Have you ever built a castle in the sand? People are always building forts and shelters and castles on the beach. Last year I photographed a few and this was one of my favorites, a fort I guess.
Most human-built structures can’t stand up to the wind, waves and currents on the exposed beaches. This explains why you don’t see piers jutting out into the ocean along the Oregon coast.
Only 22 days after I discovered it, this castle was showing signs of wear.
It’s not just the physical elements that take a toll, humans also play a role. I’ve noticed that structures like this also take a beating from enthusiastic beach cleaner-uppers. The next organized beach cleanup in Oregon will be on March 30, 2013.
Three months later…it’s almost gone.
Nothing left by December. Evidence of the castle featured in this post lasted about six months. That’s a long time on the exposed outer coast. Some castles are a bit more enduring.
Like this old growth stump. It’s been a landmark on one of my home beaches for years.
Here it is, a little worse for wear, withstanding a recent King Tide. You can see this stump in the background of one of the photos in my last post, King Tide.
Note: I updated the photos and lightly edited the text on October 15, 2017. The old stump is still around. You can see some more recent photos in King Tide 2016.
theoutershores 
Your eloquence lies in what you don’t describe, letting your readers draw their own conclusions regarding the ephemeral nature of anthrostructures on the shoreline. Nicely done.
Gee, thanks Lori. That’s quite a compliment. Glad you liked Castles in the Sand.