Every area has dangers which only the locals really understand. Growing up in Yellowstone the "tourons" would stand on a thin crust over boiling hot water, or try to pose their children next to a bear or buffalo. Here they want to get close to a basking sea lion, 1,000 pounds and teeth like a wolf and can move fast on land
or
this is the jetty, a breakwater built after the tsunami in March of 1964 killed 11 people and flattened most of the town. On sunny days its wide concrete top looks like a good place for a walk or even to drive your car out and watch the whales
I've lived here 23 years and lost count of the tragedies, when a pedestrian, or even a volkswagon full of people, are suddenly swept off the wall and onto the rocks by sneaker waves like this, and yet the power and beauty of the sea draws me back over and over
With our intense storms lately, there have been huge waves breaking over the wall continuously for days, and yet, there were two grey bearded windsurfers out just in front of me too.
I mock the stupidity of the tourist, yet in some ways I think better to die in the act of loving life than to die, old and afraid and never having dared the wind and the beasts.
God!
I need coffee and to gat awake enough to do some work, this half dreaming mind of mine is strange this dark, stormy morning
Wow--that's crazy. I do understand though. When I worked at the zoo, I would see people put their kids up on the polar bear wall (at the edge of their grotto) to take photos. Meanwhile, the polar bear is doing a happy dance below just waiting.... Ugh.
What a great photo . . so much action going on here. I can almost hear that pounding surf. You commentary is wonderful. Amazing how we all choose to live life . . afraid that I'm one of the timid ones here, Dixie. I have a lot of respect for the power of nature.
Powerful waves make for a striking photo. I'll admit I'm a risk taker at times. I love to climb stuff, stand on the edge and look down and would definitely walk out on those rocks. Not when the waves are that high, of course, but on a quieter day I would.
I live near the coast and we have had a couple of incidents like this where local knowledge would tell us not to venture out - despite its looking safe and quite inviting. I read your text with great interest and it made me think. Thanks for sharing such a lovely post.
Interesting story of your jetty....we don't have them here in the interior of BC but I have seen them when I was a tourist...never thought of the pending danger! Thanks for enlightening me!
Awesome shot Dixie- you're right. Every area has a spot where if people aren't careful tragedy can strike. I hear about them and feel sorry and then switch into the "what were they thinking?!!" mode.
