Simply….A Day

Our lone sunset on the beach

A Day

A brief moment
A mere blink of time
I sense the passing of images
Blinded by rushing light
Blurred with a touch of emotion
The light caress of a day gone by

A lifetime
The eternity of being
I dwell in the myriad of images
Swim in endless tides of light
Sway with the winds of emotion
Embrace sweet scars of a day gone by

Flowers in the forest

A passing of time
Merged together in marriage
Bonded by the imprints of life
Bathed in woven threads of light
Overcome with emotion
A sunrise, a pause, a sunset
Timeless infinity
Simply…a day

Nina Fussing
Aug 2012

Low clouds over the pacific

Somehow my day yesterday just inspired poetry. We bathed in the most beautiful sunshine, walked the most gorgeous paths and finished the day alone on our own private beach with the most spectacular sunset. It seemed like a brief moment, yet took a delicious eternity to pass. In truth, everyday is like this but we don’t always see it. Here’s hoping your day today is felt just as deeply as mine

P.S. Thank you to everyone who commented on my last post. It’s so great to see links and inspiration to and from others. Love the interaction!

Last sunset over the horizon

Intricate webs of weeds

Late afternoon glow

Light on the forest floor

Sun, Wind, Fog & Love – A Week In Living Pictures, Cape Blanco OR

Early morning hike on a gorgeous day to the lighthouse

Being a bit of a natural sap I’m apt to become rather tongue-tied and girly giggling when it comes to romance. I go through the whole gamut -> heart-strings a-flutter, bare-foot skipping across the moors, the urge to burst into song.  Oh yes,  I’m the type of girl that goes the full Monty and currently I’m lost in my very own version of Cape Blanco ”Sound of Music” (except not quite in tune), and I am in LOVE.

Moods & texture on the south beach on a gray afternoon

This past week has given me a picture-panorama of weather and images on this wild and wonderful cape, teasing me deeper into nature’s romance. We’ve had days of heavy fog and ominous clouds, days of brilliant sunset and open views, and even a morning we hiked to the furthest beach (north of the lighthouse) when it was eerily completely wind-still.

A brilliant sunset on the cape

I am amazed at how many “hidden” trails there are around this cape, many of which are rarely used. We’ve discovered a back trail to the south beach which we walk daily and in all the time we’ve been here we’ve not seen a single soul. Most early mornings the entire coast is empty too, so we get our own private beach, our own private tide-pools (there’s some great ones just north of the lighthouse), our own private lighthouse view and our very own private wonderland-cape

….And this is high season!!!

Our afternoon viewing spot, just steps from our RV

Cape Blanco headland covers about 48 acres and is the most western point in Oregon (just narrowly short of being the most western point in the contiguous United States). The cape towers ~200 feet above the sea sculpted by a series of uplifted marine sediments the oldest of which dates to the late Cretaceous period (80 to 60 million years ago). It was originally land of the Suc-qua-cha-ta-ny (or “Sixes”) Indians and re-named when Spanish explorers sailed the coast in 1603 and saw the “white cape” cliffs gleaming in the afternoon sun. Once heavily forested (some of which still exists today) the far end of the cape was cleared when the lighthouse was erected in 1870.

Hiking one of the many paths in the forest

The lighthouse, the main road and the campground are really the only significant changes this spot has seen through the years so it still shines with all the wild and natural beauty of its deep past. You can still walk the spruce forest in the south, roam the beach in the north and see the very cliffs and rocks that existed thousands of years ago. It’s all here and all as romantically beautiful as when man first set eyes on the land.

But my camera really does it justice best. So I will put my bare feet back under the covers, store my singing voice away and let you folks enjoy a few shots of my little love-affair in the west. Who knows, maybe you’ll fall in love too?

The north beach in the early AM

Last colors across the pacific

A warm, and very quiet sunset

Another wonderfully moody day

A very still morning at the tide-pools in north beach

Beach grass swept by the winds

A private lookout from one of our “hidden” trails

Volunteer Hosting at Cape Blanco Lighthouse, OR

Paul poses on the staircase leading to the tower

So we’ve been happily hosting at Cape Blanco lighthouse for the past week or so. The first few days were the toughest, as they always are, re-programming our brains with all the new lighthouse stories and sorting out the routine, but by the end of the week we were smoothly rocking and rolling. In our short few days we’ve already had a slew of folks and experiences. I’ve managed to give my presentation in French (it was quite the effort), gotten laughs out of a group of teenagers (an even more impressive effort, if I say so myself) and managed to stay pretty much on-track with the dates and details. Not too shabby…

A late afternoon shot

This is a very different lighthouse from our last job at Coquille River. Amongst other things you don’t run a giftstore here (they have a full-time employee for that) and the lighthouse is larger so two couples are on duty each shift with a more formal tour-flow. Also it’s still an active navigational aid so you have a real-life lens and light. The bigger lighthouse makes for bigger (and sometimes more imaginative) stories plus the location is great, the surroundings are wild and fabulous and yes, in case you are wondering…it…is….awesome!

The real-life and so very gorgeous Fresnel lens and 1000-watt bulb

Before I get into the nitty-gritty I’ll give you just a bit of background on this gorgeous building. Cape Blanco lighthouse was first lit Dec 20th, 1870. It is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the OR coast as well as being its most westerly lighthouse and the one with the highest focal point (perched dramatically above the surrounding cliffs it beams at 245 feet above sea level). The fact that it’s still operational is extremely cool and means it’s one of the spots you can see a real-life glorious Fresnel lens in action (this, in itself, always triggers a bunch of “wows” from those who see it!). Also despite it’s remote and lonely location it boasts one of the west-coasts’ longest-service keepers (James Langlois and his family who braved this crazy weather for 42 years) as well as the first OR female lighthouse keeper (Mabel Bretherton).

A moody day seeps through the downstairs window at the lighthouse.

These are all fun facts, but what makes this place special is it’s living soul. The wild weather, the crazy winds, the changing light. From dense fog that wraps a lonely blanket and covers you in thick, introverted thoughts to brilliant sunshine that opens up miles of breathtaking cliffs and sets your spirit free on the never-ending view. Inside the lighthouse your world switches and you imagine the long days, never-ending service and continual toil of those who lived here. You can so easily get lost here both in the place and the stories, and as a lighthouse host I get to feel those moods and touch a small piece of that history….oh yeah…it’s very, very cool.

So, how does it all work? Here’s a typical break-down of what we do:

Paul poses by the fabulous Fresnel lens in the tower

1/ Work Hours - The lighthouse duties here are split into 2 daily shifts of ~3 1/2 hours each. Two couple are on duty each shift (one couple works at the main greeting center and one couple works at the lighthouse) and you rotate duties across the week. In total we work 3-4 days (one AM shift, one full-day shift, one PM shift and the circle starts again) and have 3 days off each week. A light and easy gig!

2/ Front Hosts (Greeter & Story Teller) -Whenever you work an AM shift your job is to be the front 2 people at the greeting center when folks first come in. You’ll greet people, tell them about tours and organize groups for the lighthouse. You also tell the first part of the tour story, focusing on the life of James Langlois and his family and what they did day-to-day outside the lighthouse. After your job is done you send people to the lighthouse for the next 2 parts of their tour.

Yours truly poses by a downstairs oil container…with PROPS!!!

3/ Lighthouse Hosts (Work Room & Lamp Room)  - The second couple on duty is always in the lighthouse and this is also the next part of the tour. One person stays in the downstairs work-room/oil-room and introduces folks to the tasks done there. Bonus of this job is the downstairs area has tons of props which you can handle and display (total score for an old theatre-captain like me). The other person greets people in the tower and completes their tour by taking them into the still-active lantern room (the ooooh and aaaah spot, as I call it).

4/ Odds And Ends - There are few odds and ends each day such as measuring wind-speed, keeping track of number of visitors, opening up the lighthouse and closing it down.

That’s really it! The job here is pretty much all about the story-telling and everyone gets to rotate through all 4 jobs during the week. All this with the bonus that you get a working lighthouse, lots of cool props, a great RV site and 3 days off. So far we’re totally enjoying it and expect our month here to zoom easily by. If you’re in the area, drop by for a story or two…and I’ll promise you that most of them will be true too

Detail view of the old brickwork

Another view of the fresnel lens

Detail view of one of downstairs 100-gallon oil barrels

Reproductions of oil carriers…more props!!!

View inside the downstairs workroom

Isn’t she lovely?

Bye Bye Beautiful Bandon, OR…For Now…

One of the many steps to the gorgeous Bandon beach

Tony’s crab shack has good, casual seafood

We’re down to our very last day here at Bullards Beach State Park which also means our very last day by lovely Bandon. We’ve been totally swept away by this place, not just for its natural beauty but also for its soul. Call it a good vibe, a homey coziness or just plain cuteness, this little town of just over 3000 has fast become one of our favorite on the Oregon coast.  It’s the kinda town is just the right bit of in-between -> it’s got the whole basket of a small-town feel yet still boasts a wealth of restaurants and cafés, miles of stunning beach, an artsy boardwalk, old-fashioned downtown, weekly farmers market and so, so much more. Whether you’re tide-pooling by the sea-stacks, horse-back riding on the beach, crabbing in the river, sampling local chocolates, enjoying the local cranberries, hunting history at the museum (the best $2 deal in town!), eating fish taco’s at Tony’s Crab Shack or dressing up for a gourmet dinner at Alloro there is really something for everyone.

Paul poses on the Bandon river boardwalk

We’re not the only ones who think so either. In 2010 Budget Travel named Bandon one of  top 10 “Coolest Small Towns in America” and our RV buddies Lu & Terry definitely agreed when they rolled through last week (and that’s not just because they got to spend time with us….although I admit our company is particularly charming). Everyone who comes here seems to fall for the vibe and the more time you spend here you more cool little corners you discover.

Polly plays on Bullards Beach….she’s ready for golf too!

Oh and did I mention the golf? With Paul’s back issues he’s not been out hitting balls, but has been drooooling at the opportunity. There are no less than 3 great golf resorts right here including the top-rated Bandon Dunes, relaxed Bandon Crossings and the cherry ontop of the gooey chocolate cake Old Bandon Golf Links where you can bring your dog to play. YES, golf with doggie!! Paul fluttered and swooned in heavenly love when he discovered that one, and we’ve sent several of our RV neighbours out there to enjoy the fun.

We’ve LOVED this job!

And our month here? It’s been awesome! Not only do we love this area, but our lighthouse job was fun, interactive and ever-stimulating. We’ve met folks from all over and all kinds of interesting characters -> a real (honest-to-goodness) lighthouse keeper from the Alaska boonies, locals who’ve lived in the area for generations, a Mormon family from Utah who spoke Danish, a lighthouse-lover who travelled all the way from India, a guy who survived a near-fatal accident (and was told he would never walk again…he made it up the tower BTW). Oh, the list goes on. I’m always fascinated and inspired by these folks. It’s like seeing a slice of life each and every day, and I get to absorb a piece of this wonderful human spirit just by being here!

Yup, we’ve been seduced and fallen hard, so much so that we’ve already decided to come back. We signed up to host again next year same job, same time, same place. So although we may be saying bye bye Bandon, it’ll really be adieu because baby…we’re most certainly coming back!

A view of mosaic on the artsy boardwalk

The cute Bandon port

Old town Bandon street-light

Horse-back riding by the beach sea stacks on Bandon beach

Cranberries are a local speciality…and you can taste at least 50 versions in here

A great sunset out the RV window at Bullards Beach State Park

Rocks In Rocks – Discovering The Cool & Wacky World Of Concretions

Oh thou art SOOooooo coooool!

Sometimes you discover something that is SO ÜBER COOL you just have to find out everything about it. This happened to me a few weeks ago as I was writing about our visit to Cape Arago and discovered this post about concretions. I had never heard about these things and was immediately intrigued. A rock that grows inside another rock? The creation of outlandish spherical bulbs of all sizes? Rocks that contain fossilized matter inside? Rocks that grow to be as big as a person? Landscapes of giant rocks that look like outer space?

OMG…this is the most totally cool thing EVER! I was hooked and absolutely, positively needed to find these things and see them for myself.

Lu & Terry pose at one of “the giants” in Fossil Point

Thus began a 2-week expedition of “concretion hunting” with some fun exploration and exciting pictures to boot. Not only have I discovered the best local hiding spots around Charleston and Shore Acres, but I’ve learnt alot more about these unusual and fun geological structures.

Concretions come in all sizes

So what exactly IS a concretion? Structurally they are compact masses of mineral matter embedded in a host rock of other matter. They typically start to form around a “nucleus” of some sort (a shell, a crab, a leaf whatever) and grow inside cracks and cavities of other rocks or get buried in sediment that then hardens. The net effect of all this is a rock within a rock….or more specifically one type of rock inside another type. Surprisingly they are actually really common, but for a non-geologist like me finding these things is akin to the discovery of chocolate sauce on ice cream -> a totally delicious revelation!

Concretions at Yoakam Point -> AWESOME!

So now that I’ve got you all hot and bothered to see them, where do you actually go to find these hidden gems? The area around Charleston & Shore Acres actually has 5 excellent spots with concretions of all sizes, two of which I discovered with my cousin and one (“the giants”) that I scoped out yesterday with our RV buddies Lu & Terry (Paint Your Landscape) who just rolled into town. They are ALL worth visiting and these are my top picks (map at bottom):

1/ “The Giants” at Fossil Point -> Humungous man-size concretions that are best seen at absolute low tide. Going north from Charleston, cross the bridge and drive ~1.8 miles along Cape Arago Hwy. Park at the first turnout on your left after Fossil Point road. Hike around the point to the south until you see the monsters. This is also a great spot to hunt fossils, as you’d expect. Be prepared for mud!

Walking around the giants at Fossil Point

Part of “the wall” at Yoakam Point

2/  ”The Wall” at Yoakam Point -> A spattering of softball-size concretions on a cool wall that juts into the ocean. These are also best seen at low tide where more of the beach is open to walking. Going south from Charleston along Cape Arago Hwy, drive past Oceanside RV Park and take the first turn-out on your right a little ways up the hill. There are several poles and the entry to a trail, but no signs. Follow the trail to the beach and go right from there to see the wall.  The beach here is also, incidently, one of the best places to get a view of closed-to-the-public Cape Arago Lighthouse.

“The line” at Simpson Beach

3/ “The Line & Seat” at Simpson Beach -> A really cool line of ground concretions and interesting wall-set big enough to sit on. Simpson Beach is reached by trail directly from Shore Acres State Park. Simply take the trail to the beach and walk to the south end to see the concretions.

All in all a good few weeks hunting with a darn good set of catches. The cool and wacky world of concretions is just as fun in person as they are in print, so if you haven’t yet been seduced by these rocks, I’d recommend letling yourself go and giving it a try. Fun, discovery and rocks to write home about. Priceless!

Beauty of giants at Fossil Point

My cuz on “the seat” at Simpson Beach in Shore Acres State Park

Hanging at Simpson Beach

One side of “the wall” at Yoakam Point

Fossils at…you guessed it Fossil Point!

A partially revealed concretion at Yoakam Point

Map of Charleston area with best concretion hunting spots