Tide Pools and Such

This past weekend we did some stuff. Beach stuff. Trying to shake off the confines of over a year cooped up, shake off the pent up frustration and overcome fatigue and emotional exhaustion, just try to start to go about our little lives in any old-fashioned "normal" sense, had us going to some beaches.

I mean: we live right next to the damn beach.

We've committed to going to the beach each Saturday. At least Corrie and I have discussed it many times. Whether that trip means our sandy zone with little surf or a trip by car to further reaches, so be it. This past weekend, we did both. Saturday we went to some tide pools in San Pedro (about fifteen minute drive over the bridges and through Pedro); Sunday we went to our beach (walk and stroller time).

In San Pedro, they were charging $8 to park down at the bottom of the steep hill. I asked about walking it, and they said sure. So...

Corrie and Cass pause to view surfers

Here you can see Corrie and Cass (maybe?) on the walk out.

The tide pools here were rather unpleasant to walk on, but we got to see all manner of cool critters: crabs, both normal and of the hermit variety; sea snails; anemones; even some tiny fish. Large patches of the zone were soft sand, so once you got past the teeny barnacles, it was smooth walking.

There was a huge purposeful breaker placed here at some time on the past, and occasionally the water would crash up on and over it, mildly visible below:

It was a lovely trip.

The next day, at our own beach, I was playing with Camille in the waves, which she loved, while Corrie was burying Cassius in the sand. The first moment I let go of Cam's hands (of course), she fell over in the three inch wave, and as I was bending down to get her, a wave washed over her face, momentarily dunking her fully underwater.

That was not the plan. I quickly got her up into my arms and she slowly began to shiver and view the crashing mini waves with an air of menace. She was mostly done for the day in the water...but I'm sure she'll return to excitement the next time around.

This was a lovely trip as well, even though I left my camera at home and got too much sun.

Saturday-Beach-Day has to become a thing for us, if only to maintain our sanity as we return to whatever we're careening towards.