Spending a couple of days at the coast always recharges my batteries! The rhythmic sound of the waves crashing onto the shore is calming. And calm is what I’ve been needing lately. It seems like there is never break from all the bad stuff happening here at home and also around the globe. I find it more difficult to tune all this out when I’m at home, but when we escape to the beach all of the stress seems to float away with the waves.
So when we finally booked a room at our favorite hotel in Lincoln City recently, the weather forecast promptly changed to rain. Cancel or go anyway? We decided to go and crossed our fingers for the weather to be okay. When we arrived, the sky was mostly overcast with a little sun peeking through the clouds now and then.
The next morning, after a cup of coffee on the balcony I headed out for a long walk along the beach and Siletz Bay. There were fluffy clouds in the sky and the outgoing tide gave me a chance to look at the barnacles and tiny tide pools in the normally submerged rocks along the shore.
I turned left to head south on the beach when suddenly a rather large, light colored bird came into my view. For a moment I wondered if it was a giant gull because of its flight pattern, but instead it turned out to be this incredible osprey. As he sailed past me I got a good look and some photos as well.
Ospreys have a wingspan of about 66 inches!
The clouds, morning mist and sunlight were spectacular!
Off I went towards Siletz Bay!
Hallo Schwesterherz!
I noticed that the bay looked completely different from what it used to look like.
A local, who walks this stretch of beach daily, mentioned a super tide.
It not only left this “lake” behind, but also washed away much of the driftwood and dunes.
That must have been one powerful high tide!
Across the inlet from here is another beach where large groups of harbor seals hang out. The “re-arranged” bay now has what you could call a sandy peninsula and this helped getting a little closer to the seals and this lone great blue heron.
Seals don’t like kayaks and promptly fled into the water when one approached.
The kayaker caused quite a commotion, even though he stayed far away.
Then I walked along the now narrow strip of beach towards the Siletz River.
I had never seen these rocks along here exposed before.
A few steps farther I got some crabbing lessons …
… straight from the expert!
This adventure is to be continued …
in cahoots with muddy boots 
You made the best of what could have been a disappointing trip. Looks like everyone was waiting to pose for you again. I think a still vacation at the beach would be just what the doctor ordered but it will have to wait. Funny how I never see the wonders that present themselves to you. You have the magic touch.
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Thank you Marlene! Being outdoors, especially at the beach, just makes me feel whole and happy and relaxed. The rest f it just kind of unfolds as I step along in the moment. 😉
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Sabine, I’m relaxed just having read about your time at the beach. Good choice to go. Weather! I loved having the experience through your photos and comments. – Trish >
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Trish, I hope you come visit some day and I’ll take you there! You’d like it there! 🙋
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What a beautiful adventure in nature you are having. Love the photos of the seals. What could be better than exploring tide pools.
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This beach is always interesting! The seals are cute and I loved how the heron hung out with them. Are your wrists all healed?
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Not completely but I get better every day. My occupational therapists says I should be 80 – 90% by mid-September but the rest (like throwing Frisbee) could take until next summer. I guess I will have an excuse to not shovel snow this winter. 🙂 Thanks for asking, Sabine.
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That’s good news!
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The beach is a calm place for me too! Come to think of it, other bodies of water are also peaceful. I think it’s the sound of the water. Great photos, Sabine. Glad you were able to get away. Have a great week!
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You’re right about all bodies of water! Rivers and lakes are relaxing too. Have a happy week, Missy!
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Wonderful shots, Sabine! 🙂 I especially liked the Osprey and Seal shots! 🙂 Clouds stop nothing for serious vacationers.
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Thank you, Tom! The osprey was incredible, appearing just moments after I stepped onto the beach. I hadn’t seen one in ages. The clouds rarely stop me at the beach, even when it rains. Hopefully I get to go back soon! 🙂
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Lucky for you that you didn’t cancel your trip since the weather did not appear to affect you. The seals and heron were nice finds but that osprey – wow! Were you remembering time spent long ago with your sister on the shore Sabine? I remember you wrote a post and included shells that you found and kept.
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Linda, both hearts where already there when I came across them. Hearts in all forms remind me of my sister. We call each other Schwesterherz! Sister heart Is the literal translation. Heart shapes are everywhere if one looks. And yes, the osprey was amazing! Such a regal bird of prey! And yes, I also came home with a baggie of nice seashells and will send some of them to my sister. 🙂
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I had tried to translate Schwesterherz – I speak no German and my mom often said she wished my father had taught me German, but he never did that. I thought you had done that heart – I liked seeing that on the beach Sabine and I remembered you were close to your sister and that prior post. Those osprey are beautiful – we have them at Lake Erie Metropark, but I’ve never seen one. A pair routinely nest in the fire house’s emergency siren which is on the outskirts of that park.
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My German’s a bit rusty at this point! And a little outdated! When you’re not constantly exposed to it you lose how languages evolve. Chatting with my sister and reading contemporary literature helps, but it’s not the same as living in the language. I tried to teach my kids German, but they didn’t want any part of it. It’s not uncommon I believe for the new generation to reject “the old”. Keep an eye out for the osprey, Linda! They’re incredible to watch soar past. From a distance they look and fly a bit like gulls.
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I took French in school for years and remember none of it – if I read something, it’s very rare I know a word or phrase. I could not trill my Rs so as many years as I studied French, I never sounded authentic. I lived in Canada until age 10 and in grade one, you begin learning French. The kids get an 8 1/2 X 11 sheet of laminated paper with a scene on it (barnyard, restaurant, grocery store, house, etc.) and the teacher had a larger pull-down picture at the front of the class (like when they rolled down a map). We learned all the vocabulary and were quizzed, then moved to the next “picture”. I took French for three years in college and so that’s why I’m ashamed to remember so little, and one year it was Conversational French and we had no book but had to give book reports, TV or movie reviews in French and were not allowed to speak a word of English in the class. I will look for the osprey – I was amazed at the wingspan on it. Such a beautiful bird.
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French is a beautiful language! I studied it in Brussels for a year when I was a teenager and took some classes here a few years ago to brush up on it. Can’t speak it very well, but I do understand quite a bit if they don’t speak too fast. My husband majored in French in college and has kept it up. It’s handy in France, as they aren’t always nice if you don’t speak their language! Your classroom instructions sound a lot like we were taught English in school. Speaking other languages opens up so many new windows and opportunities. Good luck spotting the osprey! It’s only a matter of time before you will!
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Yes, it is wonderful to have the ability to communicate with others – now people likely use an app on their smartphone to make themselves understood. My grandfather came from St. Jerome, Quebec and I may have mentioned when you did your post about visiting Quebec, that he told me the French I learned was not correct and he would tell me how it should be spoken. My boss’ younger brother studied Spanish for years and now owns a translation business in Santiago, Chile which caters to American businessmen. He didn’t intend to go into that line of work, just enjoyed the language and parlayed it into a career.
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While apps are handy, I personally believe that the in person learning of a foreign language is best. There is also a difference in language use and meaning, depending on where you are. Just think of English! There’s the American English, English English and of course the Australian English!
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Yes, and the idioms as well. I have always said I pity the person coming here and having to learn English. The words that look similar but are spelled and pronounced differently and some are double entendres … even a bigger challenge.
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Tell me about that!
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