Audible Landscapes

Marilyn's dog Sandy spots something
on the bluff

Marilyn stands by a large piece of
debris she is trying to have removed
from the beach

This beautiful Peregrine Falcon greeted Marilyn and I half
way through our walk

A dense fog covered most of Washington COASST beach McCurdy Point this morning while I toured the area with volunteer Marilyn. Because this beach is located in Port Townsend, on a clear day, you can see straight over to Victoria B.C. and Whidbey Island. The heavy fog was far too thick for any distant view today, which allowed a unique perspective of the beach.  Instead of relying on my sight to take in the surrounding, I had to depend much more on my other senses. In particular, my ears did the heavy lifting today. I first took notice of the constant yet punctuated waves that provided a calming backdrop as they crashed upon the large and plentiful shoreline rocks. Calls of gulls would zoom above, broken only by the muted ferry horn that travels from the Port Townsend landing. A pair of American Crows tussled in the distance, likely engaged in a disagreement about a morsel of prey. These notes of discontent were periodically interrupted by the faint chirps of foraging white-crowned sparrows in the seaside grasses. As we made our way down the beach, small chips of rock and soil came tumbling down the side of the nearby bluffs, bouncing from rock to rock in rhythmic fashion until finding a place to rest on the shore. And then, out of nowhere, comes the high-pitched shriek of a Peregrine Falcon, at first far ahead and then, in an instant, directly above.  Coupled with the constant drum of our feet meeting the sandy pebbles of the beach, this audible landscape was rich and moving, a place Marilyn enjoys daily on her morning beach walks with her dog Sandy. Even under the blanket of a misty shroud, McCurdy Point was a gift to my ears!