Wedding Song - God Knew That I Needed You

Friday, July 8, 2022

FRIENDS FOR LIFE ~Traveling Thursdays

Today is my Thursday Coffee Hour in Naselle 😊

I was up very early (6 AM); and extra hour added because of all the road work going on, to make sure I would arrive at 10 AM. I was up, hair washed, face on, flavored coffee in travel mug … and there was even time to spare to fill up the gas tank (just in case I decided to take the long way home later 😉). I was driving down Ocean Beach Highway 15 full minutes before 9 AM. I was stoked; I knew I’d arrive at my destination point early 😊

 
Walking out the door ...
The day started off with good vibes.
The raging leftists are seriously out of control.

I was making good time, so I made a quick pit stop at the marina in Cathlamet. The totem pole outside the restrooms was brightly painted – the animals are pretty basically the same among the regional PNW totems; and I will often stop and look at them. Some Christians do not. But being around one does not bother me.

Totems are interesting artwork, but their spirits don't frighten me –my God is the Supreme Living God, not a figment of the imagination portrayed in wood.

I got through Cathlamet, Skamokawa, over KM Mountain, and through Graysriver … and was brought up short by road work

From Hill Top Road, to Rosburg Store.

There went my extra time.

I wasn’t terribly late, but I was late. Again. Because of road work; again.

I look forward to Thursdays in Naselle; I like chatting with everyone, and the discussions are always lively. It’s fun to get a different perspective on topics. And it’s fun to share old memoriesand make new memories, too.

R is a new face … and new energy: she is a little dynamo with quick wit and sarcastic charm. I knew B from my teen years; and BZ became a quick, solid friend as the circle expanded and the years anchored our spirits in unity. I am grateful Elohim brought us all together.

R's fingernails - the glitter caught my eye.
Front to Back; B – her husband is a logger; R – widowed, like me, and new to the area; BZ – her husband is a farmer, & Me – foot-loose and fancy free, just hanging with my friends.

While we were chit-chatting, drinking our coffee’s, and discussing the topics of the day … David called and asked what I was doing – I said I was hanging with the girls. He said he was headed to his beach property, and would I like to join him: I said, “okay – if you get here before the hour is up, just drop by, and I’ll follow you in my car”. He’s been talking about his place at the beach for a while, and I’ve had a standing open invitation to drop by, check it out, and visit. Today, I went 😊 David and I have known each other for at least 56 years, and he’s been a good friend to me. He knew Bob even longer than he’s known me.

I followed David to his beach property, and drove a cross-over road I’ve never been on before (not even with Bob, and Bob grew up at the beach); there was no reason to drive that road before this afternoon’s jaunt.

I'm glad I topped the gas tank off before leaving Longview. Today's diversion was Longbeach.
David has a nice piece of beach property. I had expected a sandy beach, and was pleasantly surprised to find a grassy field.

I stayed for about 2 hours; enjoying the company, enjoying the sun (I got burnt some more), enjoying the tranquility of the secluded place, and enjoying the conversations about places we both new and had visited (at different times during our lives); I enjoyed remembering/discussing people we’d both grown up with-palled around with-miss when the Grim Reaper showed up with his calling card. We talked about the cougar roaming Longview, and he showed me the picture he took of a black bear on the property next to his (!). We talked about our families, the pets we’d shared our lives with, politics, ect. It was a good 2 hours of sharing, caring, laughter, and friendship.

Then it was time to hit the road for home. I have a standing appointment on Spruce Creek – Thursday evening Jam Session 😉

The day’s driving was very carefree today: traffic was sparce, and what traffic there was flowed smoothly.

Chinook County Park; low tide.
Driving through Chinook - wave break boulders, & Astoria-Meglar Bridge in the background.

When I got to Skamokawa, I stopped at the Duck Inn to grab a sandwich for Supper, and R was there. So was B; I was snatched as soon as I placed my order, and rushed into one of the back deck cabanas – where I was introduced to a few more people (7 more; they had all drove up from Graysriver for their ‘Thursday Night Get-Together’ for Supper and schmoozing). I ate my sandwich with them, joined in the schmoozing, and was invited to join them every Thursday – I said I’d think about it. It was fun; and it will be fun again because they are all fun people to be around: I may join them every other Thursday, depending on the yo-yoing gas prices.

R invited me to visit with her and B every Friday afternoon, at her house too. That would be enjoyable; but again, every other Friday would be best, I think. If I lived in Graysriver, every Friday would work – but with gas prices being what they are, I can only do what I can do with what I have to work with.

Driving over Beaver Creek Road on my way to Spruce Creek, it looked like it was an ‘open range’ area; a black steer was on the edge of the road/Herford cows laying in the field … and the fence-line was gone for at least a mile: no barb wire to be seen anywhere along that stretch of road. So, I drove very carefully. Open range animals have right of way – and if you hit one, you buy it. When I reached my destination on Spruce Creek, I asked if the Beaver Creek area was now open range, and got startled looks; so, I explained what I had seen and LR jumped on the phone to get his grandson out looking at the fence-line, saying it’s possible an elk herd had taken the wire out. To which I replied: “It would have had to have been a very large herd because the wire was gone for quite a distance – from the corner house just past your house, to Charlene and Allen’s house. Suddenly coming up on cattle in the middle of the road could be dangerous for night drivers.”

The jam session picked up speed, and watching everyone I thought what a blessing they were to me and how fortunate I am to have them in my life.

I am truly blessed with a rich abundance of friends.

Carole King – ‘You Got A Friend’ song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAR_Ff5A8Rk

Today has been an excellent day of excellent friendships 😉

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