We think at least part of it is alive.  Strange looking agglomeration, yes?  Wow at least.  Gorgeous and weird.  After I photographed it, we returned it to the sea.  It was about 6-8″ long and seemed to have at least four or five different life forms attached.

The sea was ordinary today, if it’s ever really ordinary.  There is more and more sand every day and we wonder where the stones are going.  Are they washed out to sea?  Piled up higher against the cliffs?  Buried under sand?  It’s not clear.  But we walked at least two miles and explored the jetty tide pools and I got wet feet and wet jeans.  It gets tempting to go barefooted but there are still areas where there’s no sand and one must traverse piles of stones — not comfy for unprotected feet.  I may try to find my water shoes.  The water isn’t that cold and there’s something freeing in not thinking about avoiding the waves!

Had lunch on our patio.  Snow in Chicago.  I like lunch on the patio.