To be fair, living on the beach is cool. I know I haven't done anything on the beach or with the beach or, even, to the beach in months but, it's always there. And having it 'always' there is, well, it's satisfying.
I realize that, honestly, having this great location just to myself is a waste. There are others who would enjoy this location so much more but, for now, it's mine and, like it or not, I'm here. And it is cool, living on the beach. Haha, it's just a shame no one will come visit.
Because, truth be told, a LOT of people spend some big bucks to come to this town and vacation. And me? I'm here year-round. Well, at least until I move.
And so I spend my days, living beside the beach and knowing it's there for me. And the most I see of it is when I walk over to the bluff and look down. But I do get to see sights like this every so often. Someone enjoying the beach in their small, portable cabana.
And I get to see things like this. I don't know, maybe they're Druids or, at the least, pagans. But someone, some young soul, took the time to stack all these rocks up for some reason. I bet if you asked this same kid to clean their room or mow the lawn they'd have a hissy fit but, here, on vacation, they can sift around finding just the right stone and stack those bad boys not once, not twice but over ten times, one on top of the other.
Go figure.
It's the beach, Man.
I do like the bluff. I particularly like it when the lawn is freshly mown. Looks inviting. Now if the wind would calm down a bit and the weather warm up a bit it would be ideal. Right now it's too breezy to do anything out there except sit; and too chilly to sit out there without bundling up.
Not beachy at all.
There is a kick-butt view from the front room. I've seen whales, deer, squirrels, birds, pelicans and an occasional eagle from these windows. Plus some great sunsets.
Just catching up loose ends here. I walked over to the Bi-Mart, just before you get to the store, there is an osprey nest on one of the lights in the Outlet Mall parking lot. I always check to see what they're up to when I go by.
Here's the nest, there was one osprey there but she was ducked down low. However, they did have some company.
Evidently, osprey's don't go in for finger food. This guy didn't seem to mind the ospreys and they weren't concerned with him.
The other day was an ugly day. Foggy and dreary all the doggone day. I got this shot of the fog rolling in from the ocean.
Oh, and the chairs? When I put them out the wind will, every time, knock them over. That's why I have the brick on the small table between the chairs. To keep the table from blowing away.
Later on the fog was thicker.
And this morning I was up bright and early at 0511. Ah, well, I got almost 6 hours of sleep. That's doing OK.
Anyway, I got to see the sunrise, such as it is here. One of the best I've seen.
And, about a half hour after I took the shot above, I turned around and shot towards the west. Not quite as good, eh. A dull and overcast start to the day.
But, what the heck, it's a start. And it was suppose to clear up as they day grew longer.
It was going to be a great day because I had an adventure planned. A jaunty field trip to the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area for another Quest!!
Here's my start to this morning. Boy, I seen a lot of great sights over the hood of this Mini.
And I was off!! Heading off to adventure...just following my nose and seeing where it went.
And where it was going right now was down south to the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. Where my next Quest was located.
But before I got there, I stopped by the Devil's Punch Bowl State Park for a look-see. The last time I had visited this park, it had hundreds of pelicans hanging about. Not this time.
Still, there were some nice views to be had.
I never tire of photographing the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. There aren't too many new ways left in which to capture it but, the thing is, the weather changes gives it a new perspective depending on the what's happening.
Like today. It was early, around 0730 when I got there and the early morning fog was still lingering about. It really does create a different picture, well, as much as my meager abilities allow.
I think this is my favorite. If you enlarge this picture you can see the tower of the lighthouse. See that big hill to the far left? That's the hill I'm going to climb while I'm on my Quest.
Obviously, if you know me at all, you're aware that if I had known just how much of a climb I was going to have to do beforehand I never would have done it. Obviously.
Hahahaha, me and walking up hills don't go together much anymore. But I was still in a state of blissful ignorance at this point.
Looking a bit inland but still along the coast. There's Beverly Beach just beyond the homes and then, further down, Moolack Shores. Hard to see because of the low-lying fog along the coast.
Here's a closer view of the...country club? Something that requires a large and neatly groomed lawn.
Look big and then look small. Like these. Along the hillside leading down to the ocean.
And it was a day for birds. I saw plenty and, fortunately, got a pic of a couple. I got just the one of this guy before he took off again. Lucky for me.
I think it's a Lucy's Warbler. I'm hoping someone more knowledgeable will see it on FB and tell me what it is.
Love the zoom!! Just stand back and zoom in for some great detail and when you do you blast out the background with the narrow plane of focus.
It's a matter of just picking one of the dozens of flowers there to take a picture of.
The have a rail fence leading down to the gift shop.
Ah, my trusty Mini. I've had some grand adventures with this Ol' Gal. She's been a steady, and reliable, companion for nine years now. I've only replaced the tires and the battery so far. Knock wood.
This is looking north up the coast from the gift shop area. The shop was closed since they don't open until ten. Still, it was worth walking down to it for a look-see.
And another bird. A white-crowned sparrow. Pretty common around here but I still enjoy seeing the Wolverine Football Helmet head of these birds. I wonder what purpose the black and whites stripes on its head serves. It's an adaptation that helps the species to survive but I haven't figure out what it does.
Anyone?
The Devil's Punch Bowl State Park is small but definitely worth the effort to stop by. A lovely area, especially with some fog to give it a dramatic quality.
And one more bird. Don't know what this guy is but he was vocal.
This was becoming a productive day. The primary reason I had stopped here was that the Yaquina Head Park didn't open until 0800 and so I had some time to kill. I'm glad I did, time well spent. Some good sights.
The trouble with shooting with three cameras is that the pictures are not in any kind of order. And I'm too lazy to sit down and try and number them in any particular order so..this is the result. Sometimes they bounce around.
Ah, life's tough, isn't it?
Well, these were taken with the little camera, the Canon SX170. The ones above were taken with the Nikon P900. Just by way of a small explanation if things don't always appear in a logical sequence.
Like these vines creeping along the top of the fence by the parking lot, one of the first shots I took there. Hahaha, I am SOOOO lazy.
And then, just like that, I'm leaving. Zoom!!
I do like me some road pictures. Like this one
This is the road into and, consequently, out of Devil's Punch Bowl State Park. As I was leaving.
And I do likes me some fog in me pictures, too.
Moodiness...
It was just a short trip down to my destination. And, since it was now well after 0800, the park was open. My timing was perfect, sort of. I was working with a big window so perfection wasn't all that hard to reach.
OK, so we've gone through the introductions and now to the meat of the matter.
The Oregon Coast Quest!! The Yaquina Head version.
This is my seventh Quest. I just need three more and then I can get this patch!!
I have no idea what I'll do with the patch other than put it in a box somewhere and store it but, doggone, I will have it!! I will have earned it!!
It will be mine!!
Here's where that earlier warning really comes into play. These pictures will be just a bit out of logical sequence. And, yes, I'm too lazy to arrange them chronologically. Too. Damn. Lazy.
Now that I have my mea culpas out of the way, let's get this thing going.
When I pulled into the lot it looked like they were having a meeting of a local bird-watching club. There were 6-8 folks out there with the tell-tale marks of birders, heavy-duty telescopes and cameras with some HUGE zoom lenses. Oh, and the dress. They always dress sensibly. Always.
I had forgotten about the Peregrine Falcons. We saw them last year and lived through the drama involved with the Mom who split and the Dad and the other and the...yada, yada, yada.
Well, a breeding pair have returned. And that was what was holding everyone's attention. The cameras and telescopes were all focused on the three eyasses. (That's the technical term for a baby Peregrine Falcon)
And Pop was up on the hill watching all the goings on.
I reached out with my P900 but the light was behind the falcon and so everything was blasted out. Too contrasty for the camera (and me, evidently). But you can get the idea of what an adult peregrine falcon looks like and compare it to the eyasses.
Who are...here!! In all their baby cuteness.
Let's hope all three make it to adulthood. But, reality dictates that ain't gonna happen. Ah, Mother Nature, you can be a real...son-of-a-gun at times.
Way off in the distance, I spotted these guys hard at work. Man, I would have to think twice about going out in such a small boat day after day.
That ocean is one big pond, amigo!!
Birds.
Common Mures to be exact...with a stray cormorant thrown in to keep things loose.
Uh, yeah, congested. Last year a pair of bald eagles were feasting on the mures and they didn't stick around to mate. This year the eagles must be eating somewhere else.
The lighthouse. Well, c'mon. It's there and so photogenic. I know this looks just like all the other ones of the lighthouse that I've taken. Still...
A roosting rock.
Haha, and I thought The 101 was crowded on a Friday afternoon!!
And the fishing guys were still hard at it. Bringing home the bacon...sort of.
I can't help it. Whenever I see these guys I think "Penguin". In fact, the first time I saw them, last year, I thought that's what they were.
I need to point out that all these were taken after I'd finished my quest. I used the Nikon P900 at the Devil's Punch Bowl and then after I'd done the quest. It's a larger and heavier camera than the Canon SX60 and so I chose the lighter camera for the hike. Plus, I'm more comfortable with the Canon. I'm still figuring out the basic bells and whistles on the Nikon.
Ah, they must do things differently to establish their brand and ensure brand loyalty. I suppose.
"Don't make any sudden moves, Carl!!"
And the lighthouse.
You see, I learned Carol was traveling down to Newport for some shopping and so I offered to drive her back to LCO since I was in, more or less, Newport. We agreed to meet at the Newport Walmart at 1240 and so I had a little less than an hour and a half to kill waiting for her.
Easy enough when you're at an Outstanding Natural Area like I was. I wandered around and got some more shots...of the mures and the lighthouse and, whatever.
Lots of shots of the mures, actually.
Be quiet. I'm not showing you but maybe 1/20th of what I shot. Of the mures.
Whew!! I think we're finished with the mures for now.
I decided to stop by the Quarry on my way out. It's part of the Natural Area and it's where the harbor seals are usually found.
Unfortunately, there weren't any there today. I expect they'll be showing up soon.
Plenty of gulls to get pictures of.
I got this shot and didn't realize I'd been photo-bombed until I got back and downloaded it.
There he is, the Bomber, in the lower right corner.
Nicely done, Big Fellow. Nicely done.
And on the horizon in the picture above but so far away as to be invisible in that picture was this ship. Way, way off.
But not so far my mighty Nikon P900 couldn't reach out and pull him in. I got closer pics but they went from optical to digital and, well, it's all blasted out. So you get this one. It was moving south to north at a rather good clip.
I wonder what the back story is with this ship and where it is now? Which reminds me, if the cost were a bit more reasonable, I'd love to travel on a tramp steamer to places unknown and exotic. But the prices I've found in my research are a bit too steep for me; at least until I win the Lottery.
Hooah!!
I really like shooting backlit flowers The light through the petals make it a different picture entirely.
I tried this group several times with the Nikon and then I pulled out the Canon SX170 and shot several more. You'll see them later.
Count on it.
What a beautiful park. Plenty to see. Looking south towards Beverly Beach way off in the distance.
And, when I saw these guys I thought of my son-in-law, Matt. He's the surfer. Maybe when he's here for the reunion he'll rent himself a wetsuit (must have!!) and a board and catch a couple waves.
Surfing is not for me. Never was.
Alrighty then. Camera change. Time change.
Bear with me.
In the meantime, enjoy this shot of...the Yaquina Head Lighthouse.
OK, this is the quarry looking back towards Communication Hill. The mighty mountain I had to climb to fulfill my Quest.
It's that very tall thing in the middle.
Remember these? Here they are with a different camera; and some different cropping. I still can't decide which one I like best. It's like having kids...I can't pick a favorite.
Just a bit different with the cropping. Tighter.
When I had first arrived, I shot the pictures of the falcons.
I had walked over to two men and started up a conversation with them. They were using a telescope and spotting the eyasses in their nest. We had a good talk. Fred lives in Newport and was hosting his friend, Barry, from Klamath Falls.
They're both interested in birding, duh. We talked about cameras and such and I gave them my card with an invite to stop by for a beer.
Then I was off questing. The Quest began at the front door to the Interpretive Center and then continued on around behind it and underneath the road. As I rounded the Center and approached the tunnel I saw this fine fellow fly in.
An American Goldfinch.
And he posed for me for a long time. In fact, he let me get about 10-15 feet away from him and shoot him up. A lot. I have a lot of pictures of this guy. But I only gave you one.
You're welcome.
But you'd have enjoyed the others as well.
Following the directions and collecting my clues, I headed through the tunnel underneath the road.
To this sight. That's the Quarry down there...where the seals will return to soon. Where I will walk down to after I scale the Mighty Communication Hill and finish my Quest.
I was also able to look south towards Newport.
Then, in what was to be a recurring theme for this Quest, I head upward!!
Up the stairs and then up the path that the stairs led to.
All sorts of interesting things to see. Even crows.
And oddly shaped sunflowers.
I gotta wonder what happened to this guy.
This its the same flower as the above. Just taken from a different angle.
Seriously, what could have caused it to grow like that?
I likes me some daisies. These are, I believe, Shasta Daisies.
And some food for thought.
Good advice. I made sure to read and understand what to do if I should encounter a cougar. Other than quickly needing a change of pants.
I especially like the last admonition...
Fight Back if attacked.
You bet your ass I'll fight back...as much as I can with a loaded pair of pants and me running down the road screaming in a high-pitched wail of terror.
I told you that stinking Communication Hill was a steep mountain. I grabbed some elevation on this Quest, y'all.
Looking back, wistfully. I was only halfway up this Alp-like mountain.
Why they insist on calling it Communication Hill I do not understand.
It was a nice walk, though, and I got to see Ol' Petter Cottontail. I just realized I rarely see rabbits here. I've seen way more raccoons than I have rabbits.
Up, up and away...up some more.
Argh!!
The ascent took me into the tree line.
And gave me some great views.
I finally reached my goal. The clues all added up to spell "UNDER SIGN".
Like a good soldier, I assumed the box with the stamp was "under" the sign. I found the damn sign and the box should be under it, right!?!
Wrong.
OK, I found the sign and looked all around the ground under the sign.
OK, bear with me cuz this is embarrassing.
I read everything down to the last clue on page 66. I assumed that was the last clue and that page 67 only had the final clue written in so's I could find the stamp.
I wuz wrong.
Frustrated, I used the number I'd gotten on another Quest when I couldn't find the stamp and called Cait. I was irritated but I think I controlled it pretty well. Cait was very patient with me and asked me to read the final clues.
I read, all of them down to the end on page 66. Then she asked, "Is there more?" and I looked at page 67 and saw the real final clue up there. Duh!!
Your Quest is complete
and now your hint provides
where to look to read a note
telling where the box resides.
I read that, then looked under the sign where they'd written on the inside edge of the underside of the sign, "Corner of the fence."
OK, I'm feeling a bit stupid right about now. It didn't help when I, with Cait still patiently on the phone with me, went over to the nearest corner and found the box in like 2-3 seconds.
Yeah, I felt like a huge and very slow-witted ass.
It really didn't help when I told Cait I had found it that she said, "Oh, and you found it so quickly, too."
Hahahaha, well, I deserved that.
But I did find it and I did get my damn stamp. And I did resolve to not be so quick to call for help next Quest. As Cait remarked to me in her final salvo, "After all, we don't want to make them too easy."
Hahaha, maybe for us special kids you might have to.
P.S. can you see the communications tower and relay stations? Hence the highly original name, Communications Hill.
So I had me another stamp and another lesson in patience and the power of persevering. Plus being sure to read all the damn instructions. So I celebrated with a selfie.
Mighty (dumb) Smilin' Jack on top of the HUGE Communications Hill.
Down there, someplace, is Newport, Oregon.
Yeah, now I'm walking down the mighty mountain. Which is a far sight more pleasant than walking up that steep precipice.
Taking in the views along the way.
Enjoying the walk, now.
There it is!!
Communications Hill!!
Haha, I beat it!!
Oh. well, life goes on and I learn, and re-learn, necessary lessons.
But I'd used up all my time and so on this blazing hot (low 70s) Oregon Coast day, I made my way to the Walmart in Newport where I met up with Carol. We both did our shopping and then enjoyed the drive back to LCO.
A good day.
I was able to get out and get some exercise. Along the way I collected another stamp and got another lesson in patience. Oh, and I had another adventure. All in all, a very profitable day.
It goes to show, even when you prove how human you are, life is good.
Hooah!!
