Archive for the ‘Weekend’s Rock’ Category
Posted by Jody on February 24, 2013
Riprap along the Galveston Seawall and beach, Texas Gulf Coast
I simply love learning about beachy things! Just a few weeks ago, I came across a new-to-me shoreline term: riprap! Riprap, riprap. Isn’t that a fun word to say? Somehow it makes me think of the nick-nack-paddy-wack song.
~So sorry for the Sunday morning earworm! Really, I am!
“What exactly is riprap?” you ask. Also known as rubble, shot rock, rock armour and often spelled rip rap or rip-rap, it’s the permanent cover of rocky material (frequently granite or limestone) used to defend shorelines and shoreline structures against erosion. On the Texas Gulf Coast you can find riprap protecting seawalls, jetties, and bridge supports. It’s designed so that the rocks absorb, deflect, and/or dissipate the impact energy of waves (think tropical storms and hurricanes). The spaces between the stones are useful in trapping and slowing the flow of water, thereby reducing its ability to wash away coastal soil and structures. Alternative rock at its best!
Riprap along the Quintana Jetty (Quintana Beach County Park in the background), Texas Gulf Coast
A closer look at the Quintana Jetty riprap
Everybody sing!
♫ With a rip-rap-paddy-wack
Waves against the stone
This old gal came strolling home! ♫
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Posted in Gulf of Mexico Beaches, Weekend's Rock | Tagged: beach, Galveston Island Seawall beaches, Quintana Beach County Park, Quintana Texas jetty, Riprap, Texas Gulf Coast beach | 17 Comments »
Posted by Jody on February 9, 2013
~Home Sweet Home~
Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego, California
Take a closer look! You’ll find that this beautiful Southern California tide pool environment is home to numerous species of marine life. Sea anemones, gooseneck barnacles, California mussles, and black tegulas (among many others) all live here in the rocky intertidal zone of Cabrillo National Monument.
~A Rocky Bungalow~
Black Tegulas (Tegula funebralis)
Black Tegulas (Tegula funebralis) are extremely common finds along the Pacific coast of the United States. Also known as Black Turbans, they live along the shoreline and rocks of the upper and middle intertidal zones from Vancouver Island, British Columbia to the central Baja California peninsula. These little beauties are often found packed tightly into neat and tidy clusters on rocky surfaces and in crevices.
Would you like to know more about tidepooling in Southern California? Here are a few helpful links:
Tide Pool Etiquette 101
A Visit to the Tide Pools at Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego, California
Picture Perfect La Jolla Cove and Beach, Southern California
WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Home
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Posted in Southern California Beaches, Tide Pools, Weekend's Rock | Tagged: beach, Black Tegula, Cabrillo National Monument, home, postaday, San Diego tide pools, Weekly Photo Challenge | 20 Comments »
Posted by Jody on January 19, 2013
Tillamook Rock Lighthouse
Tillamook Rock
Built on a rocky island 1.2 miles offshore of Tillamook Head, Tillamook Rock Lighthouse represents an engineering and construction feat that overcame great obstacles. From 1880 when the lamp was lit until 1957 when it was decommissioned, “Terrible Tilly” served the maritime industry. Five keepers attended the lighthouse: four on duty at the lighthouse and one onshore on leave. No families lived at the lighthouse. Rotations were every three weeks for that’s when a boat returned the man on leave and brought provisions and mail. Because of the danger and isolation, these lighthouse keepers were paid more. Giant waves battered the lighthouse often shattering the protective glass around the light. During a storm in 1896, a rock weighing 135 pounds crashed through the roof and into the kitchen of the keeper’s quarters. After decommissioning, the lighthouse was abandoned for two decades. Under private ownership in 1980, the lighthouse was renovated and converted to a columbarium cemetery. Since 1994, the rocky islet has also been designated a federal wildlife refuge filled with nesting common murres and cormorants. The lighthouse can be seen from Ecola State Park and from Highway 101 south of Cannon Beach. It is not open to the public.
Source: Oregon Coast Visitors Association
Ecola State Park, Oregon
Don’t forget your binoculars!
Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, Oregon Coast
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Lighthouse trivia: Today, Tillamook Rock Lighthouse serves as a columbarium. A columbarium is a vault, building, or room with niches for storing urns containing ashes of the deceased. This site no longer accepts new urns.
Here are a couple of interesting related links: Oregon History Project, Seaside, Oregon
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Posted in Lighthouses, Pacific Coast Beaches, Weekend's Rock | Tagged: beach, beach photography, Ecola State Park, history, Oregon Coast lighthouse, TerribleTilly, Tillamook Head, Tillamook Rock Lighthouse | 22 Comments »
Posted by Jody on January 12, 2013
Sunset Illumination at Bandon, Oregon
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
~Martin Luther King Jr.
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WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Illumination
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Posted in Pacific Coast Beaches, Today's Special, Weekend's Rock | Tagged: Bandon Oregon beach, beach, beach photography, illumination, postaday, sunset, Weekly Photo Challenge | 34 Comments »
Posted by Jody on January 5, 2013
Morro Rock
Morro Rock, a (California) State Historic Landmark, was formed about 23 million years ago from the plugs of long-extinct volcanoes. Morro Rock was an important navigational aid for mariners for over 300 because the rock is approximately 576 feet tall which made it the most visible in a chain of nine peaks. Portuguese explorer, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo named the rock “El Morro” in 1542. In Spanish “Morro” means crown shaped hill. Morro Rock, sometimes called the “Gibraltar of the Pacific,” is the last peak of the Nine Sisters, which extend from San Luis Obispo to Morro Bay.
The rock itself was mined on and off until 1963. Morro Rock provided material for the break water of Morro Bay and Port San Luis Harbor. In 1966 a bill was introduced which transferred the full title to the State of California.
Source: City of Morro Bay
Morro Rock is now a designated sanctuary for many bird species, including the Peregrine Falcon.
Morro Rock, Morro Bay, California
Morro Bay is one of our family’s favorite places for tidepooling. There’s something quite magical about heading out in the misty morning hours to find colorful sea stars in the pools around Morro Rock at low tide.
For more reading on Morro Bay, check out our post “Morrow Bay, California – Sea Stars, Sand Dollars & Surfers.”
Where is your favorite beach rock?
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Posted in Northern California Beaches, Weekend's Rock | Tagged: beach, beach photography, Morro Bay California, Morro Rock California | 14 Comments »
Posted by Jody on December 30, 2012
Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon
Haystack Rock is located near Cannon Beach on the North coast of Oregon, Haystack Rock is a unique monolith that attracts wildlife and tourists alike. Towering 235 feet over the beach, the Rock is home to nesting seabirds in the summer and marine invertebrates all year long. It is one of the largest “sea stacks” on America’s Pacific coast.
The rocky reefs of Haystack Rock and the neighboring Needles have abundant and rich intertidal life. Tidepoolers are drawn to its wonders every day. As many as 200,000 people visit Haystack Rock every year, mostly during the summer months when the tidepools are teeming and the nesting seabirds, proudly showing off breeding plumage, are busy introducing little ones into the world. Haystack Rock is protected under Fish and Wildlife regulations as a Marine Garden and a seabird nesting refuge.
Source: City of Cannon Beach
Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, Oregon
We stop for a leisurely barefoot stroll on
Cannon Beach every time we visit Oregon’s wild and wonderful coast. The wide, sandy shoreline somehow always seems uncrowded. Cannon Beach’s beautiful, clean strand is always worth the time.
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Be sure to bring your binoculars so you can spot the well-coiffed resident Tufted Puffins throughout the spring and summer months!
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Posted in Beach and Coastal Wildlife, Beach Birding, Pacific Coast Beaches, Tide Pools, Weekend's Rock | Tagged: beach, Cannon Beach Oregon, Haystack Rock Cannon Beach Oregon, Oregon Coast beaches, Oregon Coast tide pools | 9 Comments »
Posted by Jody on October 21, 2012
Beach rock with burrowing clam shell still inside.
Have you ever found a rock on the seashore with holes bored into (or even through) it? The first time I ever found one of these fascinating beach treasures, I had no idea what could have caused the small round cavities. After some research, I found that the little, artfully carved, natural sculptures are usually created by boring clams, members of the Piddock family (Pholadidae). I personally don’t find them to be the slightest bit humdrum!
These burrowing bivalves are generally white in color and have brittle, often elongated, shells. Depending on the species, they are capable of penetrating wood, coral, or moderately hard stone!
Holey moley! These interesting rocks are a fun addition to any beachcomber’s collection!
Related links:
The Most Interesting “Boring ” Find Ever
Angel Wings: A Heavenly Find
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Posted in Beach Treasures - Beachcombing, Seashells, Today's Special, Weekend's Rock | Tagged: beach, beachcombing, holes in beach rocks, Pholadidae, Piddock Family of mollusks, rock boring marine molusk | 10 Comments »
Posted by Jody on October 14, 2012
Rock and sand beach, La Jolla coastline, Southern California
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.”
~Thomas Jefferson
Today we get things rolling with a new category: “Weekend’s Rock!” We’re going to have some fun with this one! Please feel free to share your thoughts, ideas, photos and quotes. We’d love to hear from you!
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Posted in Southern California Beaches, Today's Special, Weekend's Rock | Tagged: beach, La Jolla California beach, San Diego coast, San Diego County beach | 10 Comments »
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