POST 1230; FEBRUARY 01, 2014; PACIFIC CITY, OREGON

First sunset for many a day.

Was treated to conversation and a cordial by a local resident last evening, leading to an invitation to stay the night in a thoroughly stunning home perched on the side hill overlooking the Bay.

My room last night...where I slept like a baby until very late this morning (nearly 9:00 am), then being treated to home brewed fresh ground coffee and toasted buns.

What a wonderful to start a day...and this after a late evening and morning conversation with a truly educated man still, at 72, working full time.

...who turns out to be an avid big game (African) hunter...

...as well as a competent QB.

View just after daylight...when I sneaked to the front picture window to get a sunrise pic...

...and another a bit later.

One never knows what the next few moments will bring...only some of the endless adventures and stunning sights of an old man walking across America.

Most of the mid day was spent walking to and up the extremely steep seaside mountain to the top, where the 2.5 mile trail takes energetic tourists to the ultimate view...CAPE LOOKOUT.

I am quite careful not to place myself in a situation where potential injury can occur.  Therefore, I have decided that I DO NOT WALK MOUNTAIN TRAILS.  I cannot afford a crippling injury...with only myself to support every moment of our circumnavigation of America.

At the State Camp Grounds of CAPE LOOKOUT Park (at the base of the mountain), came upon preparations for a beach side wedding.

Climbing the 3 mile steep hill to CAPE LOOKOUT, this is the view back from whence I walked...beaches such as Oregon will offer for the next two weeks.

...this "grave stone" is planted on the spot from which the previous photo was taken...the take off point for DICK GAMMON - HANG GLIDER...

Many of the following images are from the roadway climbing the steep hill we climbed and descended today.

Please say HELLO to ERIK, who paused in his RUN up the CAPE LOOKOUT roadway to chat for a moment.  ERIK, from PORTLAND, Oregon, is with the group of folks at the State Park we passed a few miles back down the mountain...a group attending an Ocean Side Wedding.

Many ALDER trees have been removed from along side the roadway.  This photo is included to reveal the "Growth Rings" of a 26 year old tree.  Interesting is the irregular shape of the "roundness" of the tree and the large difference in distance between the "Growth Rings"

Each year, a new Growth Ring is included completely circulating the tree circumference.  Depending upon local weather conditions, a wide space between rings means good nutrition and temperature, etc has resulted in RAPID growth...

and yet, on another part of the tree, that same ring is neighbor to adjacent rings which have nearly NO space between rings...meaning, at the same time span, the tree is receiving rapid growth on one side of the tree, whereas another side of the very same tree is receiving much less "growth conditions" (resulting in the growth rings receiving nearly NO space between the neighboring rings.

I have come to accept the apparent FACT that ALL life forms - including you and me - are directly and minutely effected by changes in our environment;  i.e., introduce a change in the environment around us makes us a different person...i.e., "BAD" people plunked down in a NEW positive set of conditions (Environment) WILL change - and nearly immediately change - to the new stimulus (Environment).

During my 4 years of walking, I have often stated that I have not met a single person - or animal - that I did not consider a friend.  I strongly feel that by bringing a new positive set of conditions (Environment) to each person, does result in a change to the new stimulus (namely, ME).

No, I am not being overly simplistic.  I have witnessed many "changes" to life forms upon introduction of a new stimulus (Environment).

No, I am not trained in anything...just a curious old man walking ... and observing... and sharing what I find - observe - with you, readers of this blog.

This pic is particularly spectacular...in that the highway is actually not on fire...but sure looks like it.

This is a RAIN FOREST.  The roadway is soaked with recent rain.  The Sun has suddenly heated up a small line (when reaching the wet roadway) across the pavement, which, like a teakettle on a suddenly hot spot on the stove, condenses into a "gas" (meaning "steam") which rises somewhat like SMOKE.

 What this image gives us is a narrow strip of wet asphalt turning into a GAS as the Sun heats up that narrow strip of wet macadam (asphalt)...result:  rising STEAM.

A young couple with backpacks on the trail to CAPE LOOKOUT on the Ocean, some 2.5 miles distant.

Many states are represented at the Lookout trail.  I did not walk out the 2.5 miles to the actual lookout...I do not walk trail for fear of injury...and being alone.

Large FERNS on the roadside hill.

This is still, after all, RAIN FOREST !

Please say HELLO to DARIN, who swept up the hill as though in a race.

Please - once again - say HELLO to JOHN...who was included in a blog a couple days ago while riding his bicycle near the NEHALEM River.  Each day our blog includes my intended route for the next day.  JOHN, following yesterday's blog, took the time today to drive many miles until he finally found me walking the hill to CAPE LOOKOUT.

JOHN and his dog, HUCK, spent a few minutes catching up and asked if I would join them in the evening at the PELICAN Restaurant in the village of PACIFIC CITY, where I intend to spend the night.
At 1800 hours (6:30 pm), JOHN did join me for dinner, during which we had an opportunity to discuss many subjects...such as the fact that JOHN, and his Brother in Law - both in their 70s, operate a logging operation - just the two of them - in Eastern Oregon, sending logging truck after logging truck of prime timber off to market.  JOHN is the "faller", whereas his Brother in Law is "trimmer", and together, they put a prodigious amount of timber each day.

Approaching PACIFIC CITY, the highway traverses a valley filled with sand dunes.  Sand dunes are common in this part of Oregon, but not so common rather high on the mountainside.  In a few days we will reach ocean side sand dunes which make this part of Oregon famous.

Motel in the village of PACIFIC VILLAGE...the coffee shop to the right, which is a "hot spot", allowing me to produce today's blog.

The shop where this blog is being produced is CLOSING....must sign off for today.


Tomorrow, will stay in PACIFIC CITY...and watch the SUPER BOWL...walking locally for the next two days.