DAY 43 - CAPE SEBASTIAN - BROOKINGS, OREGON

WHALESHEAD, NEAR BROOKINGS, OREGON

WHALESHEAD BEACH...VIEW FROM WHALESHEAD RESORT UP ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE

SITTING ATOP THIS ART TOWER IS THE LIGHTHOUSE AT BROOKINGS, OREGON.

CUT FROM A SINGLE CEDAR TREE GROWN NEAR PORT ORFORD, OREGON BY CHAIN-SAW ARTIST "BAHR", WITH DETAILING COMPLETED BY BAHR'S WIFE.

AN AQUARIAM INSIDE THE WHALESHEAD RESTAURANT.

WALKING DOWN US 101, THE WHALESHEAD RESORT WAS CERTAINLY EYE CATCHING, SO, I WALKED IN AND ROAMED AROUND UNTIL CONFRONTED BY KATHY, THE OWNER.

KATHY COMMENTED ON MY "NEW" GET-UP YELLOW PANTS...REALLY SMART TO WEAR BRIGHT COLORS WALKING...UP BY COOS BAY A FEW DAYS I SAW SOMEONE ELSE WEARING...OH MY GOSH...YOU ARE HIM...

AND SO KATHY AND I CHATTED FOR A HALF HOUR OVER A GLASS OF WATER.

ONE DAY, MR. BAHR JUST DROPPED BY OFFERING TO CREATE A PIECE OF ART WITH HIS CHAIN SAW. KATHY BOUGHT A BIG CEDAR TREE FROM PORT ORFORD AND BAHR SET TO WORK, HIS WIFE SANDING, BURNING, AND PUTTING DETAILING INTO THIS AWESOME PIECE OF ART. IT STANDS ABOUT 30 FEET TALL.

KATHY SAYS SHE HAS INVESTED OVER $10,000.00 IN MAINTAINING BAHR'S TOTEM...I CALL IT A TOTEM...AFTER ALL, IT CERTAINLY TELLS A STORY.

IN BROOKINGS, SAYS KATHY, ARE A NUMBER OF SMALLER PIECES MR. BAHR HAS DONE...NONE, HOWEVER APPROACHING THIS WORK.

A "SIGNED" PIECE

DEDICATED TO KIA & MIA.

ALL DOWN THE OREGON COAST, I HAVE COME ACROSS DEDICATIONS TO THE MEMORY OF WARRIORS - ALIVE AND FALLEN - OF THE VIET NAM CONFLICT.

LOOKING NORTH AT CAPE SEBASTIAN. CAPE SEBASTIAN IS THE CAPE I WALKED YESTERDAY...THOUGHT I WAS WALKING UP - BUT WAS WALKING DOWN; THOUGHT I WAS WALKING IN RAIN - BUT WAS WALKING IN SNOW.

LAST NIGHT IT DROPPED TO 25 DEGREES F. BESIDE THE KISSING ROCK. UP ON CAPE SEBASTIAN SUMMIT, LAY 2 INCHES OF SNOW. ALL ROADS, INCLUDING WHERE SPIA WAS PARKED BESIDE KISSING ROCK, WERE A SHEET OF ICE. I COULD NOT WALK.

GINGERLY DROVE THE MILE BACK INTO GOLD BEACH, OREGON, HAD A BITE OF SCRAMBLED EGGS AND HASHBROWNS WITH COFFEE, AND DROVE SPIA TO A PROPANE BOTTLE FILLING STATION. SHOCK ! SPIA'S ENTIRE PROPANE SYSTEM WAS FROZEN SOLID WITH A COATING OF ICE.

FOR MONTHS, I COLD SMELL PROPANE EMINATING FROM SPIA'S PROPANE SYSTEM. NO ONE ELSE SEEMED TO SMELL IT...WHEN GOING TO SLEEP, I COULD SMELL PROPANE INSIDE SPIA. WITH ICE COVERING THE ENTIRE SYSTEM, I WAS CERTAIN THERE WAS A PROPANE GAS LEAK. THE FELLOW TRYING TO FILL THE BOTTLE COULD NOT HELP.

I DROVE AROUND GOLD BEACH FOR AN HOUR, STOPPING AT ACE HARDWARE...NO LUCK...AT TWO AUTO SHOPS...NO LUCK...AT TWO MORE SERVICE STATIONS...MUST GO TO BROOKINGS FOR PROPANE SYSTEM INSPECTION AND PARTS...

THE ROAD OVER SEBASTIAN WAS IMPASSABLE. IT WAS BEING PLOWED AND SANDED BUT EVERYONE CAUTIONED ME THAT IT WAS TOO STEEP AND ICY UNTIL AT LEAST NOON.

CONTINUED TO DRIVE AROUND GOLD BEACH. FINALLY CAME TO THE MARINA AND PULLED INTO A PLUMBING BUSINESS WHICH ALSO HAD A PROPANE FILLING STATION. THE OWNER, MAT, LOOKED AT SPIA...SPRAYED SOME SOAPY WATER ON THE VARIOUS CONNECTIONS...YEP...YOU HAVE A LEAK, SEE THE BUBBLES...BUT I DON'T HAVE PARTS...TELL YOU WHAT; LETS TAKE OUT THE GAS REGULATOR AND HAVE A CLOSE LOOK AT IT ON THE WORK BENCH.

WE DID

TOOK MAT 30 SECONDS TO DETERMINE THAT THE THREADED CONNECTION INSIDE THE REGULATOR WAS ONLY FINGER TIGHT AND HAD NO THREAD COMPOUND AT ALL...MAT UNSCREWED THE CONNECTION WITH HIS FINGERS.

WELL, HERE'S YOUR LEAK

TOOK MAT ALL OF TWO MINUTES TO CLEAN THE THREADS, APPLY COMPOUND AND REASSEMBLE THE REGULATOR. I REINSTALLED IT INTO SPIA'S SYSTEM, ATTACHED THE NEWLY FILLED PROPANE BOTTLE...PRESTO...NO LEAK...NO SMELL...NO MORE $$ INTO THE ABYSS

AND, NO MORE WORRYING THAT SPIA WOULD AT ANY MOMENT EXPLODE IN A BLINDING FINAL FLASH INTO OBLIVION.

ALL DAY I HAVE BEEN UNEASY. STUPIDITY THAT I DID NOT PURSUE, FIND, AND FIX THAT LEAK WEEKS AGO.

WITH MY LAPSES UP ON SEBASTIAN PASS YESTERDAY AND NOW THE LEAK...WHAT ELSE AM I MISSING.

I WALKED ALL DAY WITH A FEELING OF DESPERATION AND PERHAPS DOUBT THAT MAYBE I'M NOT UP TO THIS TASK I HAVE SET FOR MYSELF.

I MOVED SPIA PERHAPS 10 TIMES TODAY, FEARING TO GET FARTHER THAN A MILE OR SO AWAY BEFORE WALKING BACK AND MOVING FORWARD ANOTHER COUPLE MILES.

WALKED AND DROVE; WALKED AND DROVE; WALKED AND DROVE INTO BROOKINGS, OREGON, WHERE WE HAVE TAKEN SPACE # 50 IN A GOOD SAM'S PARK. HAD NOT EATEN ALL DAY, SO WALKED TO THE #1 CLAM CHOWDER HOUSE IN ALL WESTERN OREGON - PROVEN BY HIS WINNING THE TITLE IN OPEN COMPETITION - WHERE I ATE:

A LARGE BOWL OF AMAZING CLAM CHOWDER

A LARGE ORDER OF FISH AND CHIPS

A LARGE SALAD

AND A GLASS OF WATER WITH LEMON.

WALKED BACK TO SPIA, STRIPPED NAKED, SLIPPED INTO MY NEWLY LAUNDERED DUVETS, AND WENT INSTANTLY TO SLEEP UNTIL 7:30 PM - 4 HOURS LATER.

HAVE NOW TAKEN A SHOWER, SIPPING MY SECOND GLASS OF MERLOT, AND IN HOUR NUMBER TWO OF PUTTING TOGETHER THIS BLOG.

UPPERMOST ON MY MIND, HOWEVER, IS WHAT ELSE AM I MISSING...I KNOW THERE IS SOMETHING I MUST DO, BUT CANNOT PUT MY FINGER ON IT.

PERHAPS IN THE MORNING ! !

THIS IS A REMNANT OF THE ANCIENT CAPE SEBASTIAN HEADLAND

STRAIGHT DOWN OFF A CLIFF LOOKING AT THE SURGING SEA...

MUST REMEMBER TO ALWAYS PUT THE CAMERA LANYARD AROUND MY WRIST...CAN SEE THE CAMERA FALLING INTO OBLIVION AS IT SLIPS FROM MY HAND

THREE TREES STANDING WHERE NO TREE SHOULD STAND...AND YET, THERE THEY ARE

WALKED DOWN A LONG OREGON STATE PARK TRAIL TO GET THIS PHOTOGRAPH OF WHAT IS BILLED AS "NATURAL BRIDGES"...YES, I GUESS THEY ARE

A MORE SERENE BEACH HEAD ON THE SOUTH WESTERN OREGON PACIFIC COAST

THEN AGAIN, THIS UNEXPECTED SIGN BROUGHT TO THE FORE...NOW, JUST WHAT IS IT THAT I AM MISSING

BRUCE'S BONES...YOU GOTTA BE KIDD'N

IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY (CLICK CLICK), THERE ARE PEOPLE DOWN ON THAT BEACH

KEEP RUNNING INTO THIS PLANT...GONNA CALL IT MY 3-D FACSIMILE

THE OCEAN VIEW ISN'T TOO STUNNING, BUT THE CLOUDS ARE INTERESTING

INTERESTING, BUT FLEETING

CONDOS OVERLOOKING THE NORTHERN APPROACHES TO BROOKINGS, OREGON

BROOKING, OREGON "WELCOME" SIGN SAYS:

CITY OF WINTER FLOWERS

THESE DAFFODILS ARE GROWING WILD JUST NORTH OF TOWN ALONG US 101.

DAILY UPDATE: HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA HOW FAR I WALKED TODAY. IT IS 18 MILES FROM THE SOUTHERN BOTTOM OF CAPE SEBASTIAN TO BROOKINGS, OREGON. I DID WALK ALMOST CONSTANTLY FROM 9 AM UNTIL 3:30 PM..

NOT ONE OF MY BETTER PSYCHOLOGICAL DAYS...AM VERY UNSETTLED

BUT TOMORROW, MY DEAR, IS ANOTHER DAY...(YOU KNOW WHO)

CALIFORNIA IS ONLY 5 MILES FROM WHERE SPIA, SAM AND ME SIT.