23 October 2023 Aftermath of Storm Babet

23 Oct 23 (2hrs) To Prestonpans and Port Seton harbour beach - lots of sealife thrown up by Storm Babet, including hundreds of brightly coloured queen scallops, a pink burrowing starfish (astropecten irregularis, see pic), spiny starfish (main pic), a small brittle starfish (not pictured) and a sea mouse (aphrodita aculeata, pictured). There were also enormous, hand-sized scallops and whelk shells, much bigger than I've ever seen before, and of course, still occupied by their dead or dying inhabitants. It was both distressing and fascinating to see the huge variety of creatures and shells dredged up by the storm - I had no idea that our local marine life was so colourful. As a small child I spent many hours on Prestonpans beach, since my dad and aunt (who now lives on Vancouver Island) were born there. I knew that it's interesting in terms of the variety of rocks, bricks, pottery shards, shells and sea glass that can be found, but I was unaware of the teeming sea life offshore. While in Prestonpans I also admired the John Muir mural and the totem pole outside the Gothenburg pub, which is carved from a Douglas Fir felled at Chemainus, a town on Vancouver Island famous for its brightly coloured murals, an idea which was copied by Prestonpans. The totem pole was erected in 2006, at which point it was brightly painted, but wind and rain have taken their toll. Great care was taken to collaborate with first Nation carvers from Vancouver Island in the making of the totem pole, which, as with all totem poles, has representations of important local figures and activities to tell the story of the town.