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 😊
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.
I got through Cathlamet,
Skamokawa, over KM Mountain, and through Graysriver … and was brought up short
by road work ☹
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 memories – and 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.
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 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.
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 😉
