- WHEELER, OREGON -

Great blue heron hoping for dinner

This is a small fishing village on the Oregon Coast.  The park I am in is right on the bay and fishing is in full swing here.  There are days of great fishing, good fishing, so-so fishing, rough fishing and "why did I bother" fishing.  The ever faithful fishermen are out in their boats every day they are here, trolling for the wonderful salmon that are attempting to make it back to their spawning grounds.  

I am torn between the desire for the delicious fare and feeling sad for those that will never make it home.  I can only hope that the fish caught for eating were destined to grace someone's dinner table and provide an absolutely delicious meal for those partaking.  How grateful I am when I am fortunate to be one of those partaking.

This is a small village of 417 residents, according to the latest available information, who, I suspect, probably spend most of their lives fishing.  There is a bar and restaurant combination, a health conscious cafe, a bakery and several antique shops.  They have constructed a sweet visitor area of round tables and seats which provides a nice view of the bay.  

This afternoon it is raining and I smile as I see several fishing boats continuing to troll the bay in hopes of catching that one destined fish of the day.  I am happy to be dry inside my little home and hear the rain on my roof and watch as others scurry around to avoid getting too wet.  

I was smart enough to do my laundry this morning while it was still dry.  I meandered around the park grounds and discovered there are many flowers in their final stages of bloom for the year.  The weeds have taken over most of the beds, though I was able to find some lovely flowers doing their best to greet anyone willing to search them out.  Even pansies of unusual colors were giving it their last ditch effort.  

And slugs!  Oh my goodness, they grow big here and there are plenty to go around.  I noticed an abundance of them while in Seaside and came across several of them this morning.  These are a mud color and unless you spot them it would be very easy to step on one before realizing what you have done.  I have been extra cautious and watchful of my steps to avoid what could be a most unfortunate event for both of us.

There are lots of friendly people here and even though the park is rather rustic, everyone smiles and talks with each other.  I have been getting my dog fixes at most of the parks I have visited though mostly smaller breeds.  I did encounter a wonderful large Australian Shepherd mix last evening and he was tolerant of attention.  

The rain is predicted to do its thing through Sunday with maybe a slow down Saturday for a little while.  This will give me some extra inside time to perhaps accomplish a few things i have been putting off.  I stocked up on food before I arrived, so all is good in that aspect since there is nothing that even resembles a grocery store here. 

To all those celebrating,

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my sister, Mary!

Happy Birthday, Bobbi!

Chuckle for the day!

"In department stores,

so much kitchen equipment

is bought indiscriminately

by people that just came in

for men's underwear."

 - Julia Child

Enjoy your indiscriminate acts!