Tracks

The wind has been howling from the north these days as the colder air marches in. On the Chesapeake Bay this also means extra low tides. The water literally blows out of the Bay in to the Atlantic ocean when the north wind works its charms. The boat rides low, the boarding ramp tilts, and the spits of sand around the marina expose all sorts of treasures.

Each morning Zach runs out to see who's been treading along the shore. A heron? A horseshoes crab? A dog?

I remembered reading in a book about casting tracks in plaster of paris (was it I Love Dirt?), so we gave it a try. We used basic plaster of paris from the craft store mixed with water. Then we cut out the bottom of a plastic cup to use as a frame around the print to hold the plaster in place while pouring.

We poured the plaster of paris over the print and waited a bit for it to dry.

Carefully pull it free, and voila!

It's so cool to have the sand stuck on to the casting. Can anyone guess what critter made this track? We hope to make some more as the wind and tides allow.