Beach Photos and Fun for the Elk Family

While at the beach last weekend I took some photos of the plants around our inn. All are perennials, I liked the informal planting, letting them drape over walls. The fact that a nursery is just down the road is pretty evident. 

Black-Eyed Susan and asters

Agapanthus

Japanese anemone

Possibly a huechera, I liked the water drops on the leaves.

Of course I brought my camera to the beach, but found myself taking photos of elk instead of seagulls. On our last trip to the beach we saw elk in the sand dunes between the houses and the shore. They even yodelled, this freaked me out a little as I could clearly see the bucks with huge antlers a couple hundred feet from us.

Elk in the dunes on a Saturday

Down at the beach, actual elk hoof prints coming from the ocean

Taken from the road, over 40 elk
and some dummy trying to be one with the herd
(click on photos to enlarge)

After coming back up another trail, we looped back to the car and got our binoculars. I counted 37 elk: about 5 males,  a lot of females, and young ones. After counting, I then saw a group of six or more 'fawns' stand up then disappear in the grass again. All the while people came and  went on the trail, it was amazing to see. I don't know if this is common there or not. It was a great way to end our trip.