Saturday, January 17, 2009

Forest Sentinels

Tuesday we decided to take a drive to the coast. I've often wondered why Oregonians call it the coast and Californians call it the beach. To me it does evoke two different images, one with warm sandy beaches and one rocky with very cold water.

On the way home we took a side road in the Jedidiah Smith Redwood park. This road was little more than hardened dirt and gravel but very passable in most places. It was obvious however that the shoulders were still very soft and there were quite a few rutted areas.
One of the delights about having a Volkswagen convertible is that it is easy to put the top up and down. Also, having heated seats and a warm coat and hat helps too. Coming out of the forest with the top down was this scene of the trees that I really hoped to capture. The light was wonderful and colors so rich. It was amazing. So many of the tress began as several trees whose trunks then merged into one huge trunk. Lots of conversation about these giants. There really aren't enough words to describe how humbling and beautiful they are. We forgot the camera so this was taken with my iPhone. It takes very nice pictures but it was somewhat dark so the details are great but you get the idea.

Hopscotch was with us and she was not too crazy about riding in the small backseat. I could feel her stress which made me uncomfortable. I think Dave realizes that long trips - day trips in the backseat for her are not a very good idea. She was a trooper and we had her out often during the day. We also discovered that our 50/60 plus bodies don't accommodate 10 hours in the car very well.

We left early in the morning and got home just before dark. It was, to say the least, a long day for all of us. We were pretty tired when we got home.
There was heavy fog driving from Gold Hill over Hwy 234 to Eagle Point. It was hard to see and we were really happy to see our little casa. One of my quilting friends had just hit an elk about a week ago on the same road, but not with fog. It really did a number on her car but she and her passenger were ok. I was very grateful not to see any of our critters in my headlights too.

4 comments:

Rose L said...

I am glad you took some exploring time! That is always fun!
I like you photo. I may save it and do some work for you on it!
Keep blogging.

The Fibers of Life said...

Oh yes? What sort of work did you have in mind :-D Sounds like fun. I think I have become addicted to blogs. There are some very talented and creative folks out there. Be well, its very nice to hear from you dear friend.

meggie said...

In NZ, the east coast beaches are just that- beaches. In the South Island, the West Coast is known as the Coast. It is also as you describe it, being rocky, rough & a very wet coastline.
It has a lot of bush, much of which has been logged, but there are still some rugged patches of wonderful tall old trees. I adore the Native Bush of New Zealand, & really love the smell of it all. I think I miss the bush the most.

The Fibers of Life said...

I would love to see NZ Meggie. I have heard it is a wondrous place and beautiful as well. If the scenic shown in The Lord of the Rings is any indication it should be outstanding. The fragrance of the old trees and old redwood forest is so rich you can almost feel it as well as smell it. I hope that the forests will somehow not be totally destroyed. Driving through I couldn't help but think of the Ents from Lord of the Rings seeing those wonderful old trees.