It was the middle of February and the
weather was unsettled as they say in the Ozarks. Peggy and I had driven
to the Portland area on a buying trip and had not experienced any bad
weather or driving conditions on the way West. Portland was experiencing
a week of rain yet well above freezing so it was tolerable. On our way
out I had asked if there was anyplace special we should see since we had
the weekend to kill before business on Monday morning. Peggy’s only
request was to see the ocean.
Oregon 26, the road between the Portland
area and the coast would turn out to be a smorgasbord of weather and
driving conditions. It was touch and go as we experienced rain, sleet,
snow, hail, and road conditions to match. Slow and steady we made our
way to Seaside, Oregon the end of the Lewis and Clark trail. It was
traveler’s luck that as we approached the last few miles to the coast
the skies opened the sun bore down and we had a wonderful day exploring
the quaint town of Seaside and then traveled South to Cannon Beach State
Park. The scene was almost surreal as I captured a picture of my lovely
bride doing the Hillbilly Strut down the beach with shoes in hand.
Absolutely fascinating is what I call
the interaction of flora and fauna in nature. Sixty plus years has not
dampened my desire to see just how ingrained we are with everything
that surrounds us. I remember once hearing a quote that said, “man owes his existence to six inches of topsoil and the fact that it rains”.
That illustrates the fact that we survive in an environment that is
both fragile and resilient, It also provides those who seek to
understand its’ mysteries a world of entertainment.
Thousands and thousands of symbiotic
relationships occur in nature every day. It does not matter if it is
hot or cold, wet or dry, dark or light, nature continues on. The
environment is open seven days a week twenty fours a day. Feel free to
go out and see what interaction you might find.
