(Jackie fearlessly heading our search for sea creatures and hidden treasures)
It's the weekend, so even with the change in the time of the tide Jackie and I were able to make it out and explore. With the tide all the way out we were able to see more of the tide plane than we have in the past. The water closer to shore was almost uncomfortably warm and devoid of most animals, though we did see a couple crabs and a few small shrimp like creatures. Further out, the water was still so shallow that the strong wind was making the surface too chopping to see. It was a little depressing at first, because we had been looking forward to getting out into the tide pool all week. Giving up and heading back, we decided to swing towards the north a little first. The denser concentration of rocks and deep tide pools north of us saved the waters surface from the wind and opened up the doors of exploration. We saw more spotted eels and were able to nab a few pictures of some new sea creatures. Jackie has started to collect lots of different pieces of shells and broken coral for a dozen or more unnamed projects and I'm thrilled to be helping out.
Thick thunder clouds began to roll in over the mountains. They rushed at us, moving so fast as they were I thought they might actually miss there target like a Boeing B-52 does from time to time. W had just found what appeared to by the mouth of a giant clam shell, maybe two feet long. It's distinctive rippling lips were just above the surface of the sand. Hesitantly I started digging at it. There really wasn't anything else it could be. The rain started to come down lightly at first, but sheets of it were visible over the island. Frantically I started to dig and pull at the shell, but it wouldn't budge or come free of whatever substrate it was attached to. Then the rain came in hard and sideways. Tiny bee bee drops of rain pelted us. Jackie had started to walk back with the camera wrapped in a shirt across her chest, counting her steps so we could relocate the shell. I stayed with the shell until her lone figure pressed into the wind and rain was enough to make me feel guilty and I ran after her. The rain had cleared by the time we had hit the shore, but Jackie was wet and cold, so we decided to come back for the shell another day. I can't imagine finding it will be easy, but we'll try our best.
(Not really sure what these are yet, but we've nick named them "black dongs.")
(On of the coolest shells we'v found yet, but our little hermit crab friend, Fredrick, was to cool to evict so we played with him for awhile and then let him be.)
(Watch Fredrick the hermit crab roll himself back over and find a place to park his shell.)
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