THE RAMBLINGS OF A STRUGGLING ARTIST ON LIFE WITH TWO TERRIERS, A PONY WITH ISSUES AND OTHER WILDLIFE AND BIRDS THAT CROSS OUR PATH

15 July 2013

MISTY WIDEMOUTH BAY


On Sunday, we decided to head for the beach, this time to the spectacular Widemouth Bay along from Bude, in North Cornwall. As we approached Bude in the blisteringly hot sunshine, we noticed a strange belt of what looked like cloud, running along the coast as far as we could see in both directions. Marvelous - over an hour of sweaty driving and we cruised into an incredibly thick sea mist and the temperature dropped by about seven or eight degrees. To start with, we could barely see where we were going as we schlepped along what we assumed was the beach; only the sand and rocks were the giveaway. We found a little inlet all to ourselves. This picture was taken later when the mist had cleared:


Despite the mist, it was still very hot and Snippet started to look for a nice cool place to settle in:


Where can he go?


Aha!





We couldn't see the sea at all through the mist...


We walked in the right general direction....



And even when we made it, visibility was pretty low!


Eventually it started to clear and within an hour was a mere wisp:





We could see how really spectacular the rock formations were:






The rocks were covered in tiny mussels:


The sand was perfect:


I found a bit of charcoal left over form someone's barbecue and drew Snippet on a rock:


There were little sand elvers in steaming shallow pools, poached in the hot water:


The five hours there passed in a flash. I swam in the sea for the first time since 1983. We walked back to the car with hair sticky with salt, skin sticky from factor 50 sun cream and that feeling of being baked in the sun. We ate ice cream before driving home. I haven't been abroad since 1998 so haven't felt like this for SO long. What a lovely day. Long may this weather last, although perhaps a bit of overnight rain for the garden please? Until next time, here's Snippet in the mist. 



33 comments:

  1. We go down there sometimes, it's really nice. That mist does usually clear when the sun burns it off and glad it did for you. That picture you did of Snippet on the rock is really good, at least you took a photograph of it, obviously the rock was much too big to take home! lol.

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    1. The picture was washed off by someone's wet bum about half an hour after the photo!

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  2. Looks lovely! This weather is divine, we're all loving it although yes some rain at night to bring the grass back to life would be perfect :)

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    1. Absolutely.....all the hay fields that have been cut are staying brown....not good.

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  3. Superb photos - love the rocks and geology :) I love Widemouth Bay - used to stay all the time when I was little as had one aunt with a bungalow in the town/village and another one had the most gorgeous place up on top of the cliffs called The White House which had an extension with picture windows and great views of the coast. They always used to have nasturtiums growing over garden walls and the kitchen/snuggery was unbelievably old-fashioned. My great-aunt used to chase mice with slipper!! Thank you - you have brought back so many memories :)

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    1. What a lovely place to have your childhood holidays. I'll look out for the Whit House next time we go. It's one of those beaches that makes you wonder why you ever bothered going anywhere else.

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  4. great photos. I love the mist on the beach, it's very atmospheric.

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    1. There was a chill to it too....very mystical.

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  5. I haven't posted photos of it, but we also had a sea fret at Kessingland near Lowestoft on Saturday. Our east coast fret lowered the temperature significantly ... way too much for me (esp. with sea breeze too), but since we spent most of the day just a wee bit inland on the marshes, it didn't matter. I love Widemouth ... haven't been there for quite a while ... What fabulous beach art, Em! How long did it take to draw?

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    1. About a minute and a half. He was sitting obligingly in front of me.

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  6. Hi Em, love Snippet digging his own little spot out, he looks very pleased with himself. Brixham is suffering something really strange...no wind and no sea fret, we are just baking in these very high temperatures. However it's been great for all the shops, stalls and businesses, all the boat trips are full and the beaches. It's great to see so many people here really enjoying themselves. The mist has made the photos sort of eerie-like ghosts playing on the beach I think.

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    1. No wind is very bad for the sweaty human! I find myself puffing along in sheltered areas and then standing, arms out in the breezy bits!

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  7. Snippet looks so cute in his shady hole... especially now his eyes have been revealed! Glad you had a good day. A bit of overnight rain wouldn't go amiss.

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    1. No sign of rain for a while it seems. I have two sacks to fill with wood offcuts today and the very idea is making me feel hot!

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  8. What a cool walk. Terrific charcoal sketch. Thanks for taking us along!

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  9. What a lovely day you had! And clever Snippet for making a shady place for himself! Is a sand elver what we call a Whitebait? Can you cook them in a light pancake batter, or batter and fry them?

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    1. Elver are baby eels whereas Whitebait are tiny baby fish. Have just looked them up and in New Zealand they are juvenile of certain galaxias or inanga caught in rivers apparently. I learn something new every day!

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    2. Sorry - I also meant to say that Sand Elvers are tiny fish, not eels. The heat is getting to me today!

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  10. FAB U LOUS pictures Em. I love those rocks- imagine the pressure it took to lift them up like that. Fab one of Snip digging, he is a darl. And I also loved your impromptu sketch, what a talent you have. CT x

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    1. It's like a geological history in front of you very eyes. Further down the beach you can see where it folds down again. Amazing.

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  11. I used to love Widemouth Bay Em - when my son was small we used to spend our holidays on a farm in Morwenstowe - so I know all that area well. Your photos brought back happy memories.

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    1. It's just magical isn't it? We'll be back there as soon as we can, weather permitting.

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  12. How amazing - folk on the beach in such a dense sea fret! Weird! Snippet's no fool - what a perfect place for a little shaggy dog to keep cool. I loved your impromptu picture of him too.

    I've never been to Widemouth Bay - don't really know North Devon at all in fact, apart from when we had to rescue Itsy from a supposedly "good" permanent loan home. We went to check her out, and bang went our holiday as I couldn't leave her there a moment than I had to.

    I love the folds of rocks in the geology. There's a little (flatter) bit of that along the N. Somerset coast at Kilve.

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    1. Oh for a permanent loan home for Trigger but I fear there is no one out there for him and we are stuck with each other.

      I've just had a look at pictures of Kilve. Absolutely amazing. We must try and go there. Much flatter!

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  13. In year 8 we went to Bude for a week long adventure trip! It was October - cold and miserable and had to go surfing in the hail! Glad the mist cleared a bit for you and aren't those rock formations a geologists idea of heaven?! I think given the chance Bracken may also try and dig himself a cool sandy hole. I am amazed at how they don't combust in this heat with their furry black coats!

    As per a lovely set of photos :)

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    1. Yes - Cornwall is all very lovely if it's nice but not so good in the rain! My son went on a similar thing last November and they were VERY lucky with the weather.

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  14. Wonderful photos of the beach. It is incredible the way the mist suddenly comes down in this part the world and familiar surroundings just vanish. Your drawing of Snippet is terrific.

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    1. I didn't think it was bad until I downloaded the pictures, which have distorted it a bit. His tongue looks too big now!

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  15. I haven't been to the beach in years and years. Growing up mostly in California I used to spend a lot of time at the beach - Zuma, Malibu, Santa Barbara, Goleta. The mist reminds me a lot of Santa Barbara and Goleta. Always had the morning fog. Living very inland the beach is just a fond memory.

    Weather is hot, extremely humid and way too much rain.

    Love how Snippet dug himself a cool spot in the sand!

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    1. I guess somewhere as big as the USA, when you're inland, you're REALLY inland. No quick dashes to the coast for a dip. Do you have a lake or river somewhere close? Sorry you've got so much rain. Ironically, we could do with a bit here. Most people's lawns are turning brown.

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  16. What a super day!
    Loved Snippet in the mist. We used to surf at Mawgan Porth in the 1960's. One of my favorite beaches in the world.
    Loved the drawing of Snippet on the rock.
    It is 100'f here in NY today - too hot to go outside.

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    1. We all puffed out our cheeks in horrified sympathy at your 100 degrees F here!

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