Torn

7.5C with thin cloud. Not dull, but not sunny. Calm.

Maeve the Deerhound and I decided we would go our usual route today. We both needed a decent length of walk. The field was quite wet with water lying in the tractor ruts near the ploughed part, but we kept closer to the bridle path area which is a little higher and drier. The path itself is not well defined at the moment, and won't be until all of the field is ploughed. Then people, dogs, and horses will walk down the strip of land left beside the hedge and the grasses and weeds will become more like a path again.

We walked along the cycle path and went over the level crossing to the beach. The tide was well out. The small dunes have been badly eroded by the storm and the dune grasses are very flat. A lot of the sand has been pulled back into the rocky area. It will take a while for things to settle back. Along at the Fishermen's huts I noticed that there has been some damage to the big creel rack. Some heavy wooden blocks have been driven in underneath to prop up and support the planks which hold the floats and their flag poles. Wee Peem has at last been hauled up of the beach. The whole area is looking very sad and beaten down.

I know that other places have suffered extensive damage to sea walls and sea defences, but I wanted to record what happened where we take our walks. To that end I have posted a shot of the place where the little burn appears on the beach from the garden of one of the cottages on Long Row Westhaven. It gives an idea of the amount of sand that has been torn away, and shows what is left of the 5 to 6 foot driftwood fences, and the small line of dunes that runs along the back of the beach. Perhaps you'd care to look at a summery shot from the other side of the gardens and imagine the difference.

Later there will be Raspberry iced buns :-)