After a roller coaster day yesterday, and actually after roller coaster days for weeks now, I wanted to be outside in the sunshine today. But I also felt like I needed and wanted to stay close to home, and away from people.
I slept in, got up at 9am, walked around the house drinking coffee and still wearing pajamas until after 10am.
When was the last time I had done such a thing? I couldn't remember.
I talked to my Mountain Boy, who is now in Washington State and well on his way to Bellingham, where he will stay and hold up until Friday when he catches the ferry.
All is well with everyone. LC and his brother are both doing well. The trucks have held up fine. Money is starting to become tight but he thinks he has enough to last.
My Jamie-dog has bonded tightly with both of these men as she also makes her way across the country.
Until this trip, Jamie had only ever been to TN and North GA (and on that trip to Georgia she unceremoniously threw up in LC's lap on windy mountain roads).
It was not the first time she has thrown up on car trips, but LC has wisely only fed her on this trip in the evenings.
She is sleeping with LC every night right now, and usually she only wants to sleep with us when it is storming outside - so although she is OK she is unsettled and needing reassurance.
Around 11 this morning I packed some food in my pack, grabbed the camera and walked out the door, with my destination being very close - the beach front right down at the end of my road.
It was sunny outside. It was warm. I wanted to relax and be close to water and mountains, and I wanted quiet with no challenges - either physical or mental.
The rocky beach is about 10 minutes walk down gravel roads from my house, or about 20 minutes by trail. I elected to take the trail, and it was unkept in parts but in general a very nice moss-covered soft trail that ran close to the coastline.
I took this picture of the trail about 10 minutes into the walk, and right after I took the picture I heard a noise that I have come to recognize since my arrival in SE Alaska - that of a whale releasing air and sending up a water spout.
I excitedly looked towards the water, but could only see parts of it because of all the trees. I listened for a few minutes but did not hear him again, so continued on the trail.
I was excited about the prospect of seeing him once I arrived at the beach. The last time I saw a whale at this beach he was very close to me, and I was hoping that would happen again.
A good part of this trail is along a ridgeline that overlooks the water, but it is a very steep and difficult climb to get down to the water. But at one point I found an offshoot of the trail that gradually worked its way down to the water. Because I wanted to see the whale I took it, climbing down on steep trail and rocks until I made it down to the channel.
I found this beach area a couple of weeks after I moved into my house, and on that day in early March it was sunny, cold and very windy, and the waves were crashing angrily against the rocks.
I looked around me, at this beautiful beach with wide open channel, hills and mountains and sunshine and could not believe my luck that I lived so close to a place so beautiful.
Today the sun was also shining, but the weather was warm and the water was very calm. And I still cannot believe my luck that I live so close to a place so beautiful.
I sat on rocks by the water for a long time - eating a sandwich, talking to my Mountain Boy (I miss you I miss you I miss you), watching the ravens and seagulls and boats.........
Lots of birds but I did not hear or see the whale again for the rest of my visit to the beach.
The little side-trail that makes its way down to the water from the main trail.........
After climbing back up to the main trail I continued walking slowly, until I arrived at the beautiful overlook. There is a bench at this point, and I lay in the sun on the bench and used my pack as a pillow.
I also received what turned out to be the first of a handful of phone calls from work. Deal with the issue - hang up - forget about it.
For the next hour or so that's what I did with each one of them.
Determined to stay focused on relaxing and sunshine. Determined and successful today...........
So beautiful it can take your breath away.......
This place is really lovely. And close. And quiet. If I could sit still long enough, I am sure that I could sit on this bench for hours and count all the different shades of blue...........
It was a good day and I really needed what this day and this place gave to me.
The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man. ~Author Unknown
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