Wedding Song - God Knew That I Needed You

Friday, February 11, 2022

ALL DAY SHABBAT SUNSHINE 😊 ~Freewheeling Friday/JBH Game Refuge Walk

The Beatles – “Here Comes The Sun” song:

Today I skipped the get-together in Lexington – a 2-hour discussion on football and the olympics does not interest me: so, I’m thinking I’ll be skipping Fridays in Lexington for the next month and a half; football ‘March Madness’ goes into effect after the February football madness The whole football craze totally disinterests me.

So does whatever is taking place in the world today; with the present leadership at all four corners, it’s a virtual shitshow no matter who throws the dice, and I don’t feel like dealing with any of it when the sun comes out to play πŸ˜‰

I also skipped my Lexington Riverside Park dike hike … and decided instead to walk the Steamboat Slough Road at the Julia Butler Hansen Game Refuge, in Skamokawa: the sunny day was literally begging me on πŸ˜‰

Driving up the Oak Point Road incline, had me laughing with long ago memories – my early years with Bob (from 17 to 21 – Bob was 24 when we married); our young and foolish days.

We survived them by the grace of God.

Truth.

JBH Game Refuge from Heron Pointe - 24 mins. via Ocean Beach Highway - I took the backroad route: the drive was 20 minutes longer ;-)
Checking Services time, and planning a walk in the JBH Game Refuge.
Oak Point Road from Heron Pointe; 11 mins via Ocean Beach Highway.
Beaver Creek Road from Oak Point Road - 10 mins.
Cathlamet from Beaver Creek Road; 15 mins via the Elochoman Road junction (I turned left towards JBH Game Refuge in Skamokawa, not towards Cathlamet).
Skamokawa from Cathlamet; 8 mins via Ocean Beach Highway.
Remembering when Beaver Creek Road was an unstable wash-board & gravel surface ...
Remembering the bumpy '56 Ford ride home, weekend nights from Stella: grinding gears and listening to Bob snore on the passenger side of the bench seat. He went to work every morning at 3 AM: by midnight, he was t.i.r.e.d. πŸ˜‰
My bunny hopping drives up the tail-end incline, was ruining the truck's transmission.
Cream – “Sunshine of Your Love” song:
Several places along Beaver Creek Road towards Elochoman Road, were washed out; winter storm damages littered both side of the roadway.

I hadn’t eaten any breakfast because it was around 10 AM when I set out; so, I nipped into the Duck Inn for a quick lunch bite before I tied my hiking boots on πŸ˜‰

The Duck Inn cabanas, built during the 2021 covid shutdowns, ruin the river view, IMHO
A camp-like aura off the Lounge ...
BLT & Cottage Cheese Lunch - in a slim corner of the deck.
Still working on this slow read ... written in Agetha Christie style.
And trying to ignore the lurching of my stomach every time my eyes looked down: I hate heights.
Finally found the Center Road Trail, on Steamboat Slough Road; but I did not get to enjoy it.
Guess I'll be revisiting this Trail in June. I backtracked to the Refuge Office parking Lot, on the opposite side of the refuge acerage - and started my 2-mile walk from there.
Just enjoying the sunny day vibe, and the surrounding birdsong.
Steamboat Slough; Skamokawa-WA
Everywhere was signs of brush clearing ... and opening the area.
Glancing up at the sunny sky as I walked along, I spotted an Eagle ...
A handsome Bald-headed Eagle; zoomed in.
Around the bend in the road, a flash of white caught my attention.
The body shape is wrong for geese ...
SWANS! It's been decades since I've seen swans.

There used to be white swans swimming in Lake Sacajawea in the 1970’s; Bob and I used to sit on the banks, and watch them, when we were in town. I don’t know why they disappeared, but I miss them … and was glad to spot swans today!

Swans in Washington State: https://www.trumpeterswansociety.org/what-we-do/your-society-at-work/pacific-coast-population.html

I really enjoyed time spent walking Steamboat Slough Road; I’ve always enjoyed walking that walk.

After I got back to the Highlander, I needed to find a restroom. The latte I got in Longview earlier, was working its way through my body; so, I turned the car towards Cathlamet’s Marina where restroom doors are always open during marina business hours.

I noticed right away, as I slipped the car into park, that more touristy things had been added.

More tourist attractions in Cathlamet; the Marina.
I guess these are supposed to be hard-sided {tents} ...

And I am thankful that we moved from Cathlamet decades ago, before it became a full-fledged tourist trap.

When logging and fishing were essentially phased out in Wahkiakum County, all that was left to keep Cathlamet afloat was tourist dollars. It’s sad: I remember when Cathlamet was the “happening town” along the Columbia River from Graysriver to Longview. Cathlamet is growing by leaps and bounds – as a real estate boon attests, but the small-town vibe has been replaced by the new york and san francisco transplants’ citified ideas of inner-city-small-town-concepts.

And big city moral decay and physical diseases also hitch-hiked north with those citified concepts.

A quick pit stop is all I ever stop there for, nowadays.

When I finished with Cathlamet, I backtracked to Elochoman Road, and drove home over Beaver Creek Road; again.

The moon showing big and bright on Risk Road; a bit off Elochoman Road (where I was driving).
Risk Road from Skamokawa (same distance from Cathlamet); 6 mins. via Ocean Beach Highway.
View of the Columbia River driving over the top of Beaver Creek Road; zoomed in view of ships headed upriver towards the Port of Longview.
Mt. St. Helens peeking over the bend of the road; a zoomed in view of Mt. St. Helens' snow crusted crater.
Still prevalent on the down-side of the roadway, towards Spruce Creek junction ...
Little trickle waterfall along the Mill Creek route towards Ocean Beach Highway.
Mill Creek-Ocean Beach Highway junction.
Even though I prefer Mt. Rainier; Mt. St. Helens still grabs the eye; zoomed in.
Heron Pointe from Mill Creek; 19 mins. via Ocean Beach Highway.

Backing into my carport, I noticed that a sign has gone up next door … that place is still an eyesore (cleaner, thank God; but still dull). I am thankful that tessa moved. I am thankful that the whole moldy, rotting, thing has been stripped and rebuilt.

I am thankful that Elohim is faithful.

It looks like the remodel next door is finally completed.
Maybe the new owners will liven it up. In a good way, please God.

All in all, it was a good day to have a good day.

It is a good night to end the night with a Shabbat Toast to invite life, enjoy life, and ignite Life.

So, this Shabbat, I toast my two Husbands 😊

A toast to Yeshua for his constant companionship, grace, and unconditional eternal love; Bob for his unconditional faithful love … and the good memories that love birthed.

**Freewheeling Fridays ~ 2021:

#1/2021 https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2021/05/a-boarishboorish-day-centralia-daytrip.html

#2/2021 https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2021/11/freewheeling-fridays-2-river-runs-thru.html **





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