BEACH TREASURES

April arrived with clear, bright skies. Temperatures remained crisp, and the north-west wind bit as it puffed around the corners and into the coves. 

The dogs and I bundled up and went for a walk on the beach in Cornwallis. Well, I bundled up. They carry their fur coats with them all the time.

Some treasures were found, as always. Treasures like this lovely whelk shell...pastel pinks whorling across its exterior, the varigation of swirling colour attracted this casual beachcomber.

    More often, those conical shells are broken, revealing the startling white interior. I think this might be a Northern Whelk. There are an abundance of mussel shells on all our beaches. Sometimes barnacles are attached to them, which I think is hilarious. Imagine, hitching a ride on a mussel.

This beach is rather impoverished in beach glass, but I did find a couple of small bits of green glass. I love the glaze caused when the glass tumbles in the waves. 

There is always a bit of crab claw somewhere on the beach....

...and occasionally there are odd items, like this bit of metal.

      I think it comes from an engine.

My favourite item on this beach was the weathered logs, twisted with seaweed, string, and rusty wire.

 I imagined that they might be the masts or spars from pirate ships (yes, even at this age my imagination gives me joy) The Annapolis Basin is rumoured to have housed smugglers, and I reckon it may have included pirates from the Caribbean on their summer holidays. I didn't see any pirates, but perhaps it's too early in the season. Yo,ho,ho, but no bottle of rum.

An intertidal pool  revealed that the wood posts were probably  supports for a weir that collapsed from  neglect years ago. I don't care about that truth...I'd rather pretend the spars came from a pirate ship. It made the outing much more enjoyable; my pace became jaunty, swathes were cut through the air with my sabre, and I found shimmering gold, translucent with the sunlight shining through the whorl.      Treasures of beauty found on the beach.  

The dogs, as always,  enjoyed their outing, running on the beach after dipping their toes in the cold water from the Atlantic Ocean that twice daily, with the tides,  refreshes the water in the Annapolis Basin via the Bay of Fundy. 

One of the pleasures about living here, on the edge of the ocean,  is the proximity of pebble beaches,  with lovely views and little treasures,  where I can replenish my mind and soul while meandering beside the sea.