sunshine at the beach

a turn around in the weather today – by lunchtime the sky was blue and the temperature soaring into double figures, just. my car said ten degrees. we went to the beach at Wells.

at 2.30 pm the sunshine was very low and very yellow, casting huge blue-purple shadows, and there was a thick shelf of cloud to the north over the sea.

with hardly a breeze blowing it was a pleasant and easy walk. Sal shone like a little gold dog. Tilda didn’t need the new coat, and had a lovely time drinking salt water and chewing on razor shells.

although the waves didn’t seem big, there was a steady roar of surf and in the distance you could see a mist of salt spray. this beach is very shallow for a long way out. a very low tide means a walk of almost a mile to the sea.

all the textures and shells in the sand were picked out by the strong light. here are razors. supposed to be good to eat, but I am a bit choosy about shellfish. they make pretty patterns though, and scrunch under your feet.

the fan shaped little scallop shell is common on this beach, it can be white or dark grey as well as this orangey colour.

the strange light made the dunes and their reflection glow. then ten minutes later the sky had clouded over and the sun had gone too low. walking back through the woods the sky to the south, banded mauve and yellow, could be glimpsed through silver birch trees,  there was a scent of wood smoke, and the sound of the pink-footed geese in their thousands coming in to roost on the Holkham marshes.

I found this pebble on the beach – like an elongated pigeon’s egg – a potential burnishing tool, but very pretty and nice to hold.