Sea Life

 

Last summer I traveled 16,000 miles to get one fuzzy photo of a puffin, and here, in Newport Oregon at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, this fellow could not be finer, nor could you find one that would stay still and pose any better. Isn't he cute?

After a morning at the aquarium, we wound northward, enjoying the most beautiful sunny day we have had so far. Those are rare on the coast. We stopped at every stop, lighthouse, beach, cove, whatever. As the Oregonians say, going willy nilly is encouraged.

And yes, we saw whales. They should be north already, eating in the Bering Sea, but Depoe Bay has colony of about 60 year round. I learned last year that whale photography is best left to national geographic. One puff, a hump, and then it is gone, leaving me with a photo of water. I actually saw more humps today that I did in all of Alaska. But I just enjoyed the view, and left the photography to National Geographic.

Finally, off the beaten path, Pacific City, I found a beach like Texas. Well, almost like Texas. If you don't look at the big sand dunes and rocks in the sea and the firs and feel the cool breeze, it's like Texas. What I mean is, people buy a permit and drive on the beach and let their dogs catch frisbees off leash and walk for miles on a flat surface. Some even wear bathing suits, although most have more layers on. Unlike Texas, they haul their Dory boats down to the water and launch them off the beach.

Oregon Rocks

 

Although the California Coast is breathtaking, it lacks approachability. Oregon, on the other hand, welcomes RV's, pets on leashes and old geezers like us. California builds one ocean front campground on the entire southern coast. Oregon builds a state park every three miles on the coast and makes the beach and the views accessible. I LUV Oregon. Daisy LUVS Oregon. We go for at least one big walk a day on a beach or dune or lighthouse. We meet other dogs and owners having a wonderful day.

Take this little fellow, that we met at the top of Perpetua lookout. He spends his days in a doggie carrier on the back of a 150. He is dressed for the occasion, of course, by his Vancouver mom in the pink helmet.
Or Tucker, who gets to walk around Seal Rock every day of his life.





Such views, such accessibility. Did I mention I love Oregon?

Not on his life list

This experience was so not on Carl's life list, but he did it. I have to say, maybe 30 minutes is enough instead of an hour. But I would never have skimmed across this giant sea of dunes on my own. Definitely not on a four wheeler. So Carl came along to humor me.


What a bumpy ride! Seated in the back, we got all the G force. I had to turn off the camera after 15 seconds to hold on..

But what a sea of sand and amazing life. Vegetation holds on and thrives despite the living moving land, and the dunes move as the seasons change. What a place!

Fourth of July

Whenever I take a day off, my friend Linda always seems to inspire me. Here's her fourth of July story.

Our Sunday school class attended a party at one of the class member's homes that is right across the street from the Houston Country Club golf course. Everyone grabs their lawn chairs and walks thru the only vacant lot and lines up on the golf course green. I swear I almost got singed as the fireworks were right overhead. 10 minutes of awesome booms and explosions. Some fun - and a nice breeze to help move the hot air around. No mosquitoes at least. How about you?

well........

On the fourth, I drove north from Point Arena to Fortuna CA. When we checked in, the lady at the RV park said Fortuna had 15 minutes of fireworks the night before. There would be fireworks in Ferndale or Eureka, but fogged in. (confirmed this later, that in Eureka the fireworks were above the cloud line.) We passed a number of small town parades on the trip up the coastline, and saw a lot of firetrucks parked with kids exploring them. But my fireworks were on TV, the Boston Pops and Charles River. I am never disappointed with the Boston Pops.

Let's hear it readers, how about your fourth?

Evening in paradise

After a short visit in Healdsburg with Audrey, who at 92, can only take a short visit before resting again, we headed for the Pacific again, this time to Bodega Bay and then up Highway 1. We made an overnight of a visit with Stew and Lynn Fox at their incredible built by themselves home just up the hill from the Pacific near Point Arena. They harvested huge fir timbers from their land for the supports for this home, peeling the bark and rubbing to a fine patina. Over ten years with the help of 100 family and friends, the dream took shape. Looking through the photo albums of the build shows the love that went into this home. Starting with camping in a tent to drilling a well to upgrading to a trailer, the story is documented.

And like the home, the family exudes warmth. Lynn is quite the bohemian, and if my climate was like hers, I might have such a garden too. One of her bohemian traits is the abhorrence of a dishwasher. All the years I have known her, she has never used one. Those who don't cook wash dishes. It's a bonding thing. I officiated over the meatball dinner making in a fine kitchen with lots of help, so I did not have to do dishes. Good thing. There were four pots to wash.

We shared so many bonds that evening, starting with Carl and Stewart who knew each other in high school long before they were stepbrothers, Lynn who grew up in Angel's Camp and thinks she personally knows the trees that Lori has painted, and Pam, Lynn's niece who grew up in La Porte and Casa Mare where her mother was a counselor and was part of the original Girl Scout Backpacking movement. Now she owns a bookstore a mile from Caroline's house in Walnut Creek and sends her children to Alcanes where Carl and Stew went to school. Her daughter is attending Trinity in
San Antonio this fall, and I think we will see more of Pam.

It was a wonderful evening. If there weren't such scenery beckoning on Hiway 1, I might stay forever.

An exchange of hearts

 

Seven year old Nicholas Green of Bodega Bay was killed by highway robbers in Italy in 1994. His parents donated his organs, and seven people live today because of their gift.


I happened upon this memorial on a walk from the RV Park to Bodega Dunes and found myself riveted in that spot, awestruck. The central bell was cast in Italy. It contains the survivors names and Nicholas'. I didn't know the story of all the other bells mounted on this tower, but I suspected each had an equally moving story. I looked up the facts online. Here they are.

The children's bell tower in Bodega Bay is a magical place. It stands on open ground, a thick growth of cypress trees on one side and green hills on the other. In the background are high dunes and a tantalizing glimpse of the ocean. The tower is 18 feet high, three tubular steel pyramids from which hang 140 bells, almost all of them sent by Italians: school bells, church bells, ships' bells, mining bells, cow bells. The centerpiece is a majestic bell, thirty inches high, from the Marinelli foundry in Italy, which has been making bells for the papacy for a thousand years. Nicholas' name and the names of the seven recipients are on it, and Pope John Paul II went to the foundry to bless it. Whenever the wind blows, as it often does on this exposed coast, the bells chime, sometimes a few at a time, emphasizing the solitude of the surroundings, sometimes an entire orchestra, sounding like happy children at play. Then the sound fades away, and the children are gone. Although it was inspired by Nicholas' death, the tower was designed to be a memorial accessible to everyone a place where children would feel at ease. Its delicacy reflects both the preciousness and fragility of young life. Many families visit it to give thanks for their children, others find some solace for a loss.

One hundred and kicking

 

Six months ago Caroline turned 100, and it ain't over yet. She still commands the household of four cats and a dog and cruises the hall, bedroom, living room, kitchen, etc. She just can't cross the door humps to get outside without help. Totally amazing gene pool there.

Carl and his brother Nate tackled rebuilding a fence, and oh boy was it hot in the sun. I helped in the morning when it wasn't too bad, working on the wood fence. Then the sun started beating down as the guys took on clearing a path through bamboo stubble and stringing and stretching wire. It was a killer on the feet and balance. I got to do first aid on Nate's bamboo puncture wound, and I felt very fortunate I did not have to recall my Girl Scout First Aid training for splinting broken bones from the tumbles they took.

But it is done.

To reward ourselves for finishing the job, we have had a spa day. First we had a one hour foot massage for $25 in San Ramon. The girl working on Carl said he had limited range of motion turning his head right. She said his wife must sleep on his left side. True, except this summer I sleep 5 feet above his head!

Then we headed to Calistoga for a mud bath. Yummy!

Our bike rack failed today. Carl noticed it leaning out in the parking lot. Lucky thing he noticed. It was about to break right off and dump bikes. Then we would have had a major incident on the freeway. It was a day for freeway incidents. We noticed a travel trailer rolling down the freeway with a few things wrong. The TV antenna was up and flopping in the breeze. And the sewer hose was flapping on the side. A few minutes later we ran over the sewer hose.

We are proud of our new expensive bike rack with a lifetime warranty. Can't say the same for that trailer's sewer hose. Wonder when he will notice? I cannot imagine driving off with the sewer hose attached. Maybe somebody stole the trailer? Oh wait, let's think like a banker again! I'll bet it was a repo man!