Nature's Show

One thing we can almost always count on around here is that after the storm comes high surf.  Not something you want to play in, but incredibly beautiful to watch.  After hearing a high surf advisory on NPR this morning, and watching the sun come out to play for awhile, I decided to go down to the Port of Brookings to have a look along with plenty of others. I felt as if I'd barely gotten started when my camera battery died.  Didn't I make some kind of resolution recently to recharge it after EVERY use, regardless of how little it had been used? Now I just need to follow that advice.  On the other hand, I was using it almost like a motor drive, one photo after another to capture what I could, and I ended up with 50 photos.  Still, I'd barely gotten started.

I like using the end of the breakwater for scale -- for more interest in general. 

Funny what color differences appear from the same location, depending upon whether I'm looking north or, as here, south.  It's just the way this camera deals with bright light, much of the time.  The gulls were everywhere, having a real hey-day with all this activity.

Now I wait patiently for the battery to recharge, and I may just go back and do it all over again. 

Better Than a Treadmill.....

I used to run.  I loved to run.  Granted, it took awhile of forcing it before I learned to love it, but I did.  In Atlanta I ran lots of 5K races -- often every weekend,  between hikes and backpacks -- and the occasional 10K.  I'd run the wooded trails in a park near home before or after work, or along the road or sometimes, if forced, on a track.  Didn't matter.  I was training for a half marathon in 1993 when an auto accident ended my running career via a cervical injury.  Think 'paralyzed' if it had been any worse.  My orthopod was a dedicated runner, but he told me not to run. Not to take the chance of shifting something. Period.  Eventually, he thawed a bit, shook his head, and told me to try it, but stop if there was any pain.  I'd jog lightly around the blocks near my home in Grant Park, but yes, there would always be a bit of pain.  I couldn't do much at any rate so the fun went away, but I've missed it more than I can say.

Harris Beach back in May

Lately, I've been using the treadmill here in our building, and have done a little light jogging on that to test the waters, so to speak.  No problems.  Impact is the issue -- I can't do anything that will jar my spine.  Today, I was going to walk Harris Beach for a little exercise, but decided to try running barefoot in the wet sand and see what happened -- et voila!  I ran right at the water's edge, often getting my feet washed by the surf, and there was no impact because my heels sank slowly into that silken-soft wet sand, followed by the rest of the foot.  Deep into it -- a couple of inches, mostly -- but while it was soft, it was also firm enough to be supportive.  Perfect.  I ran south as far as the high tide would allow, turned around and ran back, and it felt wonderful!  I can tell this is my new obsession. Assuming there are no after-effects by morning.

Of course, it helps that this is one of those incredible sunny, warm, clear, sparkly days  here in Brookings.  The tide was also higher on the beach than I have ever seen it, effectively cutting off both ends of the areas I'm used to walking, but still leaving enough for a good run.  Spectacular to watch.  More than once, when I wasn't paying attention, the water swirled much higher up my legs which felt great, but left me with wet capris. A small price to pay.  The little rivulet that normally requires wading through is now flat sand, leveled by the high tides.  All the driftwood on this beach -- and others -- is washed high up at the base of the bluffs, far from the water.  I've often marveled at that, wondering how it got so far up.  I have a feeling I'll soon see the answer to that one, as the winter high tides come in with storms.  I'm guessing that one day I'll walk down the path to this beach and be faced with the ocean, right there in front of me.  No beach showing.  I look forward to that. Realistically, of course, that would be a really stormy day and I'd be home safe and warm, but still...

Another day when I craved my camera -- so totally beautiful out there.  But -- it's in my memory, and that is, perhaps, the best place for it.

Brookings Bruin Fest

This has turned out to be a wonderful day. First of all, the weather is sunny, warm, clear and fantastic.  One of my neighbors invited me out to coffee at a favorite place of  hers, atop an art gallery on a deck overlooking the town and ocean. Actually, it's called the Snug and is depicted in the mural above. Lovely.  Then, when I got home my camera was waiting for me!  I have missed it more than I would believe possible.  Naturally, I had to go out and try it, see how it works after being repaired.  Besides, the weather won't last long.

We've had a bear invasion along the main drag of town so I walked the length of town on both sides of Highway 101 and tried to capture them with the camera. They really are lovely.  The one above is titled "Pierre Bear the Arteeste".

This guy is, naturally, the Pear Bear.

This fella is simply entitled "Dinner". 

There were lots more -- and I had a great time walking in the sunshine and checking them all out.  I'm not sure just what it's all about -- all I've learned is that they will be on display until January and that one of them will eventually be auctioned off with the proceeds going to a local food-share program.  Whatever their purpose, they are definitely fun!

Good Energy on the Beach

The nature gods smiled upon me today and presented me with a river otter.  I'm still trying to get out and enjoy this phenomenal weather while it lasts, without expending too much energy, so I went down to Harris Beach and walked a bit, but mostly sat in the warm sand against one of those big beach rocks, near the surf.  Nobody around -- just me and the gulls and pelicans.

Suddenly I spotted something in the surf not 20 feet away from me -- an otter, swimming in the shallow waves, disappearing when they rolled in, reappearing a bit further down the beach.  Then, he walked out of the water and sat in the sand, sunbathing perhaps.  A wave rolled over him, he rolled with it.  Walked around a bit more then walked up the beach nearer where I sat motionless, mesmerized by this apparition.  He went back into the surf, then emerged again almost in front of me but stayed close to the water's edge, a little further up the beach.  Finally, he headed across the sand inland, stopping often to look for danger this far from the water's safety.  Finally, one last quick scamper took him to the brush and wildness of the hillside. I didn't have my camera, of course, but found this photo on a National Park Service site.  The one I saw had a darker, reddish-brown coat, but it's the same critter. This was a first, for me.

What a treat!  Such a joyful, happy little critter.  A man I met as I was leaving the beach said that otters have a very good energy and a sighting is always a joyful occasion.  I have to agree.  He sure perked me up! I hope all that energy is a good omen, a good luck sign. It was certainly a gift, and I'm grateful.

Mill Beach

Still chasing those 10,000 daily footsteps, I set out this morning after my weight workout and breakfast to explore a different area of town. One of my neighbors told me yesterday about this beach, with vague directions. Once I reached the general area, a kindly dog-walker pointed me towards the beach access. This is not state park land nor, I imagine, do many tourists find there way here. As a result, it's very natural and ungroomed and at low tide should have plenty of tide-pooling critters. Unfortunately, it's also rather heavily trashed around the access entry -- must be a hangout for local teenagers, or others who don't understand the concept of 'haul it in, haul it out'. A trash bin might help. There was no one else walking this beach today, and the only signs of recent occupancy were some deer tracks and a few big dog prints -- fortunately not in the same place. Above, the beach gives a different view of Chetco Point.

It's not an overly photogenic beach, but there are lots of rocks and shells, even a starfish that had begun to dry out (but not enough so for me to pick it up and put it in my backpack!). As usual, these and many other patterns in the sand piqued my interest.

More patterns in the sand. I'm glad to have discovered this beach that is within easy walking distance from home. The weather gods were with me -- just as I arrived the fog lifted and the sun shone bright and warm. Only about 4400 footsteps, but the day is young.

Here at last!

This is the view from my bedroom, and also from the living room, minus the deck. As soon as I have the energy (!!) I'm going to fill those holes on the railing with pots of petunias, so I can have that sweet smell wafting into the house.

Yes, as you can see it is a picture-perfect day here in Brookings! Warm and sunny and utterly delightful. Yesterday was the same. Windows open, door to the patio open, birds singing, the occasional raucous seagull. Lovely!

The move went off without incident and I have almost everything unpacked and my car filled with flattened boxes for recycling. "Almost everything" may be an overstatement, but still, there really isn't much left. Most of it will go on the bookshelves and I'm almost ready to do that. Had to figure out how to layout the room, then get the phone/internet setup. Thank goodness for the laptop! I could not possibly have put this desktop together yesterday -- too brain dead. Almost too brain dead this morning, but it's working, and so is the stereo so all is well.

I am SO glad to be here! My heart started singing yesterday when I first began following the Smith River (I cut south into California for speed purposes), and kept singing for miles and miles as the road followed that beautiful green river that has much more water than a few weeks ago. Then a few redwoods, and then a few minutes later the distant blue of the Pacific. This really is where I need to be -- if I had any doubts, they are long gone. I met a couple of men leaving the building this morning with hiking sticks and asked about beach access. There is none here, but they told me how to find a lovely overlook down at the end of the street, and that will be good enough for an evening or morning walk when I need to clear my head. Like right now!

There is still so much to do here -- and yet, the body needs to rest a bit, if I can force the mind to allow that. The kitchen is wonderful! So large, so many cabinets and so much storage space everywhere. Much, much more than the apartment in Eugene. Cabinets are fitted out with glide-out drawers and a swing-out corner shelf. But again, the dishwasher door won't open all the way unless the refrigerator door is open, so it has its quirks.

I'll post more photos of the apartment once I get the boxes cleared out. For now, adios.