Coquille River Lighthouse

We posted Dave's favorite lighthouse last week, so now it's my turn. My favorite, from the first time I saw it, has always been the Coquille River Lighthouse in Bandon, Oregon.
It sits at the mouth of the Coquille River on the north jetty across from Old Town Bandon. It was built in 1896, but in 1939, the Coast Guard took responsibility for it and decided to replace it with a beacon on the south jetty that can be seen in the background of this photo. Since we don't get to Bandon very often, because it's just far enough down the coast to be more than a day trip, we made it the starting point of our four-day weekend and stayed overnight. We had to go look at it as soon as we got into town.We checked into our hotel and you could see it from the balcony.A drive a few miles north on 101 takes you to Bullards Beach State Park where you can walk right up to it.There are dunes and rocks on all three sides, so you can take pictures from every angle.
The sunset was less marvelous than I had hoped it would be--no pinks or oranges--but the clouds filled in the background nicely.
Of course we had to go back the next morning and take pictures at sunrise. We were only teased with a few seconds of a light pink sky on the south jetty,so we went back to the park, where I safely took pictures from the dunes, but Dave felt I needed to come out on the rocks for a different angle. It doesn't matter when or where I see this lighthouse, it will always be a uniquely beautiful piece of architecture.

Spring Is Coming to the Coast

The search for spring was interesting on the coast. There were some places where you didn't see anything on the trees except moss. It looked like it would be months before leaves or blossoms would appear and other places, it was the exact opposite. In Port Orford there was so much Scotch Broom in bloom that it almost looked like summer. I couldn't resist getting closerand closerand closer.In Bandon, there were cranberry bogs all along Highway 101.Of course they won't be flooded until September when it's time to harvest them.From Coos Bay to Nehalem it looked as though spring might never come and then just north of Haystack Rock, near the Center Diamond Quilt Shop, a sampling of spring bulbs were newly opened. Single daffodils dotted the walk to the beach.I found these miniature dutch irises hiding in the back of the parking lot.I believe this is a hot pink anenome about to open. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)One lone purple crocus brightened up a small bed.I wasn't quite sure what this was going to be until I started moving my camera around inside the bushand found this butterfly bush beginning to bloom.I have no idea what this will be, but I couldn't resist these tiny pink buds.I think it should only be a matter of a week or so before we start seeing things like this around the neighborhood. Until the real thing pops up at your house, enjoy these.

Back in the Saddle Again

On the way into Portland Friday morning, we noticed another interesting sign of spring and decided to go out early this morning and photograph it. This picture was taken January 19th. Notice how far south the sun is rising relative to Mt. Hood.
This picture was taken from the same basic location at the marina this morning. Look at how far north the sun has traveled in just one month. It's rising in that northern saddle again.Just one more month of winter on the calendar:)

The Power of the Sea

Dave claims that my landlocked upbringing has a negative effect on my appreciation for waves crashing on rocks. It is a beautiful sight and there is no better place in the continental United States to watch waves crashing on rocks than the Oregon Coast.I try, but I just can't get as excited about it as he does. I look for peace on the water.He waits and watches for the biggest wave to crash.I like to see calm and a collection of the colors of the sea.He listens for the thunderous roar of the power of the ocean.I like the glow of a setting sun to soften the darkness of the rocks.He likes the contrast of the dark rocks and the white foamy surf.And lastly, I like to watch from a safe distance--like the parking lot,while he likes to get right up next to it.Yet again . . . we see same the things through different eyes.

Heceta Head Lighthouse

Heceta Head Lighthouse, just North of Florence, Oregon, is probably Dave’s favorite lighthouse in the entire world. We rarely drive past it that he doesn't want to stop and take a picture or just admire it whether it's from the turnout just north of Sea Lion Cavesor looking across the Cape Creek Bridge.It was turned on in 1894 and is the most powerful lighthouse on the Oregon Coast at 1.2 million candlepower. To save money, it was built using the same plans as the Umpqua River Lighthouse.This trip, we stopped at the state park and “hiked” (a well-paved trail through some trees) the scant quarter mile to the lighthouse.Once at the end of the trail, we climbed a somewhat steep and narrow trail to a spot above the lighthouse and Dave took this picture.The keeper’s house is now a bed and breakfast and despite rumors of the house being haunted, it was voted best Bed and Breakfast in the July 1997 Sunset Magazine.

A Glimpse of Summer Days to Come

Last weekend we took off for the Oregon Coast--not our usual run to Lincoln City to shop or Waldport to crab. We went deep into the coast and to the furthest west point in the continental United States. Those of you from the northwest know that is Port Orford, Oregon.From there we took four days to work our way north along Highway 101. It was like a trip through Camelot. Clouds would roll in about duskand rain would fall mostly under cover of darkness, then give way to sunny afternoons with temperatures in the mid to high 50s the next day.There were clouds like the ones hanging over these snow dusted hillsides just west of Roseburgand there was rain that kept us close to the car at Cape Blanco,but the rain cleared the sky for the afternoon and the clouds framed it in the evenings. We took hundreds of pictures that will take a while to sort through, but we'll do our best to post something of this trip every day or two over the next week. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Still Searching

I've been quite distracted with sunrises, fog, and frost lately. One might think that the search for spring had ceased--not so. If I were a gardener, I would have lots of things to take pictures of, but we were fortunate enough to buy a house this time with lots of evergreen plants that require very little care. We do have a big, probably out of control, camilla bush/tree. I can't bear to cut it back because it's so incredibly striking when it blooms. I keep expecting them to pop open any day, but not yet. They still seem to be quite tight.Our other little plant is a hot pink hydrangea. I'm not one to take in strays, but I saw this little plant at the end of the season about eight years ago at a local nursery half dead on a clearance table for fifty cents. It doesn't look like much right now,but it gave me one of my favorite macro pictures last year in the early summer.I can barely keep up with the signs of spring these days. I knew it would start changing quickly, but I wasn't expecting it so soon. It's easier to find a tree without buds on it than one with them these days.
I found new growth on a rose bush last week.Rhododendrons are no longer one lone bud.Crocuses are starting to pop their green leafy heads out of the their protective coverings and surface above ground.These furry little buds don't look like much right now, but they will be stunning in a couple of months. I can't wait to see this homely guy become a beautiful tulip tree,and this one a magnolia.I keep expecting to see blossoms or leafy trees any day. It's coming and will be here sooner than you think, no matter what that silly groundhog says. Until then, the search goes on.