Connecticut Coast

Just a little photo essay to share a bit of the time I spent by the water recently. Even a little time there has such a profound effect on me. I can't explain well the calm that I get from listening to the tides, but it centers me and is such a balm. It wasn't always that way--it started in high school and college, and has just gotten stronger over time.


When I think of "home," this is it. Rocks and water and shells and tides.


Interesting side story. Many of the houses have these balconies. It's not really more than decoration here, but was copied from the houses along the coast in the northern part of the state, from the whaling communities. There, they were known as widow's walks, because so many whalers never did make it home from their missions at sea.


Lots of birds around, but mostly common water birds: ducks, swans, and a multitude of gulls. I like this one sitting by the sign that says ROCKS.



Sandy now, so not very appetizing, but some gull missed this oyster snack. The beach is just littered with hundreds and hundreds of shells whose critters are gratefully devoured by the birds.



The incoming tide. Another oyster shell, partially buried in the sand.



These shells were not all snack food. In fact, the smaller shells were still alive. When I picked them up, the critters all rapidly closed up and tightened up against the larger shells below. These gulls just sat at the end of the pier, and kept moving further down as I continued to walk out toward them.



Lots of seaweed attached to shells. I love the rocks here. I think they're gneiss, and the lovely waves and swirls are the results of metamorphic folding.



A few crab parts too! I like to rescue horseshoe crabs on the beach, but wasn't so lucky this time-- a bit early in the season. I wish I knew all the shells. There are mussel shells in this photo. I saw some big clam shells too, but don't have good photos of those.