Farewell, summer

Friday, August 15, zone 0

 
August 15 was a pinch-yourself-it's-so-beautiful kind of morning at Wrightsville Beach. The sunrise was absolutely gorgeous, and the seabirds were out fishing and enjoying the perfect weather and cool breeze.

My litter pickup for the day included:
-1 jump rope
-1 plastic bottle
-1 can
-1 granola bar wrapper
-1 cigarette butt
-4 ponytail holders
-1 straw
-1 pair of glasses
-1 pile of misc wipes and plastic debris
-1 hat
-2 plastic shovels

Friday, August 22, zone 0

I thought of the words "Red sky at morning, sailor's warning" on August 22. As I began to walk along the beach at the high tide line, I noticed dolphins swimming peacefully nearby. Paddleboarders paused to watch them glide past. They sure are hard to get a good photo of, but I always feel so lucky to see them. The morning was completely still, with no wind at all and very few waves, so the conditions were perfect to spot their fins and shimmering backs emerging from the water.

As I continued walking, a man with a camera set up on a tripod called out to me, "Excuse me, have you ever seen dolphins here before?"
"Yes," I answered. "Actually I saw some just a few minutes ago!"
The man exclaimed, "I saw them, too!" and I just smiled because I felt like I could read his mind. Every time I see wildlife at the beach, I feel like I want to share it with someone, but I am usually by myself. The man with the camera was alone, too, and I could tell he was just so excited to tell someone about those gorgeous dolphins.

I found slightly more trash in zone 0 than usual, although still not nearly as much as I collect in other areas of the beach, like around the piers. My litter pickup for the day included:
-1 plastic water bottle
-1 beer bottle
-1 plastic cup
-8 cigarette butts
-1 pair underwear
-1 rag
-1 plastic bubblegum container
-1 broken toy shovel
-1 straw
-2 plastic bottle caps
-2 candy wrappers
-1 ziplock bag
-1 piece metal
-1 pair sunglasses
-1 pile misc plastic scraps

It was also a good day for treasure hunting; the ocean offered up some  interesting shells and pieces of sea glass.

Friday, August 29, zone 0
 

I could not help but feel wistful on August 29, knowing that it was Labor Day weekend and the "unofficial" end of summer. Every year I console myself with the fact that there is another good month or so of warm ocean temperatures, and a lovely, mild autumn here on the coast. (And yet I am still sad to see summer go!)

My husband Jeff joined me for my last litter pickup of the summer season and was a willing pawn in my staging of silly photos.

Our litter total for the day included:
-3 plastic cups
-1 flip flop
-1 pen
-1 mesh toy bag
-1 ponytail holder
-2 paper towels
-1 chewing tobacco tin
-1 straw
-1 plastic knife
-1 plastic spoon
-1 cigarette butt
-1 metal bottle cap
-1 plastic bottle cap
-1 tag
-misc assorted plastic wrappers

Peace,
Susan