Sunday, I drove to Eden Valley as planned;
Sunday would have been my husband’s birthday if he were still here with me –
but he’s in Heaven now, so there will be no more birthdays: Bob is living as an
eternal immortal now. He will never have another birthday because he will never
age anymore.
But, I still marked the day because August 30th
is when Elohim blessed earth with Bob’s presence … and Bob blessed my life, just
by breathing – and of course, I am thankful he blessed me in all the other ways
he was part of my life too. I am especially thankful he loved me for 44 years,
with a deep and abiding love.
So, I honor that love by visiting our plot
block in Eden Valley.
Plan for my day today ... Bob's BD
Bob is not there, but I want his spirit to
SEE that I have not forgotten him; and that I am honoring his memory as often
as I can get to Eden Valley.
Wishing Bob and enjoyable day, above the clouds; or riding the clouds.
Plot Bouquets
After placing the bouquet’s I made the night
before, I had a hankering for fried oysters – and since I was already halfway
to the beach … I aimed the car’s nose in that direction. What better place
to get tasty oyster’s than the area where they would be fresh?
I shot for Ilwaco, because I figured I’d
scout for the Marina, too: I had missed it last time I was at the beach, so I
determined to find it this time around 😉
Passing through Chinook, I spotted a ship on
the horizon:
Driving along the Chinook Seawall.
It seems to me that the route through Ilwaco,
is a loop drive; without even going through Longbeach. Driving through Ilwaco,
I followed the road signs to Cape Disappointment State Park – and stopped at the
Beard’s Hollow Overlook; this is the Park’s introduction point:
Beard's Hollow seen from the overlook perch.
The boardwalk bridge is something new; I did not do this.
This Lighthouse is closed off w-no ‘Open date’ given.
Leaving the overlook, and following Park
Signs; I caught sight of people walking a paved trail paralleling the highway,
and was confused for a few minutes: that trail had not been there when Bob and
I were here the summer of 2017 with our little grandson. I was curious, so a
little further down the road, I saw where the trail started … and nipped into a
turnout and parked the Highlander.
And started walking.
The trail didn’t go too far; but it was a
nice leg stretching stroll 😉
New thing; about 2 years old.
This small portion of the trail was between the North Head Lighthouse & Beard's Hollow. I didn’t do Beard’s Hollow either – I’ll never do that alone; I almost drowned there 1 year.
People walking caught my eye driving by, so I stopped and walked.
Planked walk over gully.
I don't worry; I never walk alone.
Lichen always interests me because Earth time
can be measured by the growth of lichens. Crustose and Foliose Lichens grow
slow – with crustose lichens being the slowest at a growth rate of 0.5 mm
annually. Fruticose (mossy) Lichen is still a slow grower, too (4.8 –
11.1 mm per year), but it grows at twice the rate of foliose lichens (2
– 5 mm/yearly). Lichen is thought to be a more accurate source of
historical timeline than radiocarbon dating. A measured 3” wide lichen equals
a 600 year timespan; a 6” wide lichen equals a 1,600 years; and mossy lichen
has a growth rate of 6 to 25 years. Objects can realistically be dated by the
size of lichens growing on its surface.
That is interesting to me 😊
Crustose Lichen on boulder. Lichen interests me because some of the varieties are artistically displayed: these were not, but they still got my attention.
Foliose lichen on boulder.
Shaggy fruticose covered boulder.
Striped mineral coloration on cut boulder: my camera did not do the coloration justice – it was really quite vibrant.
After that short walk, and back in my car; I
followed the North Head Lighthouse Sign uphill … the whole time wondering if
I’m going the right direction, because Bob and I had to hike a paved goat trail
to get to the Lighthouse: there was no paved roadway.
And I was always gasping for breath when we
stood at the base of the Lighthouse. It was a very strenuous hike: my heart and
lungs got a workout – I have a heart arrythmia, and asthmatic lungs. But I
refuse to let life pass me by; I am going to enjoy it. We only get one chance
to enjoy the life we have, and I am not going to watch life happening from
behind window glass.
I get outside.
I pace myself.
Being trapped indoors will kill me faster
than doing what I enjoy doing.
The paved road, and the parking lot at the
top of the hill were a surprise.
Parking was limited – the parking lot was
packed. I had come this far … and I was not budging: I spotted a couple leaving
and waited them out, making people drive around me. I was not going to run my
car out of gas zipping up and down that hill a million times hoping with each
drive-by there would be a vacant spot available. There was a spot opening up in
the moment, and I was going to take it …
Very limited parking.
Bell's View Overlook Trail – we never walked this trail before.
I don’t remember this trail. Either we were
too pooped when we got this far on the original goat trail … or Bob knew I
would never go the distance on this cliff-hugging-trail, so he skirted me right past it. This
area is Bob’s old stomping grounds; he knew everything about this region. He
lived here as a kid and spent his teen and early adult life jetting between Ilwaco
and Longbeach.
I researched this when got home, and
apparently this was the first thing open when the State Park was established.
Hmmm
Bell's View Overlook trail ... short walk.
Who was Bell Plaque ...
Water Tower along trail; probably the watershed for the town of Ilwaco. The bottom rung of the water tower ladder was about 7 feet off the ground.
North Head Weather reporting.
Weather Station Location Plaque
Weather Station, Radio Station & Lighthouse Keeper's locations Plaque
Weather Station Buildings Locations Plaque
Radio Weather broadcasting from North Head to ships 3,500 miles out at sea.
Wartime Alert Stations at North Head.
Triple Base End Station Building Description Plaque
North Head Radio Station Building
Triple Base End Station - a portion.
Triple Base End Station - picture complete structure.
Miserable Month of 1943 – weather-wise.
As far as I went on the Bell View Overlook Trail. Heights hugging edges of cliffs is not for me - I don't feel the 'challenge to overcome'.
After that little detour, I set my sights on
the main goal: the Lighthouse 😊
A LOT has changed in 2-1/2 years’ time!
Buildings' Layouts ... the Assistant Keepers' Duplex & the Lighthouse Keeper's Residence
A waterproof windbreaker jacket & a ‘Wildflowers of PNW’ Handbook bought at Lighthouse Keeper's Store.
View leaving the compound and walking out the compound gate ...
Beginning descent to Lighthouse path.
18 stairs leading to Lighthouse footpath.
Here is where things get tricky.
When Bob and I came here, I would have to hang onto his shirt tail as we walked the trail to the lighthouse
because I get vertigo if I get too close to steep distances - I couldn't even sit in the upper part of movie theatres. These cliffs are steep,
and they are a looooooong way down to the crashing waves.
Even walking this skinny concrete slabbed
pathway Sunday, I could not walk and talk while taking pictures; without feeling
dizzy. It did not help that the pathway tilted towards the cliff drop-off, with
the crashing waves in the distance reminding me of what my fate would be if I
misstepped. So, I stopped every now and then to get a few ocean shots … but, I
couldn’t wait to get to the Lighthouse where there was more ground to stand on.
All I could think of; inching my way along the
path that got me to this point, was, “Those lighthouse keepers were brave
people!" I tried not to think of them walking along that footpath – which was
probably a skimpy dirt track back then – holding a kerosene hand lantern,
and moving against 100 mph winds, heavy shrouding sea fog laced with cold wet
sea mist that would also make the footpath slick and treacherous. I was
thankful for the concrete slabs under my feet, but … they can get just as slick
and dangerous when wet fog rolls in, or it rains or snows. It was a dangerous
job walking along that cliff in bad weather – and in the dead of night in any
weather.
And there was a woman lighthouse keeper
(Mabel Bretherton) walking this trail in long skirts/coats that would
hamper the free movement of her ‘limbs’ (legs)! With children depending on her
to do her job safely and get back home to them without a mishap.
The North Head is one of the windiest places
in the USA. Winds have been clocked there at 100 mph frequently –
and as high as 126 mph in January of 1921, before the measuring apparatus was
torn away and blown away by the accelerating winds.
I tried not to think about it, with the sound
of the angry ocean bouncing off the rocky cliff bases and slamming into the
rocky outcrops jutting out of the shoreline; the roaring veracity echoing
through the air surrounding me on all sides.
North Head Cliffs.
Waves breaking below ...
I stayed focused on ME getting to the
lighthouse safely.
But, I didn’t run in haste; I didn’t even
high-step in anxiety. I just walked slowly and watched my feet, and tried not
to breathe until I saw the gravel of the lighthouse compound under the toes of
my sneakers:
Walking the footpath along the high cliff ... just the other side of those bushes to my right was the cliff drop-off. A bit intimidating.
Waves breaking against the cliffs below.
Finally made the Lighthouse. I had to concentrate on my forward moving feet to stave off vertigo.
Wild 'Leafy Bracted' Asters outside fenceline. Lilac hued beauty in a harsh environment.
DUMBASS kid. I really did not want to watch another death happen …
CLEAR Sign not to go past the fenceline ... for any reason. Signs are put in place for a reason people.
DUMBASS family - The mother and sister joined the brat ... totally ignoring husband and father who was telling them to get back behind the fence where they belonged. They all totally disrespected him.
Lighthouse Building. The sun was so bright I was lucky I got any pictures at all; I cut off the top of the lighthouse rooftop. Darn it.
Buildings used to store the kerosene needed to light the Lighthouse Lamp.
Stunted dead trees from the high elevation-ocean winds beatings. Bob & I saw foraging deer here ...
10 more stairs ... at least they are not as steep as the previous stairs.
Lighthouse GPS Info Plaque
Lighthouse Info Plaque
Walking uphill again to the parking lot,
there was a great view of Deadman’s Hollow, the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse
in the distance (this lighthouse is closed to the public/no expected reopen
date), and the North Jetty. Bob was always fascinated with water; he liked
walking this jetty – I hated it. When we walked it with Precious (my wolf),
it was uneven and looked like it would fall apart with the next strong wave; I
toughed it out for Bob’s sake, but I couldn’t wait to get off it and said I
never wanted to go there again. Precious didn’t look like she had enjoyed it
either …
Information Plaque
Deadman's Hollow Info Plaque. What it looked like before the jetty created a beachfront.
Jetty Info Plaque
Lewis & Clark Info Plaque
Deadman's Hollow Beach today.
Waves rolling into Deadman's Hollow
North Jetty.
Precious (1/2 Timber Wolf/1/2 Gray Wolf)
Putting death defying histories, dumbass
families, and poignant memories aside; I reached the parking lot, grabbed
another bottle of water, and decided to see where the ‘Discovery trail’ led:
Discovery Trail parallels the parking lot ...
The Trailhead.
Maidenhead fern - large!
Ferns growing on a tree ...
I walked down the hill ... and back up again.
Fungi looks like melting marshmallow ...
Mushrooms
Living a stress-free life allows me to do what I like to do without the worries of "what if". The angina and asthma have backed off and settled down.
The road to the Cape Disappointment
Lighthouse was blocked with garbage can sized orange cones, so I turned around
and headed back towards downtown Ilwaco.
Scouting for the Marina.
But first, I had to exit the Park … and that
took me past Wikiki Beach and the North Jetty.
That was just about the undoing of me.
I had held it together all day long, but at
this particular time – in this particular place – I was close to a melt-down.
Bob and I had been here the summer of 2017 with our
little grandson.
North Jetty. The Corps have recently shored the jetty up to make it more stable (https://www.dailyastorian.com/news/local/jetty-stones-roll-through-town/article_115be9a3-22dc-550f-9ec3-703c3dbf7271.html)
2 HUGE Cliff caves - neither go in deep enough to collect tidal pools for boats.
Massive ... better view atop the jetty; but I wasn't getting up there!
Wikiki Beach. We were here 2.5 years ago with Aza.
Azariah Looking at a little silver minnow. 3 months later, grandparenting dreams/memories would be shattered. May 2018
Liking the wet sand under his feet. May 2018
We bought ice cream for Aza here 2-1/2 years ago.
A bit further up the highway, landmarks were
pricking my memory of Bob driving to the marina, and I managed to find it on my
own 😊
I found the Marina! By chance.
I never did find the Charter Boat Building
Bob worked summer jobs at for years (all I had was an old picture, and no
Business Name): it may not even be standing now. All I knew was that I was
in the vicinity – and that was good enough for me 😉
I had made it.
On my own.
And I was hungry. So, I looked around for a
place that looked open for business; hard to come by in these political times –
if they aren’t closed because of covid, they are just closing their doors against the rampant political BS. But, I did see one that was open for business: a pub.
I didn’t care: I was hungry, and I wanted oysters; what better place to find
them than a pub fronting a marina? So, I parked the Highlander, squared my
shoulders, and kept reminding myself every step I took: “I can do this, I can
do this without Bob by my side.”
Pub & Grub; the only place I saw open for eating … outside, in back.
The weather was perfect for an outdoor meal. I didn’t mind the scenery either.
Paved 'Boardwalk Walk'.
O'Doul's
Fried Oysters & Home Fries
Enjoyed the day by flipping a sadness into a doable fun day.
And that is how I flipped the day from
bittersweet to fun 😉
Bob, I am sure liked that.
Bob loved life.
Bob told me to live.
I think Sunday’s unfolding’s was
the best way to honor my husband on his Day.
I love you, Babe.
Always ~ OX
**SUNDAY~FUNDAY POSTS (2020) –
(plus 1st thru 8th SUNDAY~FUNDAY links)**
