50 Foot Tides

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My parents loved the Canadian East Coast. We went there on vacations often. One year we had a rental to stay in the Bay Of Fundy in Nova Scotia. It was on a long road towards the water and set in the woods. My family walked to the water at low tide. The sight was amazing as we walked out into the tidal flats. We were looking for garnets and any shells or treasures left when the tide went out. My sister hung back on the shore. I think she was around six or seven that year. No one could intice her to walk on the flats. She stayed on the beach and never put a foot onto the flats. When we were tired of searching for treasures we walked back to our little cottage and ate dinner. My dad on the way to the cottage had stopped at a vendor on a pier who was selling fresh caught lobster. We picked one that was big enough for all five of us to share. The vendor cooked it while we waited. Dinner was cold lobster with melted butter and a salad. DELICIOUS ! While dining all of a sudden we heard a rumbling from afar that got louder and louder and actually made the cottage shake. My sister was terrified and in tears. A train went by and all things calmed down except my sister. Turns out she stayed on the beach, off of the flats because she had heard us talking about the 50 foot tide and thought the tide came in a 50 foot wall of water. I'll admit we had a good laugh at my little sister's expense but Mom, took her on her lap for comfort. She explained how the tides inch their way out about 50 feet and return the same way. Elaine must have been napping in the car as Mom told us what to expect. All was well and the next day my sister joined us on the flats. But to this day she still gets teased because of this story. It will happen today too because I'm going to put this post on Facebook