The skies were clear and blue when I left my house. By the time I arrived at Plum Island, however, it was gray and snowy, and downright blustery at times.
 

There is a palpable sense of remoteness that comes with visiting the beach during late fall and winter.
 

Every winter, snowy owls arrive from the arctic and take residence along the New England coast hoping to find food. In this area, they feast on a healthy supply of voles. Through the snow, a big, sleepy snowy owl was just barely visible across the Pannes.

Snowy Owl
 

I found some dunlins resting along the shoreline; they looked completely tranquil in spite of the thunderous roar of the waves behind them.

Dunlins

I left a long trail of footsteps in the powdered sugar-covered sand.

A late surprise, just before sunset, the clouds broke open and set the landscape ablaze with golden light.