DAY 45 - BROOKINGS, OREGON - CRESCENT CITY, CALIFORNIA

MICHAEL AND HARRIET, OWNERS OF OCEANSIDE DINER, BROOKINGS, OREGON

THANK YOU BOTH FOR TWO DAYS OF EXCELLENT BREAKFAST.

MANUFACTURED HOMES IN THE RV PARK, BROOKINGS, OREGON

A POPULAR CHOICE AMONG RV PARK RESIDENTS.

CALIFORNIA WATER DRAIN ALONG US 101...NEVER BEFORE HAVE I SEEN SUCH A DESIGN. SOMEONE WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS TO CONSTRUCT AN EXCELLENT AND NICE LOOKING ROADSIDE DRAIN.

AN ELEGANT TREE STANDING ALONE NEXT TO US 101 IN CALIFORNIA.

ALONG ABOUT HERE, I MET A "WALKER" WITH BACKPACK HEADING NORTH ON US 101...CAN YOU LOAN ME SOMETHING FOR A COFFEE?? SORRY, BUT I HAVE NO $$ WITH ME...OK, THANKS...WE KEEP ON OUR SEPARATE WAYS.

A BIT LATER, I MEET UP WITH AMBER AND CHIEF...BUT, WE WILL GET BACK TO THEM LATER.

I CONTINUED TO WALK SOUTH ON US 101 TOWARDS CRESCENT CITY, CALIFORNIA, SOME 13 MILES AWAY.

WALKING FROM THE OREGON BORDER, THERE IS NOT TOO MUCH OF INTEREST THAT CAUGHT MY EYE FOR MY CAMERA, SO KEPT ON PAST AMBER'S PLACE FOR ANOTHER HOUR...OUT MORE THAN 10 MILES FROM SPIA...SOMETHING I SAID I WOULD NOT DO.

ABOUT 8 MILES FROM CRESCENT CITY, TURNED AROUND AND WALKED NEARLY TO AMBER'S HOUSE WHEN A YOUNG FELLOW IN A MUCH USED PICKUP TRUCK OFFERED ME A RIDE...HAD TO MOVE HIS STETSON (HAT) TO MAKE ROOM FOR MY FEET. HE STOPPED AFTER A COUPLE MILES...GOTTA SEE MY SISTER, AS HE PULLS INTO A CONVENIENCE STORE...NO PROBLEM; I GET OUT AND CONTINUE WALKING BACK TO SPIA, ANOTHER HOUR BACK TOWARDS OREGON.

AND WHO IS SITTING HUDDLED OVER A SMALL SMOKEY FIRE BUT MY WAYWARD WALKER WITH BACKPACK. I OPEN UP SPIA'S DOOR, PUT MY HAT INSIDE AND WALK OVER TO MY WALKER.

"LUKE", HE INTRODUCES HIMSELF...A BEARDED FELLOW ABOUT 38 YEARS OLD OR SO.

CAN GIVE YOU THE COFFEE MONEY NOW. WELL, I'M HEADING FOR BROOKINGS, OREGON AND WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD HELP ME GET THERE...WELL, I'M HEADING THE OTHER WAY...OH, WHAT THE HECK...SURE...LET'S PUT YOUR PACK INSIDE AND HOP IN...I'LL DRIVE YOU TO BROOKINGS.

"LUKE"...RECENTLY OUT OF THE MILITARY, WAS SCRUNCHED UP IN SPIA'S PASSENGER SEAT, HIS KNEES ABOUT EVEN WITH HIS NOSE...BEEN IN LOTS TIGHTER SEATS THAN THIS WHILE JUMPING OUT OF AIRPLANES...OH, YOU A SKY DIVER...NOT EXACTLY...JUMPED FOR UNCLE SAM OUT OF JUST ABOUT EVERY AIRPLANE THAT FLIES.

WHY? LUKE CHANGES THE SUBJECT.

DROP LUKE OFF AT THE CHEVRON STATION JUST SOUTH OF THE RIVER BRIDGE, HAND HIM HIS BACKBACK AND $5.00...YOU SURE YOU CAN DO THAT? NO PROBLEM...AS I HAND HIM A COLD BEER FROM SPIA'S FRIDGE...HAVE A GOOD MEAL AND STAY SAFE.

EYE CATCHING PHRASE: EASTER LILY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD...

MEET "CHIEF"

AMBER'S HOME.

BUT FOR THE RESTRAINT ENFORCED ONTO CHIEF BY AMBER, I WOULD NOW BE TRYING TO TYPE WITH ONE HAND.

WALKING ON US 101 ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTH OF THE OREGON BORDER, COULD NOT HELP BUT NOTICE A YOUNG LADY CHOPPING WOOD. WALKED UP HER DRIVEWAY, STOPPING WELL BACK OF THE 5-FOOT HIGH FENCE AND INTRODUCED MYSELF.

PLEASE, COME NO CLOSER...MY DOG WILL BITE YOU.

AMBER AND I CHATTED FOR 10 MINUTES OR SO...AT A VERY DISCREET DOUBLE ARMS LENGTH DISTANCE BACK FROM CHIEF'S FENCE.

NOT SOMETHING YOU SEE EVERY DAY...A LADY OUT CHOPPING WOOD FOR HEAT. MOST FOLKS THESE DAYS SIMPLY TURN UP THE THERMOSTAT.

YES, YOU MAY TAKE MY PHOTOGRAPH CHOPPING WOOD. I DO IT FOR A LIVING...I WORK AS A LOGGER OUT IN THE WOODS - POINTING OVER HER SHOULDER - ALONG WITH SOME OTHER WOMEN. WE HAVE A 64 YEAR OLD WHO CAN CROSS-CUT A LOG BY HERSELF QUICKER THAN ANY TWO OF US YOUNGER WOMEN.

HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR THE OLDER FOLKS.

(A CROSS-CUT IS A 8 - 10 FOOT LONG SAW WITH LARGE CUTTING TEETH AND HANDLES AT EACH END...INTENDED TO BE USED BY TWO WOODSMEN TO CUT NEWLY FALLEN TREES INTO PROPER LENGTHS - OFTEN SEEN IN COMPETITION AT FAIRS)

I'M A SINGLE MOM.

PLEASE FOLKS (CLICK CLICK); THAT PIECE OF WOOD ON THE RIGHT IS FLYING THRU THE AIR HAVING BEEN SEPARATED FROM THE PIECE FLYING THROUGH THE AIR TO AMBER'S RIGHT (OUR LEFT). THOSE TWO PIECES OF FLYING WOOD STARTED OUT AS A SINGLE PIECE STANDING EXACTLY WHERE AMBER'S AXE IS DEEPLY EMBEDDED INTO THE SOIL AMBER KNOWS HOW TO SPLIT A BLOCK OF WOOD !

AND TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT HER AXE...THAT IS THE REAL THING.

SO PROUD OF MY PANASONIC-DMC-ZS5...IT CAUGHT THOSE TWO PIECES OF WOOD ALMOST AS THEY LEFT AMBER'S AXE.

VERY MUCH WANTED TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH AMBER...CHIEF HAD OTHER IDEAS; SO I SAID MY GOODBYE'S...AMBER, LOOKING FORWARD TO GET ON FACEBOOK TO CHECK OUT SAM & ME...PROMISING TO KEEP TRACK OF US.

THIS IS A REDWOOD TREE. IT STANDS ABOUT 30 FEET FROM SPIA. THE TRUNK OF THIS TREE IS AT LEAST EIGHT (8) FEET IN DIAMETER...DISTANCE FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER...AND IT IS NOT EVEN A BIG REDWOOD. IT WAS, HOWEVER, PROBABLY A RATHER OLD TREE WHEN CHRISTIANITY STARTED.

THE REDWOOD TREE IN THE PIC ABOVE IS ONE OF MANY SHOWN IN THIS PHOTOGRAPH LINING A SMALL PATH NEXT TO US 101.

CLICK CLICK...THESE ARE THE NEEDLES (BRANCHES) OF THE REDWOOD TREE

CLICK CLICK...THIS IS A CLOSE-UP OF THE BARK OF THE REDWOOD TREE. THEY OFTEN LIVE THOUSANDS OF YEARS...NEARLY INDESTRUCTIBLE FROM INSECTS AND EVEN FOREST FIRE BECAUSE OF THIS BARK.

ANOTHER REDWOOD TREE.

TOMORROW, IF ALL GOES WELL, WE SHOULD ARRIVE AT THE VERY FAMOUS TOURIST SPOT OF "THE TREES OF MYSTERY"

THE TREES OF MYSTERY IS A GROVE OF VERY LARGE REDWOOD TREES. AS ONE DRIVES - OR WALKS - TO THE GROVE, A REALLY BIG PAUL BUNYAN AND HIS BLUE OX, "BABE", GREET EACH VISITOR.

NEAR BY IS A REDWOOD TREE THROUGH WHICH A TUNNEL HAS BEEN CUT. HAVING DRIVEN THIS ROUTE MANY TIMES SINCE ABOUT 1953, I HAVE DRIVEN MY CAR THROUGH THAT TREE A NUMBER OF TIMES. IT IS NO LONGER ON THE MAIN US 101 HIGHWAY...HOPE I CAN FIND IT AGAIN.

WALKING THE FINAL 8 MILES INTO CRESCENT CITY, CALIFORNIA, IS THIS 2 - MILE CATHEDRAL OF STATELY REDWOOD TREES.

I HAVE WALKED DOWN THE AISLE OF ST. PETERS IN ROME, THROUGH THE ARCH DI TRIUMPH, CRAWLED INTO THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY IN BETHLEHEM, WALKED THE WAY OF THE CROSS FROM THE WAILING WALL, AND STOOD BENEATH THE CROSS IN THE CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION...NOT TO MENTION CLIMBING ONTO THE MASSIVE STONES OF CHEOPS...AND A GOOD MANY MORE CLIMACTIC LIFE MOMENTS...

NONE GAVE ME MORE HUMBLING EXPERIENCE AS WALKING THROUGH THE ABOVE CATHEDRAL THIS AFTERNOON.

THESE ARE NOT ALL REDWOODS, BUT MANY ARE.

SPIA SAT HERE FOR OVER 4 HOURS DURING MY WALK INTO CRESCENT CITY, CALIFORNIA. WHEN I RETURNED, HER DOOR TO THE "HOME" PORTION HAD BEEN FORCED TOP AND BOTTOM AND IS NOW BENT OPEN OVER ONE INCH...AND MUST BE REPAIRED TO KEEP OUT THE COLD AND RAIN. I HAVE STUFFED A TOWEL INTO THE OPENING FOR NOW.

WHOEVER DID THIS DID NOT GET INSIDE...THE LOCK AND LATCH WAS NOT OPENED.

A SHAME, BUT AS EVERYONE KNOWS, NOT EVERYONE IS TRUSTWORTHY.

DROVE THROUGH CRESCENT CITY, CALIFORNIA AND COULD NOT FIND ANY WORTHWHILE REASON TO TAKE PICTURES...UNTIL ARRIVING AT THE MARINA.

SPIA IS PARKED IN SPACE #1 ABOUT 2 BLOCKS FROM THIS FLEET OF FISHING BOATS.

DAILY UPDATE: WALKED 35 MILES TODAY...COUNT 18 MILES

SEE YOUR IMPACT.ORG: CREDIT 18 MILES @ $0.02 PER MILE = $0.36 FOR THE DAY.

A 5-DAY STORM FRONT REACHED ME AS I RETURNED TO SPIA UNDER THE WATER TOWER. PARKED ONE BLOCK FROM THE OCEAN NEXT TO THE MARINA, SPIA IS BEING BUFFETED BY HIGH WINDS AND RAIN AS I TYPE.

TOMORROW, WILL TRY TO GET SPIA'S DOOR FIXED, AND THEN, TIME PERMITTING, WALK THE 14 MILES TO THE TREES OF MYSTERY.