Almost horrible again

After just 3 days the beach is almost back to its corrupted pre-Jose state, riddled with ruts and and garbage. The few days of decent beach already seem like a dream.

Droning a Smooth Clean Beach

No beach run today so here's one of the drone videos of Jose's gift to us: a smooth clean beach caused by extreme high tides. Shot on saturday sept 23.

back to trash and ruts

This morning "normalcy' is starting to return - trash and tire ruts. The 2 tend to go together, for several reasons. First, people bring more stuff to the beach when they can drive. Second, they spread it over a wider area. Third, when you drive (especially at over 30 mph, as some do - the limit is 10 mph), you simply notice less than when you walk. Fourth, the driving mentality is different from the walking mentality. The former reflects a need for convenience, speed, power, laziness and a lack of respect for other people. The latter reflects a need for peace, quiet, exercise, contemplation, observation, slowness and reducing one's impact on nature and other people. The simple fact that all other North Shore Towns ban beach driving completely should give one pause. Is what's special about Riverhead a lack of environmental awareness and laziness? But there's no denying that people vary greatly in their views on this and so many other matters, and if it's important to Riverheaders to do this, so be it. I will continue to clean up their trash, and enjoy the rare moments when the beach looks like a real beach again.

new swept beach again; whelk egg-case

This morning the sun was out, the wind was down, but the night's waves had once again purified and smoothed the beach. Lots of walkers enjoying its brief beauty!

I also filmed with the drone, but I'll upload these videos later.

and this interesting specimen - a whelk egg-case

and not too much trash

but the ruts were already sprouting and I fear tomorrow we will be back to horrible as the cleansing waves subside.