Cracking Wise

[Weeds against the seawall, North Beach, Hampton NH; 3/20/10]

On the way up to Portsmouth on Saturday, we stopped at Hampton's North Beach, where my parents used to live when they retired and where we spent many summer vacations when I was young. While low tides leave a wide flat strand for walking, beachcombing and all manner of beachy things, high tides cover nearly all of it right up to the shore-protecting granite slabs and concrete seawall. Days there are planned around the tide schedule, every day the tide being in nearly an hour later than the day before. On Saturday we arrived at high tide, alas.

Every year, fall and winter storms pummel the seawall with waves and pebbles, and every year the sea takes huge bites out of the wall that have to be repaired in the spring. But it was the surface cracks on the wall this time that got my attention - gorgeously patterned things, as if commissioned by the sea god Poseidon to seduce Aphrodite, the goddess sprung from the foam of the sea.

The cracks graced the shore side of the wall. The seaside at high tide on Saturday looked like this:

For many more photos from the New Hampshire seacoast, see my Flickr set.

Comments

[marja-leena]

Wow, I love those veiny cracks, especially in the top photo with the trees. Nice sunshine and blue skies!

[Jean]

What a gorgeous photo set. Your photography just keeps getting better and better, I think. These made me smell the sea and feel all happy inside that I'm going to the seaside in Devon myself for a few days next week. And a red umbrella, like your poem of a few years ago! The sea wall images are the most resonant of all, though.

[Leslee]

Marja-Leena: Aren't they cool? And those are weeds, about a foot or so high! Hard to tell without any perspective in the photo. :-)

Jean: Thank you! And have a great time in Devon. Yes, the red umbrella was posted with my poem back in 2005.

[loren]

Particularly love that top photo, but both of the two on top are gorgeous.

[Leslee]

Thanks, Loren!

[Warwickcircles.blogspot.com]

Great pics, especially like the weeds against seawall.

[Leslee]

Thanks, Keith!

[Jean]

Oh, it IS the red umbrella that inspired your poem! I didn't realise the photos in the Flickr set covered such a long period. I'm really overtired and probably should not be blogging or commenting. Oh well, hope even incoherent, distracted appreciation is welcome!

[Leslee]

Thanks, Jean, and no worries. I know about poor tired brains, and amazed you can focus enough to read, much less post your thoughtful reviews. But your brain did make the association between the old poem posted and the old photo posted. I should have noted that the Seacoast set is over the years.

[Dave]

Amazing photos! (And I remember the red umbrella poem well.)