Storm Light

 

Beards Hollow

Today could best described as blustery.  One minute the wind was blowing the rain sideways, then thirty minutes later it was calm with patches of sunshine.  During one of the calm periods, I made a trip to Beards Hollow, which is located on the Washington coast.  I spent an hour photographing the wetlands and the bluffs overlooking the ocean with little success.  As the sky off to the west began to threaten rain, I began the mile hike back to my truck.  As I turned to leave, I noticed the last of the sunshine as it lit up the dunes and beach grass.  Despite getting wet, the adventure was well worth it!

Approaching Storm

 

I made a mad dash to the beach yesterday in an attempt to catch the last of the summer as the first storm of the season rolled on shore.  As I arrived at the South Jetty, the skies opened into a down pour but I got a quick glimpse of the last of summer to the south.  Sometimes you get lucky and that only adds joy to the journey!

My Wife’s Vacation

My lovely wife typically takes her vacation during the first week of August and her request for this year was to go to someplace that would not be hot.  Finding a cool destination during the summer months is somewhat of a challenge and whereas we visited Alaska last summer, that option was off the table.  After a little discussion, we finally decided that a trip down the Oregon coast would fulfill all of her vacation objectives.  We have both lived in Oregon more than thirty years and both of us have traveled the length of the coast once, so we knew that had to be at least a few hidden gems left unexplored.

Our first stop was in Tillamook which is known as the “land of cheese, trees, and ocean breeze'”.  The area is home to several large scale dairy operations that supply the milk used to produce Tillamook cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and butter.  If you have never tried the cheese or yogurt, I envy you because you still have something to look forward to in life.

Our first undiscovered gem was a visit to the Tillamook Air Museum which houses one of this country’s top privately held collections of World War II aircraft.  Even more impressive is the building that houses the air craft.  During World War II, the it housed blimps that were part of the costal defense system.

Tillamook Naval Air Station Blimp Hangar B 

The building is massive; it is believed to be the world’s largest wooden, free standing, clear-span buildings.  It measures in at 1,072 feet in length, 296 feet in width, and looms over15 stories in height.  To give you some sense of scale, the structure covers an area approximately equal to three football field end to end.

The building was capable of housing eight blimps AKA known as air ships that were nearly 200 feet in length

While in Tillamook, we also visited the Cape Meares Light which is also known as Oregon’s shortest lighthouse.  Measuring a mere 28 feet in height, the light was one of twelve lighthouses that once safely guided ships as the navigated the Oregon coast.

Cape Meares Light

My lovely wife at Cape Meares searching for sea birds that inhabit the rocky cliffs

Continuing our drive south, we arrived at Newport which is the largest community on the coast of Oregon.  Newport is home to the Oregon Coast Aquarium which is a world class aquarium and frequently ranked as one of the top ten aquariums in North America.  The Passages of the Deep exhibit allows you to immerse yourself in the ocean without getting wet. A series of underground walkways pass through the center of the three massive tanks; while you pass through, sharks and other species of fish glide by and literally surround you.  Several of the exhibits have a “hands on component” which furthers the visitor’s experience.  If you are ever in the vicinity of Newport, do not miss the aquarium. 

One of the most recognizable sights in Newport is the Yaquina Bay Bridge.  Completed in 1936, it was the last of the eleven bridges necessary to complete the 363 Oregon Coast Highway.

The Yaquina Bay Bridge just before sunset as the fog rolled in from the ocean

Newport is the homeport to the majority of Oregon’s commercial fishing fleet

Nothing describes the Oregon coast in the summer better than the word foggy.  It often begins to roll off of the cool ocean waters in the early afternoon and frequently shrouds the coastline until late morning.

The fog beginning its evening journey from the ocean to land

 

Jackets are a near constant companion for those visiting the coast during the summer months

Overall, we had a great trip despite the lack of sunshine and the near constant fog.  On the other hand, I never once heard my lovely wife once comment that it was too hot.

Our Old House

 

 

The painting shown above will not be found hanging on the wall of any museum or gallery.  Instead, it has hung proudly on our living room wall for nearly twenty-seven years.  It was a gift given to me by my lovely wife to commemorate our first anniversary.  After all these years, it continues to be among our most cherished possessions.

I still remember unwrapping it and marveling at how the artist had captured the essence of our humble home.  We also found it interesting that the homes of neighbors’ she included belonged to people with whom we were well aquatinted.  Each one of those individuals was special to us in some way so the story begins.

The white house directly to the right was once owned by Gary and Jan.  It had been vacant for at least three years so it came as a surprise when they pulled into the driveway one winter day.  To say that they were noisy would be an understatement.  With two vehicles, three dogs, two cats, and two teenagers, I feared that we would have little in common.  Over the years, they became the closest members of our neighborhood family.  I spent many a summer evening sitting on Gary and Jan’s front porch visiting while drinking coffee.  Sadly, Jan died from cancer way before her time leaving behind a big hole in the neighborhood.  Since then, summer evenings have never been quite the same.

The red townhouses direct above Gary and Jan’s were owned by Ruth and Leona, both of whom were longtime residents of Astoria.  We first met Ruth while visiting the Methodist church; she was a retired nurse and never without a smile or a word of encouragement.  Leona was just the opposite; the word curmudgeon would best describe her personality.  I will never forget the day she announced that she would no longer walk by our house because she didn’t like the color of green we had recently painted it.  I just smiled and told her okay!

The pale green house behind and to the left of our house was owned by a man named Frank.  He was a man of few words but when he did speak it was always something good.  His yard and garden were among the best kept in the neighborhood.  Frank was also the first to decorate his house for Christmas; try as I might, I never was able to get our Christmas lights hung before first.

The big brown house directly behind Frank’s was once owned by Sylvia T.  Sylvia could best be described as a senior member of the “flower power generation”.  She played a vital role in the formation of our neighborhood association. She was also a hoot to be around and I would often stop by her bookstore just to visit.

The big green house behind Silvia’s was owned by a charming senior citizen named Virginia who also a long time resident of Astoria.  Virginia was a very sweet lady who could best be described as a talker.  Anytime I saw her walking down the sidewalk, I knew that she would have my ear for at least fifteen minutes.  Most of what I know of local history I learned from Virginia.  When the winter rains begin in late October, I have little reason to be working in the yard so it was not unusual to not see Virginia for months.  One summer day it occurred to me that I should have seen her by now and remarked the same to her neighbor.  Sadly I learned that she had died quietly during the winter, apparently her family didn’t hold a memorial service to honor her life. 

Except for Sylvia and Gary, all of the others passed away years ago and their former residences have been bought and sold at least twice.  Apparently long term home ownership is a thing of the past.  Sylvia left town many years ago to be closer to her family and we lost touch.  Gary retired last year and has moved to western Washington to live closer to his new wife’s family.  As I write this post, Gary’s former house finally sold after being empty for nearly two years.  I can’t wait to become acquainted with our newest neighbors.

 

Waiting At Anchor

 

The freighter Ultra Esterhazy waits patiently at anchor on a recent cool and foggy morning.  The ship is massive, its overall length is nearly as long as two football fields placed end to end.  To get a sense of its size, click on the photo for a larger image and you will see crewmen standing near the rail midship.

Sunrise Through The Fog

 

A tranquil Sunday morning on the Columbia River as the sun rose through the low clouds and fog.  Mornings do not get much better than this!

July 4th At The Coast

 

It was a gray, low contrast sort of day on the Oregon coast just south of Cannon Beach this morning.  At the time that the photo was taken, the winds were calm and the temperature was not quite sixty degrees.  It may be a bit cool, but it sure beats the heat of the southwest or the humidity of the east coast!  Have a great July 4th.