We are more than thirty miles away from home. Within a few miles on either side of us, bears are chasing spawning salmon along our favorite hiking trails. Not wanting them to chase the little dog, I chose this walk along the beaches of Bridget Cove. Strong sun makes Aki squint as we walk along the first beach, giving her a skeptical look. Maybe she can’t accept the apparent lack of waterfowl and gulls that normally bounce along the cove’s waters.

The trail takes us up and over a series of headlands and then across a broad beach. Here a family enjoys a picnic so I put Aki on her leash. Otherwise she will try to make friends with the family’s snarly-sounding dog and beg for food.  We move past the family and through another headland forest before dropping down to our lunch spot—a pocket beach rarely visited by other trail users. Today’s strong north wind is driving lines of waves into the cove that sparkle in the strong light. We could be in Cinque Terra nursing an afternoon expresso if not for the two bickering eagles, the lack of terra cota colored buildings, and the bodies of jelly fish that have grounded themselves on the beach during the last high tide.

The jellies are compressed wonders. The image of this one could be of a far off nebula captured by the Hubble Telescope.