Living with nature 2

When I first arrived here I posted about the extraordinary way in which the weather and the sea affects everything, and the longer I'm here, the more evident that is.

I was impressed by how clean people keep their cars, often washing them twice a week, until I realised why. If you don't, your car will simply rot away from the salt.

I need to sweep my little paved terrace regularly as the crunching sound underfoot (salt) will be brought into the house. 

My dog, when she was first here, drank so much water she needed to go out about every half hour, it was salt in the air causing her thirst.

When the weather is good, it's magnificent, but when the wind blows, boy, does it blow, and straight in from the North Sea. Local fishermen tell me in the summer, the winds are mostly south westerly and much kinder.

I was recently without my car and needed to walk everywhere and my route is along the shore to the next town. I've begun to notice the different waves, their patterns and colours. Sometimes they're very green, and they're the powerful ones, dragging seaweed through them causing the green colour. 

I have begun to understand why we should treat the sea with such respect. Quite apart from its incredible strength which both my dog and I experienced recently as she was paddling and an unpredictable strong wave knocked her off her feet and I had to wade in to rescue her from being dragged off. It's seeing what washes up after particularly high tides - plastic, and lots of it. People here organise beach cleans regularly but close to the harbour next to the boat slipways, it's really evident. Our rubbish is deadly to sea life and we need to stop polluting our seas.

One morning I was treated to a very sweet, lone, basking seal in the harbour below. So beautiful, and serene.

The weather can be fierce, yet in contrast, the people are gentle and kind. I'm amazed at the lengths complete strangers have gone to to help me out with things. I realise that I hadn't really experienced that level of community before I came here. No-one looks for anything in return, it's just how they are.

I'm getting used to it being broad daylight at 11.00pm and know I must make the most of it as the winters are very dark. When the sun shines, people go out, all else can wait, there will be plenty of time in the winter to be indoors.