June 10, 2009

Report Details

There was a big fogbank out over the ocean which blocked out the sun in this hour before sunset. Six people (4 adults and 2 children) and one dog were on mile 299. Earlier beach goers had created several beach "sculptures" from driftwood. Also someone had created a sort of "offering" in the sand. It was about the size and shape of a sombrero. There was a pretty stick in the middle and crab claws and pinchers carefully arranged in a circle all around. Within the last six months a sign has been placed on the beach (about twenty feet toward the surf from the dunes) at the spot where Nehalem Bay State Park begins. It tells people NO VEHICLES beyond that point. It will also help people stay oriented. There is better signage now but it used to be difficult to know where you had come down onto the beach. There are now some poles marking the campground entrances. And, here in Manzanita, there are numbered poles at beach access points. In case mile 300 reporters didn't have this information I will report that an elk carcass (young bull) floated up on the beach on Mile 300 at the end of Laneda Avenue on May 26. Early morning viewers reported several coyotes had been down to check it out. The city of Manzanita buried the carcass. It has been windy lately so much driftwood has been covered and there are small wind shaped dunes. Lots of tiny pieces of clam and sanddollar shells and little bits of seaweed were in the driftline. The remnants of at least 10 crabs had been scattered about by birds. There were the usual pebbles and rocks. Up in the dry dunes wind had exposed a few areas that had lots of the little plastic pieces.