The Beach That Was...

There are too many undesirable dogs in my neighborhood that make walking anything but pleasurable so I've been going to the beach more often than usual. It's very peaceful at the ocean especially when no one is there. The air is so refreshing and clean. Lately I've been arriving right when the tide is at its highest. There have been days the waves are so violent and the water rushing so madly about, I turn right around and head back home. This was one of those days.

See that wave coming toward me in the above photo? It doesn't look that ominous in this photo but it was at least two feet high, moving at least twenty miles and hour, and coming from the side before I realized it. I literally started running for my life.

With all the "Unstable Sand" warning signs, and the water clear up to the roads in some places, I wasn't going to take any chances.

The next day I arrived again at high tide and noticed the cove with all the destroyed houses had waves crashing right up to the trees cutting off all access to the rest of the beach. I wondered what damage all this bad weather had done since last spring when I took the last photos. Did the yellow house bite the dust (sand)? Was it still standing? Today, however, I checked the tide levels before I left and went when the water would be at its lowest.

This might be what's left of the yellow house. I can't really tell. It has some yellow on it?

Or this?

Hmmm...maybe this?

This is interesting. I'm counting 17 of these giant tires and I assume someone must have owned a semi-truck with 18 wheels? These are scattered all over. Along with other car parts and vehicle accessories that must have dropped off when the ground gave away.

It makes me wonder how this affects the environment. It doesn't look like anyone made much of an effort to take away their belongings and garbage. I don't know if any of these people have received money for all this damage or if it's just considered a natural phenomenon (tough luck), but you'd think someone would attempt to protect the environment by having these houses, garages, sheds and their contents removed before they take the plunge. That's a lot of garbage floating around and lying all over.

Granted, if I were one of these home owners and just lost everything, I wouldn't want to also be responsible for the money or effort it would take to remove it. Maybe these people can't afford it? There was one guy with a pick-up scavenging for building materials. As I mentioned before, there is an artist in town who creates art from the house wood from this beach. I wonder what the legalities of this are? If the house falls off the cliff, don't the owners still own it? Can people just take it or do they need permission?

Next to take the dive:

 

 

There are a lot of campers and trailers along this area. I assume these are the owners of the homes prepared with alternative living arrangements for as long as some land is left. Do they just drive away when there is no place to park?

 

 

 

 

 

This guy is determined to protect his house and he's out there rearranging his rock moat with big machinery. How many people can say they have a rock moat protecting their house? Does he have to rearrange after every high tide?  Is it working? I've seen the waves crashing. I wouldn't want to be in that little house during high tide!

 

 

 

It looks like he's the only one left on his original property jutting way out from the eroding beach far out beyond what is left of land with water almost totally surrounding him.

 

See him on the end of the point to the right?

 

Will his house end up being on a tiny island? With such a tiny house, is all this work and expense worth it? Wouldn't it be more cost effective to just move the house? Maybe he can't? Or maybe he's just stubborn and thinks he can win fighting Mother Nature?

 

And if I thought all this wasn't crazy enough, I look to my right and there is a guy surfing in freezing water!

 

 

 I am very grateful to live near the ocean, but not so close that it will take my house away. Yet. Who knows when the next tsunami will be?