This past weekend I decided to get the heck out of dodge and head for the beach. I made reservations at Motel 6 ("We'll leave the light on") and left town at noon on Friday. The drive down was nice, except for the scenic route I inadvertently took through down town McMinnville. I arrived about 3:30-ish, checked into my room, and headed for the beach (which, by the way, may only be 4 blocks from the motel but it's more like 10 if you actually want to walk ON the beach) It was windy but the skies were blue and the tide was out and there weren't that many people out which was really nice, since I don't do people well. Bella and I walked the beaches for a while then went to the "100 steps" beach (which is right behind the Nordic Motel). We went slowly and carefully down the stairs and walked around for a bit until it got too windy. Now the "100 steps" comes into being because the stairway leading down to the sand is a concrete staircase. Going down was easy...going back up not so much. At the 75 step mark I thought I might be having a heart attack...by 92 I was almost positive! At 138 (somehow someone added those extra 38 steps and if I ever find out who it was...) I was done for, and Bella didn't look much better since I refused to pick her up and carry her! (like THAT was going to happen!) Anyway, once the paramedics assured me that I wasn't going to die that I just felt like it and if I'd lose a little weight I wouldn't feel this bad, things got back to normal. (just kidding about the paramedics...it was just a snotty old lady in jogging shoes and spandex) Since the sun was beginning to set I hung out and took a few more pictures then headed back to the motel.
Saturday morning rolled in bright and early and Bella and I headed for the restaurant and breakfast. I went to Sambo's for coffee and fruit and toast. (I actually had bacon, eggs and hashbrowns, but I WENT for coffee, fruit and toast) After breakfast Bella and I hit the beach down at Moe's. It's actually a very nice place to explore once you pick your way through all the trees that have washed up on the sand. It's a great place to watch the sea lions and hunt agates and other sea treasures. Me...I took pictures of "stuff". We then headed south to Newport and Depot Bay area...wasn't overly impressed so headed back north. I finally stopped at the Pottery place a good friend told me about and purchased a really cool coffee mug.
My BFF Linda texted (texted?) me and we met for lunch at Burger King...I had a really good salad...really...ask Linda she'll tell you. I went to the outlet stores because I needed to pick up some batteries for my camera. I not only picked up batteries but a really wicked cool lens for my new camera. (If anyone is interested...I've been a very good girl this year and would like a wide-angle lens for Christmas) Anyway...by that time I had run out of steam again so headed back to the motel.
Sunday morning arrived earlier than Saturday morning did so Bella and I checked out and headed north. We went up Hwy. 101, went up through Pacific City, Cape Meares, Netarts, Lookout Bay and Oceanside. I stopped at places I've driven past for years thinking "I really should stop there sometime" but continued on. This time I pulled over and explored. At Cape Lookout there is a place where you can walk down a set of trails to the beach. There is the North Trail (difficult), the South Trail (moderately difficult) and the Cape Trail (sissy trail). Guess which one Bella and I picked? It was breath-takingly beautiful! It was so amazing walking through the forest on a path that wound through this lush green brush, it smelled so fresh and sweet with just a hint of the briney ocean. Bella freaked out at every little rustle in the under brush, it was pretty funny. We walked around a bend in the trail and came face to face with this stunning view of the ocean and beaches, we were so high up we could see forever it seemed. If ever a person doubted the existance of our Creator, this view cured that doubt.
Anyway, I also ran into a gentleman who was also taking pictures and he had a "Camera". He was taking wide-angle shots of this awesome view and had more bells and whistles on his camera than I could count. Ahhhh new toys! Bella and I continued down the trail (at this point we are a good 45 minutes to an hour of down-hill trek). I stopped to take a picture of a really cool looking stump. I looked down at Bella to see her limping on her front foot. I was afraid that she had tripped or had stepped on a thorn or something so picked her up and checked her out thoroughly but found nothing. I put her back down and she just sort of fell over and wouldn't walk at all. Oh jeeze...I've gone and broken my dog! Now Bella, bless her little heart, weighs in around 16 pounds. You wouldn't think that that's very much weight until you start carrying it UPHILL. We stopped OFTEN and I tried to get her to walk with no success. After a good hour we reached the top of the trail and I set her down again. She looked up at me with those big brown eyes that said...'SUCKER' and trotted off to the car!
Back into the car and further north we drove. Our final stop was Oceanside. This is a little town I feel very comfortable calling "quaint". It's a classic "small town" at beach level, but looking up the mountains above and behind the town all you can see are brand new "big money" homes sticking out of the trees like so many pimples on a teenager. We rested for a while. I went to the cafe and got a mango smoothie and a toasted bagel with cream cheese. Bella and I sat in the car and watched the waves come in and the people surfing, or trying to.
Since it was getting on in the day and I still had to brave the Sunday traffic back to Portland so we headed out again. The drive home was uneventful and the traffic wasn't bad at all. I took the back roads (I-5 to 205) and arrived home tired, but content.
I guess the reason I took the time to write this was to impress upon myself the fact that I actually NEED to take the time off for me. I didn't have an agenda this weekend, I just went where the winds took me. I sat with my back against a rock in a sand hole protected from the wind and watched the sun set. I watched a young couple walking hand in hand, bumping shoulders and laughing. I watched little kids playing in the sand, just being kids. There was never a "plan". I felt, for the first time in a long time, at peace with myself.
I remember, when I was young, looking down the hallway to the bedrooms and seeing my mom kneeling at the bedside saying her prayers...some nights she was there for a while...probably praying for patience. As I said my own prayers last night, I think I finally understood. I am truely blessed.
Love me
