Chasers

The Nor’easter raged on into its second day but began to subside enough by late afternoon that we could take to the streets- along with all the other storm chasers in Hull- which is a good portion of the town’s population. It would not be uncommon to find more cars on the road at the tail end of a storm than peak commuter times. There is this sense of wild excitement, watching the onslaught of driving waves pound and explode against and over the sea walls. Exclamations erupt at the sight of water filling the soccer field and flooding the marsh or cascading over roads and barriers.

As the ocean subsides past the high tide mark, we fight the wind and venture out on the rocky shore of the gut to see what has accumulated at the trash line. Sadly, there is all manner of debris- the usual suspects: lobster traps and accompanying rope bundles, nets, buoys, plastic shards and bits, plastic bottles and caps, etc, etc. We bag up what we can, holding aside what I may be able to work with.