Slushy Shoreline

I had the oppor
tunity to visit Eastham early this afternoon and couldn't resist a slight detour to my old favorite spot, First Encounter Beach.

Our temperatures rise and fall this time of year on the twin influences of warmer ocean temperatures and cold winds sweeping out off the mainland. The shoreline is where this is most visible, as the edges of the bay turn to a slushy machine.

Tide was coming in as I visited the beach, but the sounds and the movement of the water have changed from the summertime. Each successive wave pushes against the dryer snow/ice at the water's edge...slowly moving this little piles of ice further across the beach.

I couldn't resist stopping by the bridge at Boat Meadow Creek, when I spotted these gulls trying to stay warm on shifting ice floes.

And we think we have it tough in the winter!