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Ghosts On The Beach
Watch out for ghosts when you go to the beach!
(This is one of those times when you will need to keep your baby brother or sister away from you for a while; ask mom or dad to help keep little brother/sister busy while you go on a ghost hunt.)
If you are very, very, very, very still, and very, very, very, very quiet, you may just see one of our beach ghosts! The ghosts move extremely fast - in the blink of an eye you can miss one. They are more active at night, but do come out during the day. Younger, smaller ones are seen more often during the day - maybe because they don't realize it may be dangerous to be seen by humans? The ghosts are very pale which makes them difficult to see. Since they are almost the same color as the sand, they seem to become invisible as they blend in with the beach background. You have to be really, really sharp for this to work. Ready? Still....Quiet...There! Did you see it??
Whoops. Missed that one. It ran back into its hole.
Now. Again. Still... Quiet... Watch the area around edges of small holes in the sand. These holes vary from about 1/2 inch to 3 inches in diameter, and the size of the hole indicates the size of the ghost that lives in that burrow. Of course, it's easier to spot the larger ghosts, so focus on two or three larger holes near you. You may be lucky enough to spot an arm or leg coming out of the hole, but, usually, you first realize two black dots are moving at the edge of a hole. These are eyes. Watching you. With 360-degree vision. If you move, the ghost will disappear. Steady....Quiet...Patient...
If you are very observant while you are waiting for a ghost to appear, you can sometimes see its footprints. Look for tiny tracks in the sand that lead to or away from a hole. And, is there a pile of sand near the edge of the hole? If the sand is shaped neatly into a pyramid-like mound, a male ghost lives in that hole. If the sand is scattered all around the hole in every direction, either a female or a very young ghost resides there. Sometimes, instead of the ghost appearing, you will see sand flying out from a hole; the ghost is below ground cleaning or remodeling its home and throwing the sand out...Oh!
Did you see? Did you see? A ghost just came out of a hole, walked toward the ocean, then ran back into the hole! Did you see? The ghosts can walk or run only sideways because their leg joints bend in only certain directions. Will that one come back out? Or, should we focus on another area?
Imagine the bragging rights you will have back at home when you tell friends you saw a "real" ghost at the beach!
(We"ll keep your secret about the ghost being a crab. A Ghost Crab! Shhhh...)
252-261-4444 / 800-JLambJR / 252-261-3270 (Fax) / info@joelambjr.com
