Backyard Tide Pools

Upon exploring the backyard of our little beach cottage we discovered that we had the most wonderful secret tide pools tucked away behind the houses of our temporary neighborhood.  They were stunning and amazing, the best tide pools that I have ever seen in my life.  There were bursting with little wonders from thesea of all shapes, sizes and varieties.  I have never seen so many anemones, they covered entire surfaces of rocks.

 

The fist few nights only small bands of adventurers ventured out at dusk to explore the treasures of the tides.  Those nights, the tide was high and covered most of sandy beach and the sky was a dramatic, cloud covered gray that robbed the horizon of any hints of a fleating, setting sun.

Can you spot the small black and white swimmers amid the forest of vibrant green anemones

After hearing the stories of discoveries and excited, detailed discriptions of the wonders found in the secret pools, the entire family set out one evening down the tree lined path toward the sound of the breaking tide.  We could not have picked a better night, the air was crisp and clean and the sky was ablaze with a brilliant, fire colored sunset, the only sunset we witnessed the entire time we were in Oregon.  The tide was low, extremely low, which unveiled a whole other world filled with creatures from the mysterious sea.

There were dozen upon dozens of brightly colored starfish clinging to every bonicle covered surface