2/18/17

Nehalem Bay State Park

Okay, well...I told you I'd write if I had something to say, and well, I always have something to say. Whether it is going to be interesting is another question. You'll have to decide. Really, there isn't a whole lot to tell except that nothing has broken! Yay! We had a bit of a scare when a series of warning lights indicated that the motor on one of our slides had shorted out. The slide was working fine, and so we're not sure what that's all about. Mike will mention it to the dealer and see if they have any ideas. Otherwise, smooth sailing.

We stopped off at a scenic overlook on the way in. This is Neahkahnie Mountain. Our daughter's ashes are buried nearby. Below and left of center in the image is the little town of Manzanita, Oregon. We were about ten miles from the state park at this point.


We have a nice campsite, and while we can't see the ocean, we can hear it.


There has been nine inches of rainfall so far during the month of February, and the sites to the right of us are mostly flooded. We just barely managed to escape the flood zone where we are, which means the surrounding grass is very soggy and muddy. It was nice yesterday, and we got out for a walk on the beach. There is a grass-covered dune between us and the ocean.


Once you get across the dune, you can look to the north and see Manzanita again, and that's Neahkahnie Mountain there.


Look to the south, and you see this:


We saw this guy and some of his friends considering their options.


Here in Oregon, we're always talking about the possibility of tsunamis and the impending cataclysm when the Cascadia Subduction Zone decides to give way to the forces of nature. It could happen in another 500 years, or the next five minutes...or even sooner. One just never knows.


And I don't know about you, but I'm always wanting to keep abreast of the many ways that I might die when I'm out and about. For one thing...clams. 


There's one of those murderous buggers now. Any other time, I'd scoop it up and eat it on the spot. Not this time...you can't fool me, sitting there looking so innocent and tasty.


And then, there's all of this:


And don't forget this guy trying to run away from a tsunami. 


On a lighter note, there were these little tiny wildflowers...about the size of a dime.


And these little pine cones...about the size of your thumb.


Since the weather was so nice, we decided to sit outside and barbecue last night, and we were treated to a very pretty sunset.


It rained last night, but it's been dry so far today. There are "showers" in the forecast with rain increasing into tomorrow. We're heading home tomorrow, and so it doesn't really matter. We feel lucky to have been able to get out on the beach yesterday, and we'll probably take another walk today.

The bed is comfortable. We've taken showers. We've used pretty much anything that has an on-off switch. Last night we used the convection oven to bake some potatoes. This morning we used the cooktop to make French toast and the microwave to cook some bacon. All went off without a hitch. We've also tested out the napping capabilities of the theater-style chairs. Well within specifications, I'd say. Mike is snoring away as I write this.

So, there you have it...nothing earth-shattering, and sometimes that's a really good thing.

19 comments:

Dorothy said...

Glad your "shake down" trip has gone so well. Lovely sunset

Quiltdivajulie said...

Beautiful photos and funny (but still serious) signage. Glad the shakedown is going well.

quiltzyx said...

Wow! Wonderful weekend wanderings! Glad the shake-down has gone so well & hope the lights turn out to be something easily taken care of.

Drive safe on the way home!

gpc said...

It's a wonder we ever leave our houses, except, of course, for the long lists of things that can kill us there, too. As for nothing earth shattering going on -- the older I get, the more convinced I become of the beauty of an ordinary life.

Ray and Jeanne said...

Glad most everything is going well - once you get the warning lights checked out, you'll be a-ok! When we were on the Oregon coast a couple of years ago, I was amazed at all of the warning signs. We read each one and didn't need the information while we were there but it's nice to be informed. Sure hope you stop getting so much rain soon. ~Jeanne

claudia said...

I am happy for you that everything is going (relatively) well. Darn rain anyway!

QuiltShopGal said...

What a fun get-away adventure. Beautiful photos. Although I'll confess your new truck and camper is as beautiful as your beach photos. Hope you have loads of fun. Be safe.

QuiltShopGal
www.quiltshopgal.com

liniecat said...

Well they certainly do cover all death n suicide options for folks over there .. and clam killing sounds like a woman's murder method, they say poisoning is mostly done by women don't they.
Lovely to stop in where you laid your daughter to rest and glad all seems to work and do what it's supposed to in the new adventure-mobile!

Motherdragon's Musings said...

Beautiful photos. Thank you for sharing this post and the link to Holly's post.

Dana Gaffney said...

That's a beautiful spot with lots of dangers to keep you on your toes. Are all razor clams deadly? Sneaker waves made me think of Nike's falling out of closets and "stay off of logs" seems like a good caution, very Darwin.

piecefulwendy said...

Thanks for letting me tag along as I read this :-) and for sharing difficult times in your life. I enjoy your posts!

Barb Neiwert said...

The Coast is always beautiful, and you've captured it well. Enjoy!

Barb H said...

It looks as though you've found a very beautiful place to spend the weekend. I'm glad you're aware of all the dangers and are taking necessary precautions. Having lived my entire life in the Midwest, I'm not familiar with ocean dangers but when I visit the coast, I'll especially watch out for "sneaker waves." Are they Reebok or Nike, do you think?

Jenny - the lilac cat said...

There are very few blog writers that can reduce me to tears by the wonderful touching post about your daughter and then have me entertained with the many dangers of such a beautiful part of the world. I'm glad you had such a wonderful weekend and it is indeed a special place.

Sandra W said...

When reading this I linked back to the post about your daughter. I was very touched by your story (again) and how you have felt and dealt with that loss over the years. You write about it in such a beautiful way.

On a lighter note, I am enjoying you, enjoying your camper. I am on day 2 of a 35 day holiday in Spain.

WoolenSails said...

What a beautiful place to camp and a nice place to relax.
I never knew about your daughter and read your posting, it was wonderful to learn about her and your story and journey through your grief.

Debbie

Brown Family said...

It is always good that things turn on and off if they should. Not so good it they are not suppose to (warning lights) It sounds like you had a wonderful weekend

Kate said...

What a pretty place for your break in trip. Glad you got some rain free weather over the weekend.

Dar said...

Enjoyed your post as I have never been to your part of the U.S. It looks beautiful. Glad your new traveling home is working out so well and that you didn't have any unforseen happenings.
Enjoy. I know I would be in hog heaven to get to see the US the way you two do.