Beauty and wild surf on Shore Road
My View of Life on the Dock
At sunset this evening, the skies cleared for a bit and one could see the snowstorm departing in an easterly direction, while more squalls were beginning to blow ashore from the west. The nearly half-Moon was rising over the marsh through the clouds. Swells along the backshore were larger than average, but nothing nearly as dramatic as the waves during a nor’easter. Perhaps the waves were bigger on the other side of the Island.
Although I didn’t get a snapshot, the small flock of Wild Turkeys was leaping about at the base of a bird feeder, hungrily looking for food. Which was actually pretty funny because grace is decidedly not a characteristic shared with these large-bottom birds. I wished I had a handful to give them.
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Also known as  bootlace seaweed, mermaid’s tresses, mermaid’s fishing line, dead man’s rope, and
“Sea Whip:Â Chorda Filum resembles a long whip which can be from 10 to 70 cm long and is very deep brown. it grows in a long strand from a disc holdfast. It looks much like rope or cord, and hence its name. It is found in the sublittoral area or often washed ashore after heavy wave action. It ranges from new Jersey to northern Labrador.” Sarah Fraser Robbins and Clairice Yentsch, the Sea is All About Us, 1973. Chorda filum was not present when I wrote about seaweed on Long Beach after the 2016 fall Storm Hermine.
What a dreamy, atmospheric and wide open beach this Easter morning. Prior high tide reached more than half way into post and rope refuge sites for the piping plovers, though plenty of stretches of dry sand moguls remained. The birds were foraging at the water’s edge.
Such a peaceful day on Wednesday afternoon had to stop and take a photo of one of my many favorite spots.
Views today were taken an hour before the afternoon high tide. Prior high tide left its mark, and I expect more tomorrow with such high winds predicted.
Rockport, Mass.- Shoveling Windy just before high tide after the super snow moon
And then the dinghy.
Just before high tide
I had an unexpected extra afternoon off with Charlotte so we decided to check out today’s high tide and waves at Good Harbor Beach. In some areas, the tide came up all the way to the edge of the bluff. The waves weren’t high, but the undertow was super, super strong, nonetheless, folks were swimming and surfing in the surprisingly warm water.Â
You can see in the above photo how high was the tide today.
Sand taste-testing
Ssshhhing nobody but me, then time for a quick catnap
See you again soon beach!
Damage everywhere we looked this morning, low tide, about 8am, March 4, 2018. With surf high at low tide, we expect the next high tide to surge more.
Long Beach seawall; Rockport Road; Gloucester and Rockport
Some evident damage to coastal homes in Gloucester MA and front row cottages by Long Beach pedestrian walkway. Surf inside and out found paths of entry.
The Long Beach pedestrian bridge was damaged. The boulder barrier seawall was cut down by half, maybe more.
rip rap exposed as far as the eye can see, Long Beach (looking from Rockport back to Gloucester, MA) Note every platform from the stairs was ripped away
video of surf looking to Gloucester end of Long Beach. Would not risk this walk at storm high tides- note multiple crests with each surge Continue reading “Paths of destruction winter storm damage Riley Long Beach #GloucesterMA”
Magnolia has been hit pretty hard at high tide on Saturday. Please be careful out there, there is a lot of rocks shooting out of the ocean.