Upon the Eve of My Birthday

The events of what occured on March 31, 2010 will go down as one of the most eventful days before my birthday that I've ever had.  It all started after I got off from work.  My roommate and I were going to stay the night in Astoria, OR so we didn't have to wake up as early to go clam digging in Long Beach on my birthday.  As we were cruising along up past Skamokawa, WA and just cresting KM Mountain, Kyle nervously turned to me and said we had a problem.  I looked over quizically towards him and asked what was wrong.  He hesitantly said we no longer had a working clock, and the speedometer stoped working.  I tried to stay calm and said it'd be ok, not knowing what I was saying.  As soon as I finished uttering this statement, Kyle told me there was yet another problem.  By now we had started coasting down the mountain and Kyle became a little scared I think.  I exclaimed, "Tell me, tell me!" as my true feelings of worry became revealed.  "The gas pedal won't work." He said.

Luckily, we were already going downhill and were capable of letting our special friend, gravity, help us down the windy road.  As we came to the bottom, we were able to roll easily to a nice graveled spot on the side of the road.  We soon realized that the car wasn't even on anymore and had no idea what had happened.  Kyle tried turning the key a few times, but it wouldn't even turn over. I let out a sigh and began to think of what could be the problem.  I've lended assistance with working on cars in the past, but only as a helping hand. I thought about alternator or starter problems, maybe some wire possibly shorted.  I got out of the car, popped the hood and started my novice inspection.  Quickly I concluded that I had no idea what had occured.

Our next thought was to call someone... yet this also became impossible.  You see, on the other side of KM Mountain is Grays River.  It's a valley area consisting of the said river and also the community of Grays River.  This seemingly remote area is Kyle's ancestral homeland full of Magnusons, a branch off of his family tree that he really doesn't know too well apparently since we never knocked on a Manuson door for help. It's a small country community tucked within the Willipa Hills and ,as we soon found out, doesn't have any cell phone reception!  Our next plan was to find a phone booth.  Kyle said there was a commercial area somewhere close, so I grabbed my coat and we began our journey. 

We walked what seemed like forever. We passed over a bridge that led us across the river, went up windy hills and down curvy roads.  Each turn, Kyle promised there was a commercial area as I became a little concerned about the location of this seemingly imaginary place. I must say that it was a nice enjoyalbe walk, although the reason why we were walking wasn't so great.  I got to see some beautiful areas that the river cuts through and there were a few areas where the trees opened up to reveal the beauty of the rolling Willipa Hills.

I don't know how long it took, but we finally came across an area that seemed promising.  It looked like a cafeteria! Yes!  The journey was over! We could use their phone, relax for a bit, and wait for our ride! My hopes were pulverized as I looked at the sign in the window. They were closed! Come to find out, they have selective days they're open, but Wednesday wasn't one of them! Just a little past this area was  the Grays River Firestation!  Again, I thought, "YES! They could help us!"  Yet as we got closer, I saw yellow "Do Not Cross" tape along an open staircase, and realized it was an old abandoned building... YAY!

Frustrated and tired of walking, I was glad when we finally found the lone phone booth of Grays River. It was next to the Second Hand Rose Antique Shop and across the street from Duffy's Irish Pub.  We rushed into this booth that looked like something that survived Armageddon, fumbled for some quarters, but found that it didn't take change.  A yellow sign with black lettering stated that local calls were free, but all others must use a phone card. GREAT!  We still tried to use the phone.  One service said they accept everything but our card carrier. And another failed attempt of getting ahold of someone resulted in learning that Kyle's parents don't accept collect calls. 

So we decided to go see about Duffy's which was our last hope. The lone server was a woman named Lauraine.  We explained our sad situation and asked if we could use the phone.  Greatfully, she was kind enough to let us use some of her minutes to make the long distance call that ended our delehma.  We thanked her by staying and having a bite to eat as we waited for our rescuers. 

The pub was really awesome! It was full of mis-matched antique furniture, chandeliers, and table lamps.  Framed pictures and other artwork covered the walls of this very eclectic, yet homey place.  The air was full of the aroma of smoke from a wood stove that resided towards the back. One could tell that this jewel of a place held many years of stories along and within its walls. 

As we waited for our food, I found an old table that looked like in its past life it had been apart of an old wooden ship.  Yet this piece was cut out into a table size, varnished over, and was given two pairs of legs to stand on. Next to us was an ink drawing reminiscent of Peter Cotton Tail or some other children's book from that era, and was further illuminated by a lamp that looked like it came from the 50's with a porceilan floral base, and a frosted lantern-type glass shade.

To my left, tucked within one corner of the dinning area, was a table stacked with old board games.  I skimmed through these while we waited for the food and found a game Kyle has been wanting me to play for a long time called Triominoes. What better time was there to learn?  So I gave it a chance and found it was an awesome game!  We played a few rounds before dinner was served, then twice afterwards as well. 

Sitting in my chair, I looked around and thought that this was one of the best birthday-eves I've ever had. I laughed and joked with Kyle who was not happy about our current state. He was sad I was having such a bad start to what was suppose to be a fun beginning to my birthday. I pointed out that I was having fun!  Sure, the car broke down and we had to walk what seemed like forever to find help. Yet, how many other March 31st have I personally had and can say they were memorable?  None that I can easily think of!  I sat there thinking about our current state and explained how much fun we really had that day. It was an adventure to get stuck somewhere, take a walk around a place I've only driven through but never took much notice of, find a cool homey Irish pub to play Triominoes in, and have a burger and butter beans until someone comes to take us back home.

As we played the last round of our game, Kyle's dad, Avery, walked through the door. We paid Loraine, climbed into the van full of family, and re-traced our way back to where it all started.  As we made it back to the car, Kyle's mom pointed out that the tripometer said we walked a little over 2 miles. After Avery started looking at the car, I tried to start it to just see if anything might happen to no avail. After a while of assessing the possible problems with the vehicle, Avery thought the problem was with a relay or wiring. Seeing that there was nothing else we could to do this evening, I left a note for whoever begging them not to tow the car and promising we'd be back by the weekend to fix it. We packed up anything of value into the van and headed East, back over KM Mountain, Skamokawa, Cathlamet, Stella, and finally entering Longview.

The next day would result in being one of the most uniquely bittersweet birthdays for me, but one I'll never forget.  The telling of such deserves its own post. So I'll leave you with this long entry for now.  I'm sorry for taking so long for an update to the crazy events that occured on March 31st, but I hope you found them at least interesting if not entertaining.

In History!

What a day!  I'm too tired to get into everything, but wanted to mark this day with at least a blog that says that this fine cool Birthday-Eve was one that must go down in the history books as one the most insane ones.  Besides the crummy part that occured, I had a blast!  There will be more to follow very soon I assure you, but I must get up very early to try again for a trip out to the beach.  What a fantastically great day! : D 

Adventures in Geocaching

About a month ago, 3 friends and I went geocaching up on some remote logging roads for the first time a little West of Longview.  The air was quite chilly as I ran down the stairs in response to the honking jeep in the parking lot. Excitement and curiousity filled my mind by how far out and remote we would be from civilization along these little treked roads. My roommate, Kyle, and I quickly climbed in the vehicle. I greeted his father, Avery, and brother, Connor, and so our story begins. Who would have known how much adventure waited for us up in those hills.

 As we entered through the blue logging gate, I was full of excitement and wonder thinking about what those big hills I see from a distance all the time look like up close. We treked higher and higher until we found the road that lead to the first cache of the day. This initial hiding spot we were headed to was near a very shallow man-made lake. We scavenged ever single inch of old log and lifted up rocks looking for the hide.  For over an hour we throughly searched every crevice imaginable to only find a red chewed up dog toy we at first thought could have been the cache. It turned out to be just some sad dog's lost toy.

Standing along the road, I took this picture from one end of the lake.

As I walked along to the lake's end, I found a site that was reminiscent to Leonard Springs Park in Bloomington, IN minus all the evergreens.  I stood there for a moment and let my mind drift back in time and imagine this being the very same hiking spot I've loved for so long.

The lake

Leonard Springs

It seems to me there are so many different types of lichen in the North West and they thrive on just about anything.  A tree limb of course is no exception, but I liked  the faint patinaed color contrasting the darker natural brown of the branch.

After a while of searching, we finally gave up on finding our first cache of the day. So we began our descent  back down the logging roads to our next geo-destination only to find a very large road block.  They were just finishing up, so it didn't take too long for us to get back to our cache hunting. 

Driving along, I was amazed at the contrast of dense forest and bare hillsides all on the same rise. 

One of the routes we took lead us among giants who watched as Avery changed a flat tire we had acquired.

Yay for flat tires in the middle of the wilderness!

Finally, we were back on our way.  As I walked up to the cache site, I was amazed at how clearly we could see Mt. St. Helens. How awesome!

After the cache was found, we took in the beautiful view we found through the trees. We were approximately 2,200ft up looking towards the Columbia River when I took this picture.  I didn't include a picture of where the cache is located because it'd spoil it for those that haven't found it yet. I did take a few for my personal viewing.

As we walked back down the road, I had to take another picture that had a better close up of the big celebrity.

 As we headed back off the hillside, we took a look at another great view not far from the road leading to the previous cache.  In the horizon, we realized we could see Astoria, OR.  Even further along was the Pacific.

In the distance was mound after mound of green lush wilderness.

All 3 processes of logging are seen in this photo.  We can see the ripe aged forest, recent remnants of a logging expedition, and the regrowth of a forest.

Soon, we will see ourselves down the same road as the truck down the hill.

Look closely.  You can see a faint misty Mt. Hood in the background to the left.

I loved the hue of the dirt and you get to see a logging machine at work to the right.

 A little farther along, we became a little lost down a  wrong turn.  As long as the way went down, we knew we were ok.  Yet to add to our small worry of finding civilization again, the tire Avery changed descided to contribute to a little bit more to out suspensful ride when it popped. Through winding roads we treked passing only on person who wouldn't stop for us to ask which gate we'd be coming out of.  Further we came until we saw the blue glint of a gate and past that beautiful sign of the beginning of the world we came from was the hint of black pavement! 

The Jeep with it's second flat tire..

Wow.  We drove on that.

As we waited for rescue from Kyle's grandparent's and mom, this very friendly dog kept us lots of company.  Many times he had us throwing a stick and petting him.  He was just glad to have some friends to play with! Too bad we didn't keep that chew toy.  We could've gave it to this guy!

My adventure out in the logging wilderness was quite fun and I can't wait to find myself out exploring some more of the great wild backyard I have all round me.  Next time, I'll have a better idea of what I'm getting into, and I'll be sure to pack a few extra spare tires on my back just in case.

Along the Columbia

Today started out a little chilly, but quickly warmed up as I strolled along the Columbia River today. Here are a few photos I took while at Willow Grove enjoying the sun and view.

An empty clamshell dancing in the waves.  

 Remnants of a gull's last stop.

A round pumice stone that looks like a small meteor or moon. The beach is littered with these guys. Actually, all the white little rocks in the sand you see in prev. pictures are pumice. Whenever I see them I think of the great trek they took from the Mt. St. Helens eruption where it was created to where it rests in the sand today.

I love the green on these patches of moss.  

  The water is normally around a foot from the top of these poles when I usually come out here. I've never seen the tide out so low.   

Waves a passing boat created.  

The river gives up many items along Willow Grove.  It amazes me how large some of them are!

I thought this silvery white stump was pretty cool.  It changed to a darker grey depending where I was looking. On the horizon in this same picture you can also see a small snow-capped Mt. St. Helens. It almost looks like a puffy white cloud 

Have you lost a part of your fence? Here it is!

 

I loved the colors of the bark on these two trees.

Snowy Mount Saint Helens. 

I also took a few pictures of some trees blooming. What a contrast from the picture of Mt. St. Helens!

I welcome the sight of Spring.  It's almost here!

Experimentations with Spices: Paprika

Yesterday I took a trip to the store to replenish and expand on the seasonings I use in the kitchen. This evening I decided to try out one of my new spices. Glancing over my new inventory, I chose to use paprika.  I can't recall ever using this specific one before. Holding up the bag,  it looks like it could be a specimen of fine dust from Mars. The vibrantly red seasoning would seem to possess a fiery mesquite smoky flavour. Although there are many that do, the one I have bought lacks the heat.  Its characteristics are more of a mildly dry sweet flavour. Paprika gives a dishe quite an appetizing quality as well when used as a garnish or rubbed over the meat I've found.

 

Recipe:

• 1 Bone in chicken breast
• 1 stalk of celery
• 2 small onions
• 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 3 table spoons of paprika
• salt
• pepper
• 3 stripped sprigs of thyme (plus a few for on top the chicken)
• 1 table spoon of basil
• extra virgin olive oil

Simply place the chicken in a casserole dish and begine to prepare.

Drizzle some olive oil over the chicken and massage all over to thoroughly coat.

In a bowl, mix paprika, basil, thyme, garlic and a pinch of salt.

Take the mixture and rub it all over the chicken breast, making sure to place the mixture under the skin as well.

Slice up the onions and celery any way you like. (I julienned my onions)

Place around the prepared meat and season with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the oninons and celery with olive oil.

Place a few sprigs of thyme on the top of the chicken.

Cover with foil and cook at 350 in the oven for approximately 45 mins or until done and enjoy.

 

 

 

This is a before picture. 

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After. 

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For show, I put a few celery leaves as garnish. I really enjoyed the dish. The garlic saturated the meat quite well, the chicken was juicy, and the paprika gave it a very subtle flavour. The side of onions and celery really obsorbed the color of the paprika and had a great carmalization over all.  This is one dish I will be making again maybe next time I will finally have friends over for sampling. If anyone tries this dish or have suggestions to improve it, let me know!

 

 

Cold Moon: Reflection

When it comes to current events in my life, I've looked for solace in things that help me to either relate or at the very least see the full spectrum of life. While I was in Indiana getting ready to leave my sister's house and fly back to Washington, I made sure to grab a book I left there last time. I needed something to read and was ready to finally finish the story of Ada and Inman.  It was Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier.  Little did I know how much I needed to read and reflect from this insightful book.  I've tried to resist letting my mother's death be the end of me.  It' has been hard to find my existence past her departing to the afterlife.  I will even confess that I still can not grasp life without her and think of her and her death daily. 

Yet one passage towards the end of my Cold Mountain trek has helped me in my mourning,  I have thought about it several times since,

 "He talked to her of the great waste of years between then and now. A long time gone. And it was pointless, he said, to think how those years could have been put to better use, for he could hardly have put them to worse.  There was no recovering them now.  You could grieve endlessly for the loss of time and for the damage done therein. For the dead, and your own lost self. But what the wisdom of the ages says is that we do well not to grieve on and on. And those old ones knew a thing or two and had some truth to tell, Inman said, for you can grieve your heart out and in the end you are still where you were.  All your grief hasn't changed a thing. What you have lost will not be returned to you. It will always be lost.  You're left with only your scars to mark the void.  All you can choose to do is go on or not. But if you go on, it's knowing you carry the scars with you."

When I got down to that last line, I knew I personally had a choice to make.  To wither and die in the recent past that years from now I would still lay in, crippled and void, fruitless in any effort and unhappy, or go on and make my mom proud, live in her name, and flourish. As long as I and others of us that knew her live, she still lives at least in our hearts.  Personally, she has etched herself permanently there in my heart. There is no hiding it even if I tried.

Three are many days I've digressed. I've wished only to lay in bed and just lay in a limbo dream state where she still resides for me to interact with.  Reality still is a hard man I hate to face yet I find myself getting up and going about as normal as possible.  I remind myself of what Mom would want me to do, the same as the passage says, "Go on."  She would not want her passing to be the end of me.

The day I finished Cold Mountain, I decided I'd take a little christmas money and go by Goodwill.  Skimming the aisles of books, I saw a hardback one entitled, "13 Moons."  I took a glance at the author and to my utter suprise, it was the same author as Cold Mountain.  I quickly grabbed the book and headed for the check out knowing what I had in my hand was a book full of people in some way I could relate to all over.  This  morning I finished the book and it was better than I had thought it would be.  I found it stylistically different than Cold Mountain, but very much still in the realm of Frazier.  "13 Moons" has helped me look through the eyes of an old man ripe with stories and reflection.  I felt like I was talking to an elderly man who was telling all his past and how to help make your future a better one.

Looking back on these two books, both dealing with the grave realities of life in some ways, there is a sense of anchoring that has taken place.  Life can be a shear and utter torment at times, but there are many amazingly brillaint occurences as well.  One job we hold is to make a decision of how the unfolding events in life will affect us.  For the better or the worse?  Sometimes, the choice is a blur.  We only find after a space of time has fallen the clarity one needs to judge our previous actions.  As for the tragedy that has altered my life forever, I hope in some ways there is healing.  I can never forget, but one choice I do know.  I will choose to live and forever uphold my mother's legacy until my time on Earth ends.

My Winter Trip to the Beach

Yesterday, I took a trip to the coast with my friend Kyle. I had alot of fun during my first winter experience at the beach.  The forecast said it'd be rain, rain, rain.  I found it to be quite the opposite.  There were a few clouds in the morning, but it soon broke to a beautiful day. I love the coast. The following pictures were taken through out my trip to Long Beach, WA with the first photo taken at our first stop by the Julia Butcher Hansen Wildlife Refuge.

Looking out through an opening at the refuge.  We were looking for white tail deer but didn't see any.

An upclose pic of a log that makes up part of the viewing platform.

Along the way, we always pass this church.

I've taken pictures of this church several times before, but they were always while in the car. This time, we stopped.

Me on the stairs.

In Illwaco, WA, there is a little garden along with this area behind the Columbia Pacific Maritime Museum.

A sturgeon among smaller fish.

One huge stop, Cape Disappointment. This was up on the top looking out at the Cape Disappointment lighthouse.

This is actually the end of the Columbia River right before it begins to enter the Pacific.

The white oceanic waves to the right were converging with the mouth of the Columbia which was the mass of water in the foreground.

Looking down the cape. Am I really here?!  Beautiful.

Some other pictures along a trail on the cape.

Inside the Lewis and Clark Historical Museum (Located on top of the cape) was this old lighthouse lamp.  Awesome!

I love these glass fishing floats.  They come off of Japanese fishing nets and make their way across the ocean to land here on the beach during strong wind storms. People collect them like crazy.

A model of the area.  The Columbia River cuts straight through Washington and Oregon to empty into the Pacific.

Fort Canby is also located on the cape.  It was used until a little after WWII I hear.

This is a room here in the fort. 

In this same room was this painting.  I don't know much about it, but I found it quite interesting.

Finally moving along, this sculpture was in a small park in Long Beach.

Walking along the beach, several sea gulls decided to chill nearby.

Quickly, I ran as close as I could when the tide rolled back out to get these few pictures. I LOVE THE OCEAN! :)

I was down on one hand and almost a knee to get this close up picture of the incoming waves.

Beautiful.

I wonder what kind of fish this was.

This blob of substance is a dead jelly fish. 

This is the largest kite I've ever seen in my life!  It kept rotating in the breeze.  This guy was tending to it while we were walking up.

Did I say huge?!

Walking along the Discovery Trail in the dunes, I took this pic!

Another pic on the dunes.  You can see Cape Disappointment to the left and a littel bit of the ocean in the horizon.

This is a statue of a sturgeon (Yes, they're huge!) and Lewis or Clark (I don't remember) They found one beached when they came out this way.

YEEE HAW! lol

For non-coastal people, we may not know what in the world these things are for.  They are used to shield one from the sand on extreamly windy days.  They are needed, I've felt the wind's wrath at the beach before.

More info on the glass fishing floats

Info on Cape Disappointment