Conquering Vertigo

Salt Marshes and Mud Flats

Head east from The City over one of those long, tall bridges, and you come to the East Bay, home to everything from the Oakland As and Mayor Jerry Brown, to these marvelous tidal washes full of birds, squirrels, fish, and walking paths.

Back before everything came in vacuum-sealed bags, when agriculture was more of a cohesive, daily endeavor for most communities, salt was gathered from these flats. The ocean's tide would surge into the fresh water bay, including these low-lying areas of dense mud and marsh. When the tide receding back to the ocean, the some of the sea's salt would be left behind and harbested by local residents.

These days, most salt comes from the inscrutable grocery store, and the old salt flats are a birder's paradise. We hiked around the wildlife preserve yesterday, map and camera in hand, as birds, fish and field rodents thrived around us.

Someone is still enjoying the salt.

posted by Woman In Love @ 11:01 AM