Images from the Sea

Yesterday was our last full day here at the coast.  This morning we begin to pack things away for the trip home.  But yesterday began with heavy rain and then miraculously began to improve.  We headed to Newport to look about.  This is one of my favorite views - Yaquina Bay Bridge behind the fishing harbor.  Do you see the name of the boat in the middle?

Along side the harbor is a line of big huge nautical rope and I thought the juxtaposition of the old rope with the fragile little daisies was neat.

Wild daisies.. with pink.. just sweet.

We were in the fishing boat yard and there are piles and piles of crab pots there.  They catch Dungeness Crab here and it's the best!

We then drove up through Yaquina Bay park and I snapped this of the lighthouse there.

We then headed to one of our favorite places for lunch, Tidal Raves in Depoe Bay.  This is the view from there, isn't it spectaclar?

Dining here is nice as you can watch for whales spouting while enjoying lunch.  It was very busy when we got there, but it cleared out so I could get this shot.

I'd been wanting to get a shot of this sign and we finally got it.  I love how colorful it is!

Then we drove in to see Yaquina Head Lighthouse.. I never tire of seeing this beautiful structure with the amazing setting.

I'm thinking this lighthouse needs a fresh coat of paint!

When I was young and visited this place there was a lighthouse keepers home there, too.  I wish they'd left it there.  This little structure is the oil house and keepers office.  I've been inside on a previous visit and showed you the inside and the spiral staircase to the top.

Here is a closeup of the Fresnel lens.

Then we drove on north and stopped at Siletz Bay and I took a photo of the ocean beyond the bay and didn't even realize I captured a large group of seals on the spit until I downloaded the images! :-)

Now.. see the seals on the spit behind the rock with trees?  To me this image is so very coastal.

To the left of this rock was a Salal bush in full bloom.  It's a beachy kind of plant.

I asked Dayle to drive up the Siletz River so I could see this very special house.  We hadn't driven up to see it for probably 20 years!  Oregon writer Ken Kesey wrote an amazing book "Sometimes a Great Notion" after seeing an big rambling house on the Suislaw River.  It's about a family of lumber men.  It was made into a movie of the same name with Paul Newman, Henry Fonda and Lee Remick.  If you haven't seen it, you should find it and watch it.  The producers actually built this house for the set of the movie and were going to burn it down afterwards, but the USFS said it was too dry to burn it so it survived.  Those owners since then transformed it into a comfortable home.  Isn't it pretty?

I would love to live here and have a boat tied up to that dock and fish off it, too.

As we drove upriver to find the house, I spotted this old log floating in the river with new trees growing on it.. we snapped these photos as we headed back to Hwy 101.

I just swoon at this image of new growth coming up from a venerable old tree.

And then we came back to our caravan/trailer to relax for the evening.  The day ended bright and sunny.  

I knew it would be a pretty sunset as the sky was almost clear except for a little cluster of clouds on the horizon.  I kept an eye on the progress of the sun setting and then went out and stood by the edge of the rock wall down to the sea and drank in the sounds of the ocean waves crashing on shore, the smell of the salty sea and the beauty of seeing across the ocean to the edge of the world.  :-)

And so the sun sets on our last full day at the beach.  

I'm doing this post rather quickly as Dayle is unhooking the trailer and I need to start stashing things and tidying up and getting ready to roll on home.  So, I will love you and leave you and see you again from the farm.  ((hugs)), Teresa :-)