My husband, Frank, and I were feeling stressed. It had been a long, hard year. Finances tight, we strained to save a little money for a get-away. We feel blessed to live in the Pacific Northwest where in less than two hours we can be in the desert, at the mountains or at the ocean. We chose the ocean for our destination.
The day started with us seeing a Bald Eagle, Great Egrets and many Great Blue Herons. Huge hawks abounded on fence posts and tree limbs, waiting for breakfast to run by. Canada geese flew overhead. Fog made vision difficult for a time, but as we approached the coast range, the fog dissipated and blue sky peaked through.
January is not always a good time to take a trip, but it is often very nice at the beach. We drove through thick forest, moss-draped oak trees and along gently flowing rivers. Arriving in Toledo, Oregon, we decided to explore the Yaquina River and see if there was much in the way of bird-life. We saw plenty. We watched a Common Loon dive and come up with a silvery fish in its beak. Buffleheads and Common Coots abounded. Huge brown wings flapped as a Red-tailed Hawk flew up from the water and perched in a tree, watching us.
A little day park offered us the opportunity to walk out on a pier and snap pictures of a sunken boat and other boats moored at the pier. Peace. Quiet. Lovely.
We drove along the river, stopping wherever we felt the urge. One stop was at a row of old pilings. The building was long gone but in the reflection the pilings looked bow-legged. Ducks were plentiful and included American Widgeons, Mallards, Buffleheads, and Common Coots. As we drove along, we came to a farm. Guarding the farm was a trio of domestic geese. No one could pass unless approved by these silly birds. I love them.
Clouds gathered in a strange design . . . strange enough that I stopped to photograph them. The river widened as it neared Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon. Seagulls thronged the area. In the distance came the familiar "arfing" of the California Sea Lions. They hover around the fisheries on the waterfront hoping for a handout.
Needing to stretch our legs, we got out and walked the waterfront. Huge fishing boats and the fleet of NOAA ships reflected in the water. The huge bridge hovered over the entrance to the bay. This was a happy memory for me, as my grandma used to live in Newport when I was a child, and we had such fun there. One of the interesting sidelights was a large piece of a dock that washed ashore after the tsunami in Japan in 2011. It had floated clear across the Pacific Ocean and ended up at Newport after the 9.0 earthquake in Japan.
Of course, we had to visit the sea lions. They are the clowns of the sea. Here was this huge mass of animals, all piled on each other on a little float. Fussing went on loudly and rudely. Pushing and shoving was the order of the day, with much protest. They had plenty of space, but all seemed to need to be in that one spot. We laughed and took photos and simply enjoyed the humor of the situation.
Moving on, we came to Yaquina Head, an extraordinary natural phenomenon. A lighthouse sticks out on the head. Minke Whales reside there year-round, known as the "resident pod." We didn't see any, much to our chagrin. However, when we went down to the beach, I heard something I hadn't heard in years. It was the roaring sound of the rocks jostling together as each wave receded. The sound was musical and haunting. I felt exhilarated just listening to it. It's eeriness was unaccountably soothing.
Warm sun greeted us and reflected off the turbulent waves. Although it wasn't stormy where we were, apparently a storm was going on further out in the sea and the waves whipped and churned with force. A most beautiful aqua color showed through the waves, topped with white foam, as the sun shone through. We had come to see the migration of the Gray Whales as they made their way from the Bering Sea to Baja, California to rear their young. Alas, no whales.
Depoe Bay is often a good place to view whales, but nothing there either except for some resting sea gulls and a Black Oystercatcher. His long red bill probed the tide pools for snacks. After buying my usual caramel corn, we moved on to our motel, just north of Depoe Bay. Clouds increased as we unpacked. Our view was stupendous, looking straight out on the ocean and at a small cove with large rocks sticking out of the water.
As the evening wore on, the sunset started with the strange clouds. They looked somewhat like a huge bunch of batting one might put in a quilt. They took on more color as the sun lowered itself to the horizon. Color became more intense and pink, orange, yellow and red battled for control in the sky. Each change brought sheets of colored reflection to the water. I literally gasped at what I saw and couldn't tear myself away from watching it. Minute by minute change happened. It finally went out in a sheet of bright, fiery red and descended leaving a black sea behind. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.
We had an incredible meal (I had scallops, prawns and halibut) at the restaurant and had a peaceful, quiet evening. One thing that shocked me about myself was when I came in the room in the afternoon, I looked at the beauty of the ocean, then immediately wanted to turn on the TV! Am I nuts? I forced myself to look at the glory before me instead of the manmade inanity. That was a most unwelcome observation of myself, but easily corrected, so I am thankful I saw it.
After another amazing meal for breakfast, we looked out at the sea right before us. Still no sign of whales. We were disappointed but have often found that we don't see animals when we look for them. They usually appear at a most unexpected time.
We drove north toward Lincoln City and looked for the Drift Creek Covered Bridge. The sign was gone from the highway and even driving as far as we could on Drift Creek Road, we couldn't find it. Stopping at the information center in Lincoln City, we found that the bridge was to be destroyed so a private individual bought it and moved it and set it up for the public to see. We drove up Bear Creek and found it there. A most congenial kitty ran out to meet us and show us around. She was the friendliest cat. Each person who arrived got a special reception from her. So cute.
I believe I saw a Night Heron in the Siletz Nature Refuge, but am not certain. We also stopped where a large hawk was perched and he let me take photos of him. He cocked his head to one side and eyeballed me. I was wondering if he planned me for his next meal, but he seemed mellow enough.
We drove the highway through the sand dunes near Sand Lake and out to Netarts Bay. The tide was high then, so no seals to be seen. On to Cape Meares, where we walked up to the Octopus Tree, a giant spruce with many arms. Walking down to the Cape Meares Lighthouse, we took some photos of the sea stacks and the rolling waves. It was getting gray and windy. Down at the lighthouse, we finally saw our whales. That is a bit of an exaggeration as the only thing we saw were the spouts, but that was as good as it was going to get, so we had to be satisfied. We saw at least ten spouts. It was exciting thinking of those huge mammals gliding slowly by under the water. Magnificent.
The wind picked up and we were tired, so got in the car and started the ride home. When we got home, the news said there was a stand-off in Lincoln City which must have happened just after we went through there. It ended with two criminals being cornered. One killed herself and the other was injured and arrested. We had just gone through that area. Thank the Lord we didn't get caught in that, as it went on for hours.
On the way home, we passed a herd of Wapiti (elk) cooling their heels in a cow pasture. Many more hawks were seen. I find such peace looking at the repetition of the basics of life. Farming. Seasons. Wildlife. The tides. The forests. The ocean that never ceases. The mountains. The rivers, ever flowing to the sea. We came home filled with new hope and feel rejuvenated. We had only been gone less than two days, but God's magnificent nature had done its job. Thank You, Lord.
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