Friday, October 27, 2017

Lunch with the Sea Lions and a Totem Pole

On Dayle's birthday we tried out a new restaurant which had a view of the Sea Lion Docks in the historic Yaquina Bay Front.  So these guys were our view all during lunch.  Look at this face!  The sound effects.. click HERE to hear them.


We also did some people watching.. checking out the folks who were watching the sea lions and getting photos and selfies with them.. 




This one is talking to us.. ork ork..




Two years ago the old docks were in very poor condition and when many of them got on the docks they were sinking under the water.  So, people began raising money to build new ones and now they are floating better.



They're pretty funny how they don't want any new sea lions to get on "their" dock.. so they bark at them and try to push them back into the water.. and often the pusher ends up being the one to fall in.. goofy creatures.




This is also the view from the restaurant.. they have an outdoor deck, too.. where you can listen to the cacophony of the sea lions while dining.. lol.  But the Yaquina Bay Bridge looked pretty that day.




A fishing boat was on it's way out under the bridge.




What an adventurous life.. they go out rain or shine.. warm or cold.. rough seas or calm.  




On the way back to our cozy caravan I finally pulled in to "Little Whale Cove" to get a photo of this amazing concrete totem pole there.  I can't find any information on the totem pole itself on the internet, which in itself is amazing, but I've loved it for years.  A short history is as follows:



After scouting for the most remote and undesirable areas of the new Oregon Territory in the early 1850’s, the Coast Reservation was established in 1855 by executive order from the United States government. The government deemed the land unfit for farming and too remote for commerce. The reservation included 1.3 million acres of land from about the Tillamook County line to just below where Florence is now, extending east about 30 miles. About 4,000 Indians from 30 to 40 different tribes and bands were forcibly moved here from the Oregon Territory and Northern California to join the existing tribes and bands already here. To make the accounting simple, these people were all to become the Siletz tribe. 


By 1866, many of the natural resources of the area were discovered, such as oysters, fish, timber and the potential for tourism. Little by little, the land was opened up for white settlement until, in 1894, the Reservation was reduced to the area around Siletz, Oregon. The remaining approximate 500 tribal members were each given 80 acres allotments.


I won't post the rest, but suffice it to say, those lands were all eventually sold to white investors and developers.  And Little Whale Cove is a gated privately owned community.  All that is left of the native people is this totem pole (to be clear, this totem pole is not made by the native people, but commissioned by the owners of the private community).. which I guess is a nice homage to the people who were forced from all of California and Oregon to live here.  



Most totem poles are made of wood and hand carved from whole trees.. this one is concrete.  I'd love to know who made this and designed it.



When I zoomed in and downloaded this photo I noticed a moth sitting next to the person's mouth.  I've always thought of this as a woman.. do you think it's a man or woman?



I ordered this yarn to make a hat for my nephew who is having a very rough time.  



I need to pack my bag and get back into the "swim" of things.  I hope you have a good weekend ahead!  ((hugs)), Teresa :-) 

13 comments:

  1. Thanks for another wonderful post...narrative and photos!! I think the totem figure looks like a man...such a sad history. The orking of the sea lions always reminds me of my years in Crescent City, CA :) Running late but planning to swim :) xx

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  2. It is so tragic how the native Indians were treated wasn't it Teresa...so much history there. That totem pole is amazing...love the moth. You obviously had a fun meal watching the sealions. Hugs to your nephew xx

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  3. Sorry,I forgot to wish Dayle a Happy Birthday,I can see it was too. What a noise those funny Sealions are making,those expressions,cute.that Totem Pole is Awesome.Happy Weekend.xx

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  4. Thank you for the history lesson. I always enjoy learning it, although the treatment of the native people always saddens me. We watched “Finding Dory” iwthPuper a couple of weeks ago and in it the sea lions were say “Off, off, off” and it sounded remarkably like your sea lions! Ha!
    I hope you’re enjoying being back home.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  5. That would be a fabulous place to stop for lunch. Mind you I would probably not get round to eating because I was watching the wild life so much. Fascinated about the totems, so beautiful. Safe journey home. B x

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  6. Those photos of sea lions brought back memories of when my late DH and I lived in New Zealand just after we were married. We were having dinner with a friend who owned an animal park north of Auckland and this huge sea lion was allowed to wander around the place after it was closed each night. While we dined, the sea lion rested his head on the open window-sill and watched every move we made. Apparently watching people was a favourite pastime of his. I think the person on the pole is male. You certainly go to interesting places. Hope Dayle had a lovely birthday. xox

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  7. Its deeply saddening to hear about the treatment of the Native Americans and I believe the British played a big part in some areas. The Totem Pole was a joy to see, as you say so unusual to see one in concrete rather than the traditional wood. It as a joy to see the sea lions what a great sight.

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  8. Oh Teresa, I wonder why people cannot get along - why greed and hate take over. It is so sad. You are doing good work, sharing these lessons with your daily joys. Will our country ever learn? I think you are helping!

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  9. Made DH jump when I clicked to hear the sea lions :-) Thank you for the history lesson Teresa - so sad. Take care. Anne x

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  10. Teresa, Im sorry your nephew is having a hard time. Your gift will surely make him feel loved. THe sea lions remind me of our cat Tank....

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  11. You take us to the most wonderful places Teresa. Thank you.

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  12. Loved being able to catch up here while we are away with our Winnie. I think it looks like a man but hey ho, no matter. History can really make us very sad for sure. Lovely you are doing your nephew one of those hats xoxoxo

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  13. I like eating near those docks too. Often seen fish being cut up too by Mo's but we don't eat there any more. Your photos are great and it made me feel refreshed after being at work today. Thanks for history of the Indians on the coast. Sad! Hope Dayle had a great birthday! More yarn? :-} Nice colors and hope your nephew will enjoy it. Chilly here on Sunday. Nice today but chilly. Hugs!

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