Rockaway Beach - Day Three

Last Wednesday we woke to heavy fog, but the weather man told us it would go away. We had plans to do some exploring, so we just delayed our start and that worked. By the time we drove around the south side of Tillamook Bay, the fog and water and hills beyond were beginning to separate into distinct features. With the sky reflected in the bay, it was one big watery, cloudy scene. We were headed on the Three Capes Loop Scenic Drive. First stop, Cape Meares. Just at the entrance to the state park, a small parking area provides access to a forest of old growth trees. Through these big trees we were headed to visit a giant.

There it is ahead, through the trees. See that branch that is as broad as a tree itself?

One of my favorite things in the natural world, old forest giants.

Can you get an idea of the immensity of this Sitka Spruce? I am standing at it's base and Tom is saying that it is too big to fit into the picture.

On another side these giant burls grow on the trunk.

With the renewed rain, new green has sprung up, and the Johnny Jump Ups are re-blooming.

This is a rain forest, and the moss grows like a beard on the tree trunks.

Also at Cape Meares state Park is another old friend, the Octopus Tree.

(Click to enlarge and read the sign)

And great views.

And a lighthouse.

We continued on our way to Cape Lookout, where we ate our picnic lunch and enjoyed the music of the surf.

While this camping and picnic area is crowded with people in the summer, in October we had it mostly to ourselves.

Cape Lookout reaches out into the sea. There is a trail out to the end, about a five mile hike round trip. I did it once a long time ago.

Next stop, Cape Kiawanda. Here is a monument to a special kind of fisherman with a special kind of boat, the dory. They are pointed a both ends and launched in the surf from the beach. There were none around that day, and the high tide limited the exploring.

Cape Kiawanda at Pacific City.

Many times in the past I have climbed these dunes. When we were kids we climbed up so we could run (fly) down. As adults we climbed to enjoy the view. This time we did not climb.

From here we drove back north on Hwy 101 to Tillamook, where we stopped at the Tillamook Cheese Factory for ice cream before returning to the cabin.

That evening we were treated to another beautiful sunset.

As the light faded, we were off to Pirate's Cove for a dinner of razor clams. Yum.

Rockaway Beach - Day Two

Good Morning, Moon. Last Tuesday I was up early to catch the sunrise, but it was the moon that greeted me.

Long before the moon set the sun made it up over the Coast Range Mountains and began to light up the beach. The first rays of sunlight on Twin Rocks.

Other early morning beachcombers were more ambitious than I.

The sun at it's low angle made great light and shadow effects. Back at the cabin, Tom had the fire going and wood smoke blended with the fog still hanging over the hills.

Later that morning we drove south to the end of the beach at the Tillamook Bay jetty.

The channel, the bar and the sea beyond were cluttered with fishing boats.

The view looking north back up the beach, with the Twin Rocks a seemingly insignificant bump.

The opposite jetty was lined with feathered fishermen, brown pelicans.

We drove further south a mile or so to the town of Garibaldi, on Tillamook Bay, and the fishing docks.

Crab pots, boat masts, and the "G" on the hillside. That G has been a familiar landmark for as many years as I can remember and before that.

The day ended with another lovely sunset.

The Annual Family Apple Squeeze 2009

If it's Columbus Day weekend, it's time for the family to gather for apple cider making. My brother Hank goes east of the mountains and brings back a BIG box of apples, 1000 pounds. Columbus Day is not a school holiday here in Washington, but the Friday before is a non-student day, and my brother, being a teacher, uses the day to go get the apples. It's always a busy time so on any given year family members may be absent, but we always manage to represent four generations. Here part of the crew is using my great grandfather's old cider press.

Hank added a new press this year, so we were really cranking it out.

And then the tasting begins, while the work goes on.

Mother, grandmother, great grandmother Violet sits in the middle of the action, tasting the product for quality control.

Heidi thought it was sour but Katie declared it just right.

The result is about fifty gallons of apple cider to share.

The then it's time for the eating.

A good time was had by all.

Skywatch: Monday At Rockaway Beach

We're back in town after a few delightful days at the beach. We arrived Monday afternoon to beautiful blue skies. As I looked through my many photos as realized that it was one big Skywatch! We had glorious October weather. Here is the view from the front porch of the cabin as it was when we arrived. The Twin Rocks were silhouetted against the bright sky. We walked down the beach in the evening to catch the sun setting between the rocks. A whole in one - catches the sun.

A Sun nest.

There is more to share at a later date.

Odds and Ends

Today the sun is shining here in Seattle and the temp is rising into the low sixties. A lovely October Day. I haven't been outside yet, but will soon. We got off to a late start after being out last night at a family wedding. I just barely got going in time to watch the Seahawks football game a t 10:00. Unfortunately they played the Indianapolis Colts, who ran all over them, and I stopped watching part way through the second half. Fortunately, our soccer team, the Sounders FC, won their match in Columbus last night, defeating them at home and breaking a 22 game winning streak in the Crew stadium. With that win, the Sounders are fairly assured of post season play in their first season. I am an avid fan, and so I had son Jake text me with updates during the wedding ceremony yesterday. I do love technology . This week I completed this little project. Granddaughter Irene has chosen to be Cinderella for Halloween. She already has the costume, complete with gloves, "jewels", glass slippers and a tiara. What to do for the Princess who has everything? So I made her a cape. Later this afternoon we will take the Link light rail downtown again, where we will meet up with Tom's twin sister Jan, her partner Ann, and our son Jake to eat dinner on the waterfront and celebrate the twins' birthdays. Those of you who want to know how old they are may be able to calculate on the knowledge that they attended their 50th high school reunion this summer. Then tomorrow morning Tom and I will be leaving for the Oregon coast for a few days. We'll spend three nights at the little red cabin on Rockaway Beach. The weather promises to be sunny and mild, and I'm looking forward to some strolls on the beach and some prowling through beach towns. I'll see you later.

Major Purchase

Well, yesterday we signed a contract for a new heating/cooling system, a new efficient furnace and a heat pump. Big money. I had to think of Kay of Musings, and the time and thought she puts into her purchases. I'm afraid we are just the opposite. Once we decide to do something, we just do it. So it was this time. When our house was built 31 years ago Tom had duct work put in that would support a heat pump system. He has always wanted one, but the cost was too high during our child rearing years. Our furnace has never given us any problems for all of these years, without any service ever, and it started right up a few days ago when I turned it on for the first time this fall. But it's getting old and it's not efficient according to today's standards. So with the rebates and tax credits being offered, now was the time to do it. We got two bids, and one company was so much more thorough and helpful than the other that it was no contest. The only question was "Should we do this?" So we are. We're on the waiting list. The work will be done most likely in early November. If all goes according to plan there will be just one day without heat. We talked about the trade off of using our funds for home improvement vs travel. We sort of came to the conclusion that our European travel had been wonderful but we were no longer compelled to go across the pond. We would be happy to limit our travels to our own country for a while. And with that decision made, I will let the technicians do their job. I am finally learning to let others do the worrying where I have no control. It works as long as you are able to just pay them the money.