Emerging from sand
The 12th annual Hampton Beach sand sculpture competition was this weekend. It started Wednesday with the delivery of 250 tons of imported sand and completed yesterday at noon with judging and awards. The sculptures will remain in place until the weekend after the 4th of July.
My intent was to visit late in the afternoon yesterday. The sculptures face west, away from the ocean, and I thought the late day light would provide better viewing. I headed out at about four o'clock. The sky over my house was blue, decorated with white clouds. Not five minutes from home, the sky changed to gray, getting darker and darker. There were jagged lightening bolts, and heavy, heavy rain - the kind of rain it's difficult to see through. I thought for a minute of taking a chance and continuing to the coast, but I knew the forecast for severe thunderstorms covered the coast in this area. It was time to turn around.
Morning dawned, the sun was shining and the coast was calling to me. To the coast...
Hampton Beach stretches for miles. There is parking in town close to the sculptures, and there is parking at the south end of the beach. I knew that the town proper would be pretty crazy on this beautiful early summer day so I chose the south end as my starting point. I started with a low tide walk up the beach, spent some time enjoying the sculptures, then walked back again.
I find it amazing that these marvelous creations are made only of sand. When they are finished they are sprayed with what is referred to as a windscreen. It's made of "school glue" and water; I assume that means simple white glue watered down.
More photos from today can be found in the gallery Emerging from sand. There are sand sculptures, beach shots, even some shots of children playing on the beach.
