
this fenced area was right behind the tree and is as high as the sand went from the ocean. the sign says that the area is a sacred burial place, and warns you to leave it alone. beyond this are more meadows and hills, and a walking path that eventually leads to the highway.....
I was picking up shells to use as bezels and I stumbled upon this shell....
It's a
cowry shell. I've only ever found the little ones...and the bottom half is usually missing. I use them for bezels....but these shells were whole (but empty) and huge!
The surf was pretty rough but I could see more of the shells being tossed on the shore and then swept back out to sea as tide took them away. All
kinds - purple ones, speckled ones, striped ones. I think they look a bit like eggs - sea eggs. I'm going to remove the other side of the shell and use them for mini altars. maybe.
So, I ended up spending a lot of time trying to "catch" the shells. I kind of had to watch the water as it went out (it's pretty clear) and see where the shells where, and then wait for the tide to rush in, and then start trying to grab them before they get lost in the waves again. Mostly i brought up handfuls of sand. I just
couldn't be quick enough and still keep my balance. Several hours passed....how time flies! I would have stayed longer,
cuz I could see more in the water, but the waves were getting really violent and high. After I fell on my butt several times, got knocked down by the surf, and had the coral and rocks cut up my legs, I decided it was time to head back....but look at my haul!
I put my hand in the picture so you could see how big some of them were. There were also large pieces of sea glass and other types of shells. The little black and white one in the middle on the bottom, is a cone shell. Very pretty -but Cone snails are very dangerous - some just sting like a bee, but others have toxins that can kill you.....i didn't realize that you should never pick them up unless you absolutely know they are empty, because they have a long stinger that they can inject you with. It can even penetrate leather gloves and wet suits.
who knew? (..my DH knew.)
aren't they cool?
yep.....more stuff to store....sigh......
and so I started the long hike back .
more beautiful vistas.......
and other pretty things along the way...
It was getting cloudy and the sky was looking angry.
...but it only rained for a few minutes
and then cleared up!
Time to head home...
.
.
..I am so blessed.
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