My Bloggy Thingy: Yaquina Bay, Oregon Coast.

I awoke this morning to the Honking of a squad of geese flying in formation headed wherever they head 3 or 4 times a day. The frogs had serenaded me to a restfull night sleep last night.

It was a very nice and damp 40 degrees and made me think of home. As I prepared for the day I kept trying to decide what I wanted to do. I fixed all the "issues" with Box II yesterday, rode my bike 3 miles or so and survived, and awoke rested and eager to have a good day.

So, I jumped in the Jeep and headed for a little shopping mall to browse a hobby store I had seen Sunday while walking around waiting for the laundry to finish.

As I pulled into the Safeway shopping center I thought "dummy" the Hobby store is at the Winco thing which is on the other side of town. A good start to a better day. LOL

I drove to the Town Pump to say Hi to my friends son only to learn he was off. Another good start to an even better day. So I just pulled out, turned West and started driving.

It wasnt long, and about 20 miles later I realized hey, I'm going to the coast, which was fine by me. I had planned on doing so and today seemed as nice a day as any.

In Eddyville I came across this cool bridge with a rope hanging from the bottom which brought back a lot of childhood memories of swinging out into the river on a rope and letting go to splash into the deep side, to fill the cool water envelop you as you watch the surface fade above you as you sink into the current to come back up swimming to the bank about 30 feet downstream. Nice memories of a fun time. For this picture I was standing on the railroad tracks and looking up track I saw a house that was only 20 feet or so from it.

POW !! Another memory rocked me. We lived in a small town, Rodeo New Mexico, I was 13'ish and the train tracks ran behind the house, actuallu through the backyard. I was a freshman in High School and as such was in FFA (Future Farmers of America). I had a special license to drive to school only (yeah right) which was 65 miles away and thus had to leave early.

We didnt have nor need an alarm clock because the first train of the day came through the backyard at 5a.m. and the engineer was more than happy to lay on the whistle. My Dad said he knew him and had him do it. Ya know what? I believed him and still do. LOL

Being in FFA I had a Suffolk Lamb I was rasing for show and pigs I was breeding to sell and eat. Thier pens and everything was across the tracks requiring running back and forth to do my chores. Good thing there wasn't another train until after we left.

There are quite a few covered bridges in these parts and I was fortunate to run across this one.

Actually I had seen it out of the corner of my eye last fall when I drove through here in Box I headed for Portland and points East. I knew it was here, just not sure exactly where and today I was able to turn around and come back which was out of the question in Box I on a narrow two lane mountain road.

Again I'm standing on the railroad crossing to get this picture.

The rest of the drive to Newpost was uneventful but a beautiful one to experience. There were gorgeous valleys with old barns and large meadows, rough water in the numerous streams, one that looked like possibly a falling down water wheel but it was off the road a ways and I couldnt stop and get turned around even in the Jeep for quite a ways.

I made Newport and turned to go down to the docks. A good decision it turned out.

Docks and fishing boats look pretty much the same whether in Haines, Juneau, or Newport Oregon it seems.

I even found one with a name from my past. The M/V Judy.

Go figure lol

After the docks I drove up the street then got out and was walking along enjoying the shops and sights.

There's graffitti and then there's graffitti. I like this depiction of Moby Dick more than what I usually see painted on building, fences, and other places.

Same goes for this mural of fish on, what else, a fish processing facility.

I figured I'd go enjoy the show at the Undersea Gardens and then see the Wax Museum and Ripleys Believe it or Not which were across the street.

It was really dark inside and with all the glass walls it was very difficult to take pictures. But, it was an interesting show. They had a girl narrating and a diver demonstrating and showing you different types of fish. It was a safe but natural environment in the semi-open water. He showed us Dungees, a star fish, a wolf eel that he actually cuddled with it was very docile and he fed it by hand while holding it. The were a large amount and many varieties of fish but as I said taking pictures were difficult so I only have this one and one other.

LOL

what can I say, I couldn't resist.

After the undersea gardens show I walked across the street

The Wax Works

A wax museum that was enjoyable. I dont know why but all three of these places were quite dark and less than 1/2 the pictures attempted came out.

Sherlock Holmes

Thats as far as the door would open so that was the scene they wanted.

Jack Sparrow

Johnny Depp

Then it was next door to

Again, really dark inside

A real shrunken head, even had instructions on how to do it.

You cut the back of the scalp then pulling gently and evenly detach the ,,,, well you can go read it yourself I guess.

,,, after removing the skin from the skull you boil the fat from it in a pot with tannin oils and some other things (specific to the tribe) to ward off any curses or evil spirits. This will reduce it to about the size of your fist, pack it with hot sand to reshape ,,,,,, well, you know, go read it yourself if you have one you want to shrink.

one more stop then its off to Yaquina Bay State Park

The door which was painted on the inside to look like it was 1/2 open with a blonde lady entering was funny, but this painted on a flat wall (see the baby chaging table at the corner) was simply amazing.\

The Jeep was parked right in front of here and it was yelling L U N C H !!!!!

Cape Foulweather is about 40 miles North. Planning another trip to there, Devils Punchbowl, and maybe 110 miles up to Cannon Beach, oh and the Tillamook Cheese Factory.