Heavy rains

On Thursday, I visited my hometown beach after the latest heavy downpour. It was low tide, but probably the highest low tide I have ever seen. As I approached the sand, I could see a massive swirl of shore birds in the sky and a crowd of them standing on the sand. The recent storms had unmoored loads of shellfish--mussels and clams, primarily--and the birds were feasting in earnest. Intact shellfish in beak, I could see gulls smacking their take against the rocks. Crabs and sea stars had also washed up on the sand. I could see some had been partially noshed on by the gulls. One sea star appeared to have been left untouched, so I brought it to the rocky area on the north end of the beach and nestled the sea star sort of under a few small rocks. Maybe he escaped the keen eyes of the shore birds? Who knows. 

Expectant birds.

Walking to the north end of Linda Mar toward the congregation of birds.

Strandline full of plastic bits.

Massive lump of roe washed up on shore.

When I was a child in the 70s & 80s, it was normal that we lost power once or twice every year during rainy season. We always had candles on hand for just such an emergency. Along with the heavy rains came mudslides. During the massive storms of 1982, I think it was,  I don't know how I learned this--I think it was common information at school--at least one family suffered fatalities as a result of their house having been hit by a mudslide. The slides occurred in the back of the valley, Linda Mar district, where the landscape is hilly. We lived in the front of the valley, in the 'flat lands'.  

I felt glad that we lived in the flat lands until the mega floods of the early 80s kicked off. Our house, fortunately, was up a slight incline about a mile from shore. Kids I went to school with who lived in the neighborhood across HWY 1 from the beach experienced severe flooding. These sea-level homes became water-logged. Many residents had to flee their homes in canoes. Some folks sought refuge at the local high school. The neighboring shopping center was partially submerged underwater as well. I don't recall what the clean-up for the commercial properties entailed, but I do know that some of the homes of my friends still smelled of mildew years later.