SOL25-1118
This is the place our family often visits. Four generations.
This is the place where sea lions soak in the sun on seastacks or swim in the shallow water near the shore. They bark at us; we bark back.
This is the place where the beach is smooth, round, gray cobblestones made of basalt from an ancient lava flow. The constant action of the waves has rolled and smoothed them over time. It’s called Cobble Beach.
This is the place nicknamed Singing Beach. The smooth, round rocks noisily tumble back and forth with a distinct clinking sound as the swash comes in and backwash goes out. It’s a special kind of music.
This is the place, on the north side of the lighthouse, where against rocky formations on the shoreline at the base of the bluff, we find surf balls — sometimes called “whale barf balls”– made of natural materials like seagrass, dune grass, and other beach debris, formed by the rolling and weaving action of waves.
This is the place where minus tides expose tidal pools, teeming with colorful life–vibrant orange and purple sea stars; large, bright green anemones; sea urchins with their purple spines; crabs and sand dollars, and once we saw a live octopus. We look; we do not touch.
This is the place where we have taken many family pictures–the lighthouse and cliffs, the ocean, perfect backgrounds.
This is the place where the wind and waves carry the memory of our goodby to Mike.
Sea Lions
Cobble Beach beneath Yaquina Head Lighthouse
History of Yaquina Head Lighthouse
Perched above crashing waves and windswept cliffs, the Yaquina Head Lighthouse has been shining its beacon over the Oregon coast since 1873. At 93 feet tall, it’s the tallest lighthouse in the state. It’s one of a string of lighthouses built along the Pacific Coast to help sailors navigate safely through the night.
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I’m so glad you visited today,
and I do enjoy hearing from you!
Please share below.
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Alice,
I was not expecting that final thought and the grief inherent in it. There are so many layers here, and arriving at the end this place feels both reverent and haunting. Peace to you and all who love Mike.
Thank you, Glenda. I appreciate and value your observations.
Alice, your images and words are paint a picture of a magnificent place where so many memories have been made and where your loved one left his earthly remains to nature’s forces. The sea lions barking and the waves hitting the rocks means this place will always be noisy and filled with the sounds of life. Thank you for sharing this profoundly personal glimpse of your family’s peaceful site.
Thank you, Anita. You mentioned the sounds of life. I love that. Always, the endless sound of the ocean roar is a balm to my soul. When we stay at the coast, I must rent a place that is on the edge of the sand so I can see the ocean 24/7. It somehow seems to make everything come into balance.
Alice,
I love the repetition of “This is the place” and the new details in each stanza that reflect how much time your family has spent there.
My favorite:
This is the place where sea lions soak in the sun on seastacks or swim in the shallow water near the shore. They bark at us; we bark back.
It gives me the sense that you are comfortable enough not only with the place, but with each other to play and be silly.
I was not prepared for the last stanza, but it makes everything that came before even more important.
Thank you for sharing your words and photos and your goodbye to Mike.
Beautiful.
Thank you for sharing that. I debated about including the final line; I’m glad I did.
The specialness this place holds to you cannot be denied. It flows through every word you wrote and every picture you shared. I can sense the peace and freedom it represents.
Thank you. We are pharophiles. Yes, this place has so many special memories.
Oh my gosh, Alice. What a place – the beauty of your photos with the repeating line draws me right in, and I hope all the love that seems to surround it brings you comfort in your goodbye. Thank you for sharing it with us…
Thank you. Memories that connect us to people in places are so powerful.
I love the repetition og This is the place. Your many descriptions show the reader just how special this place is. And even more so now as “the place where the wind and waves carry the memory of our goodby to Mike.” Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Sally. I’m fond of using repetition. It has a way of carrying the reader forward.
Oh my goodness. You held me captive in your description of this place. It’s gorgeous. I love that you bark back at the sea lions. I didn’t know Mike, but I hope Mike knows what a stunning, picturesque place he was bid farewell. That is like a precursor to heaven the way I imagine it.
We love all of the Oregon coast but this spot holds lot of special memories. There are so many beautiful place here on earth that it is hard to imagine what beauty awaits us in heaven. One time, I was terribly sick and as I laid on my bed, I had a vision of a river that was liquid gold and there was a silhouette of a man holding up a child. The beauty was beyond words. I knew the river of gold was liquid love… it was powerful.