Day at the beach

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Today we set off for Westport MA to meet my aunt and her husband for a clam bake they invited us to attend.


As there can be quite a bit of traffic to the beach in summer, we decided to get up early and get there before most of the other folks.
But, even leaving at 7 we found the fire department was already up.

We don’t know why they were at the building next to ours, but we were glad they were dealing with whatever was going on there.

We usually meet my aunt at least once per summer. One of the major themes of those meetings is how much change there has been down in the town where her cottage has been for more than 40 years.
Today we went to a beach I hadn’t been to for about 30 years. And, I was happily surprised to find that the area around that beach had not changed very much.


There are still lots of farms, big open fields and places where they move the cattle over the road to get to the other fields. I like that a whole lot better then the homes for sale by by Sotheby’s Luxury Real Estate for a million or more.

Usually when we visit my aunt we go to Horseneck Beach, which was very crowded. (The big beach along the bottom left of the picture at the top.)
But, I remembered there was another beach near there that I used to go to as a kid. (Along the vertical right side of the map up top.)
So we drove to Demarest Lloyd park and got there about 9 this morning.


Although there were lots of flowers out:


The park was close to empty:


There were some people picnicking by the trees, but we were the only people on the beach.
But, that didn’t stop us from going in the water.

You can see the sand bars on the map at the top. It means you can wade out for about half a mile and not get much above your hips in depth. That’s not good if you’re after surf or deep water swimming. But, it’s pretty good for wading around and relaxing with your wife.
I thought this sign was silly:

As there weren’t any lifeguards anywhere:


You may notice a lot of rocks. It’s true. At this beach you have to wade over a band of rocks about the size of my fist or smaller to get to the sand. That’s not so much a problem for it hurting your feet as maintaining your balance. But, we got over them onto the sand.
We swam for about an hour, took a shower at their beach house, then headed to a different beach.

(The beach to the right of the center peninsula above near where the jog up is to the right.)

This one you need a resident sticker to park unless you park in the very start area. We got the last spot there.


A lot of this area has been given over to a wildlife sanctuary.


This beach also has a lot of rocks. There is a series of rocks I used to call my “jumping rocks” because as a kid I could jump from one to the other and get to the farthest out one.


It’s been 30 or more years since I played on those rocks, but I took a shot.



You know what I found?
I am no longer a teenager.
Flip flops do not give great traction for jumping from rock to rock.

I looked at my camera in my hand and decided I didn’t want to get it in the ocean.

While I did all this, my wife staked out a spot on the beach to read with her iPad.


I decided to walk over to the big rocks I used to love when a kid.


I like the rocks here because they are very unusual. They are made of several different kinds of rocks that look melted together.

That’s not sand on top, it’s a lighter colored rock mixed onto the first.

When I was a kid we called this rock “Moby Dick” because we thought it looked like a pale whale lying on its side on the beach.


This set of rocks has a strange set of pock marks in it.


They are big and small. Some look like hand or foot prints into the stone.


When I was a kid I used to love to swim in the little cove between these rocks.


There is a trail inland over to the rocks. I remember it from when I was a kid.


Of course it was a bit strange as back then the plants were up to my knee. Now they’re over my head. And, my head has moved a ways from the ground since then.


But, tall or not, it was nice plant life.


Of course, I wondered about the sign at the entrance.


No swimming, picnics or sun bathing?

The sun bathers were in sight of the sign, so I don’t see how they could say they didn’t know it was there. But, what do I know?

I walked back to my wife, we got in the car and I got ready to pull out of my parking place. As I did, my aunt and her husband drove past on their way to meet us. So, I pulled in behind them and we followed them to the sight of the clam bake. (On the peninsula just off the road on the upper left.)
They didn’t notice us driving behind them, and seemed surprised when we got out right behind them.

They were still working on the clam bake. The hot rocks on the bottom:


The seaweed on the hot rocks.


The piles of food on top of the seaweed.


Then the cover over it all to let it steam for an hour or more.


While it cooked we went inside and got our seats with my aunt and her husband.


They brought us the bag of food that had sausage, sweet potato, regular potato, corn and fish in it. (With the stuffing they sent around outside of the bag.)


Then, the clams:


It was good food and a lot of it. They had giant sea bugs too, for an extra cost, but we had so much other food none of us had room for sea bugs.

Then we drove back to my aunt’s cottage.


There, the bunnies and humming birds were waiting for us.

I tried for a shot of the humming bird, but all you can see is the plant and a little green blur if you look in just the right spot. So, I didn’t bother.

I spent a lot of time visiting with my aunt and talking about our messed up family. Both of us are something of outcasts with the other relatives. But, we get along and it is nice to see her.

When we got home, we were both very tired.