What...Two Days in a Row

Tuesday of Spring Break dawned and the overcast skies had a little touch of blue in them. It was enough to give us hope that today might be a sunny day. After shaking all the water out of everything from the overnight showers, Pa got the coffee cooking and settled in to see how long before Mimi would arise from her slumber. About the time the coffee was being pressed, out she stumbles. A modern day version of Jeff Spicolli, she bursts out of the van in a cloud of smoke...ready to tackle the day...after the coffee that is.

After some breakfast and more coffee, they pack up Van the Man and head out to a trail head. This hike they're about to embark on, is at the Sunset Bay St. Park near North Bend. This is one of those beautiful idyllic settings you find along the Oregon coast. A perfect beach surrounded by rocks and forested cliffs. Waves crash against a rocky reef allowing only the smallest of waves to crash gently on the beach. It is absolutely spectacular.

So Mimi discovers in our hiking guide, a trail that skirts the coastline down to a place called Shore Acres. Now it turns out, all of this land was owned by one rich dude who built this glorious estate right on the bluffs of this amazing piece of coastline. Mimi says it has botanical gardens...need we say more. If it has a garden, Mimi is there. It could be twenty seven miles straight up Mt. Everest and Mimi would find a way to get to that Garden. So we set out on the trail.

Now if you'll remember, they walked six and a half miles the day before...some strenuous stuff. Right out of the shoot...no warm up...switchbacks. Switchbacks are the slow torture device created my some psychotic trail builder who had a lot of pent up anger and frustration he wanted to take out on the rest of humanity. They wind back and forth up the hill gaining seemingly insignificant amounts of altitude with each brutal step. If there was a staircase you could be dome with the whole climb in 15 minutes...albeit very tired...but at the top. But no, you have to walk an extra mile in each direction twice...or something.

Now Mimi, with the thoughts of that garden in her minds eye, was determined up those switchbacks. Even though the pain from yesterdays hike was still very present in her calves, she plowed ahead like a Lioness hunting down a Gazelle to feed her cubs.

She made short work of the Switchbacks and was up on top of the cliffs overlooking the spectacular wild Oregon ocean. A gentle walk along the bluffs were augmented by the rugged beauty of the waves crashing into the reefs and the sun...yes the sun...reflecting off the faces of the waves. Pretty glorious.

So the two miles were made quick work of and we arrive at Shore Acres and another spectacular view. Beautiful lawns spilling down to the cliffs. But these lawns were covered with whale paparazzi. I mean gaggles of them sitting in their chairs, eyes glued to the eyepieces, just hoping to catch a brief glimpse of a blow spout. As if it were Brad and Angelina and Jennifer all peaking up over the cliff for just the briefest of moments. They were quite rabid in their passion to see a whale migrate. It was hard for Mimi and Pa to understand the fervor cause they have been out amongst the whales and looked into the eye of a Killer Whale in the Puget Sound. Pa has had one breach through a giant pod of fish not 20 feet in front of him in Alaska. Now that's something to see. But maybe these paparazzi had not had those opportunities. It's too bad really.

Well, on to the gardens. Now let me tell you...they were amazing...beautiful...very nice. These were some of the finest examples of what man can do with stone and brick and of course the building block to every fine garden...the Boxwood hedge. It was really nice. The lower garden was Asian influence with a wonderful pond. It is so nice...but...........

The walk back was a reflective one for Pa...kind of quiet. Thinking about the garden and the paparazzi and the works of man. Apparently, the rich guy who bought and developed all of this property, built two spectacular homes on the property that burned down. He tried to harness all of this beauty and ended up in a little cottage in Coos Bay. The garden is amazing and beautiful, but let it go for one season and it looks like a wasteland. People clamoring for just a glimpse of the blessed whale and their whole year is now somehow worthwhile. All the while.........

Pa was reminded of the great scene in the movie "Jeremiah Johnson" when old Del Gue screams out "these here Rocky Mountains is God's greatest cathedrals, nothing on Earth can compare to these here mountains. I am a Mountain Man and will remain so until God takes me to Heaven" (or something to that effect).

The ocean and the cliffs and the trees scream out "look at me". All around is the handiwork of the Creator who made these things for us to have our souls refreshed and our hearts gladdened. It is hard to imagine trying to enhance something that is made so perfectly. But we try.

Through the Woods

Today Mimi and Pa took off on a hiking adventure. Now Pa has been walking in the mornings, but to be honest, it is pretty wimpy stuff. But Mimi refuses to walk to our mailbox. She has turned Pa down every time he has asked her to walk with him. Pa tries to not take it personally, but it kinda does get to him a little.

But today was a different day. Today we read about a 6.5 mile round trip hike out to a really cool lighthouse. It was the Haceda Lighthouse built in 1893, it’s just north of Florence Oregon and just a little north of the famous Sea Lion Caves. It sounded like a really cool hike and something Mimi could do…despite her reluctance to walk with Pa.

So off they went down a really cool trail through the Hobbit forest, meandering down the easy trail…Mimi was doing really well.

About a mile and a half into the trail, it crossed over to the west side of the road. What was once a pleasant little stroll with Hobbits, turned really ugly on the west side. The trail was steep and slippery…lots of boggy mud to contend with…lots of steep steps to navigate. But Mimi persisted…Pa was really proud of her. After another mile and a half, we came down a long series of switch backs, and arrived at the lighthouse.

The setting was spectacular, but the weather turned nasty again. Mimi had been doing her normal stripping down to the bare essentials through the forest…she calls them hot flashes…but now, she needed all of her layers engaged. A trip up to the top of the lighthouse was followed up with some power bars and dried mango and a few sips of water.

But there was a little hesitation when it was time to go back up and head back on the trail. Pa offered to hitchhike back to Van and come back and get her…but her pride got to her…she plowed up the trail. Up the countless switch backs, through the murky bogs, up the pulverizing steps…plugging on and on. Mimi kept going. She was the little train that could…she did it. We crossed back to the other side of the road and plowed through the Hobbit land until we reached Van waiting patiently for us. Mission accomplished. A pretty rugged hike for seasoned hikers. It was like an Everest expedition for Mimi though…but she did it.
Pa was really proud of Mimi. She did it all without complaining or whining. She was tough as nails and kept a great attitude during the hike. It’s good to have a Mimi in your life to do tough things with. But Mimi also knows when she needs help too. As soon as we get back she’s fishing through Van’s glove box, looking for something. “What are you after Mimi?” Pa says. “Alleve” she says with a determined look in her eye. “You want some Pa?” she says. Does Pa want some…”well uh” he stammers…”make mine a double.” Pa was tuckered out too. Pa was tanked. Don’t tell Mimi, but sometimes Pa’s have to pretend to be much tougher than they are. Sometimes, they wished Mimi’s were in to hitch hiking.

Wait a Minute…The Weather Will Change

Well Mimi and Pa have hit the road again. We can hear Ole Willie breaking it down as we write…you know “On the Road again…” yeah you get it. So it is Spring Break week and we thought hey, lets go camping. Cool, good idea. But where?

The where is always a really good question for us. We never quite settle that question until we actually get in Van the Man, our trusted 91 VW Vanagon Weekender edition. Van has learned to just be ready to go where ever we end up pointing him…he’s very compliant. All we knew for sure was that we had to find some sunshine…Mimi even painted her toenails so she could wear her flip flops. It is a must…sunshine.

So after church on Sunday, we got Van all loaded up and headed south…towards the Southern beaches of Oregon. On the way, we had sunshine…and rain…and hail…and gusty winds that caused Pa to try and wrench Van back into the appropriate lane. Like a wild stallion he was all over the place…Pa’s gentle guiding hand kept him contained to his lane.

But the weather was not looking good going over the Coast Range…there was snow…yeah real snow. It’s March for goodness sakes, how bout a little warmth and sunshine. We get to the coast and it is sunny again…nice…but still very windy.

So we settle in a place called Washburne St Park. Lots of empty spaces available, another hazard of not having reservations…often we are left with no room in the inn. But we found a nice spot that actually had a few rays of sunshine bearing down on it. We made a quick French Press of coffee and grabbed the chairs and plopped down in the sunshine. Nothing compares to kicking back in the woods with sunshine bearing down on you…it is a different warmth…unlike any other…it’s all good.


After coffee, Mimi says let’s go down to the beach. Sure thing, it’s nice and warm in my little sweatshirt. So off we go through this little Hobbit forest and on to the beach. Mimi is feeling all goo goo inside and writes a little Mimi loves Pa in the sand. But Pa is starting to feel the brunt of the cold…it is like 38 degrees outside with a really stiff wind chill factor. But Pa being Pa he just toughs it out…reluctantly.

Then from off the ocean comes this crazy something with winds doubling in strength and hail pelting us from the sky like God raining down BB’s from the sky. Ouch!!!! Mimi and Pa take off running for shelter and duck under a covering of Hobbit trees as the torrent passes. Wow…what an experience…

While these experiences are really cool and all…least we forget…we came for some sunshine. Pa is cold…I mean bone chilled. Maybe the next stop for Van the Man is Las Vegas…I hear they have sunshine there.