Richardson Grove: A little known jewel of a forest
Taller than God
Like all the other redwood forests I’ve been to, this one is magical. You really have to be there to appreciate the majesty of these trees. It is something I will always remember and feel fortunate to have experienced.
Save the Trees!
At some point there was talk about cutting down most of these trees. I’m not sure where the opposing sides stand now, but the sign is still up.
A house in the trees
Big Knots
These knots are what woodworkers use to make really nice tables and clocks and other unique gifts…which, incidentally, are sold all along the highway at places like “The Legend of Big Foot.”
Stuff made from redwood trees
Sam and the Big Root
Garberville: Just another old hippie town
Welcome to Garberville
Anyone who travels highway 101 from Humboldt to Mendocino counties knows Garberville. It is the biggest town between Eureka and Ukiah, so it’s a good place to stop for gas and other stuff. Somehow a lot of Grateful Dead fans ended up here. Sam and I had breakfast at the Woodrose Cafe the day we left and could not deny that almost every single person we saw was a “real character.” I wanted to take a few photos of them, but couldn’t get the nerve to ask for permission. So, here are a few of the town:
The best place for breakfast–good, local, organic ingredients in a really small space. It’s been here since 1970-something. No cell phone use at the table, please! Really.
Not a health food store. This is a “garden center” that helps with all your gardening needs…if you know what I mean!
Hemp shop. Evidence that real old hippies live here. Young ones too.
Downtown Garberville on a foggy morning
the busiest place in town–Getti-up coffee shop
Street corner
Goodbye Garberville. May the spirit of the 1970’s live on!
Cloverdale: Who knew?
For years I drove by this little town on the north side of california wine country without knowing what was there. While we stayed at the Thousand Trails this past week we ventured into town and found quite a charming, artsy little community. Here are just a few of the sites we saw:
Mummy made of colored bricks
Historical Society House
Viney Wall
Green Mother Goddess
Lines and Shadows
As I allow my inner photographer to emerge I find that I am attracted to lines and shapes and contrasts of color and texture more than actual people or things. Hopefully soon I will find the courage to take photos of real people…and maybe even tell some part of their stories…
Aquarium Village
Colored shops
One of the first jewels we found in Newport, Oregon was this cute little village. Yes, it’s a tourist trap,but we’re here in the off season, so most of the “traps” were closed. We had lunch at the little cafe where “everything” was homemade, really. And, since I’m knitting like a madwoman, I had to visit the yarn shop. But the story is in the outside. Here’s what it looks like:
Rainbow house with a mermaid door
Johnny Depp wannabe
Don’t mess with me!
Guarded by PIrates
Yes. There is a fish biting my hand.
Well,that’s the gist of it. Too cute. Nice and quiet. Had a good meal and got a new stash of yarn. Can’t ask for more than that, right? Except for maybe your own pirate ship:
pirate boat carousel
Newport: A Real Beach Town
unusual site–snow on the beach
Even though we spent several days hunkering down inside due to the unseasonally low temperatures and snow–4-5 inches and lows of 14 at night–Newport ended up being one of the cutest towns we’ve visited lately. What it has going for it is a nice long, flat beach, good restaurants, a cute “old town” complete with one of the largest fishing fleets on the Oregon coast, and an ever-present bridge whose image dominates the post card stands. Here’s a taste of what we saw:
shops at Nye Beach
shaker style all around
On the last day we went down to Historic Nye Beach which didn’t look all that old. It was full of shaker style buildings though. The roads were still icy and there was quite a strong chill in the air. We stopped into one of the chowder houses for, well, chowder, and then drove down to the marina district, or “Old Town,” and caught the whole vibe of the place pretty quickly–tourist stuff on one side of the road and hardy fishermen on the other side. There were about ten fishermen to every tourist.
fishing fleet
perfect reflections
side view of the bridge and the marina district
When you go from the campground into town you have to cross this bridge both ways. Each time it felt like crossing the Golden Gate bridge. The views were always spectacular and the actual bridge has amazing lines and angles. There’s something majestic about it…
under the bridge
Oh yeah. I forgot to mention “Aquarium Village.” That might require a separate post. Hang on….
Sunsets Galore!
God’s Artwork
We are within walking distance to the Pacific Ocean for the next couple weeks. Some days that means witnessing gorgeous sunsets whenever possible. Photos of sunsets are all too common, but maybe that’s because they are so magical.
Near Humbug Mountain
Snow!!
I guess you have to be here to understand the gravity of snow in a campground. The roads are icy, the ground is crunchy, the pipes froze two days ago, and the little space heaters are struggling to keep us warm enough. But…it is so pretty!
Here are just a few of the photos we’ve taken over the last couple days:
tire tracks down the hill
frosting on the trees
our personal christmas tree
pawprints
surfside drive…lol!
boat planter covered in snow
our lovely campsite
Hopefully this stuff melts enough by Tuesday so we can head south to see the girls and Sam’s sisters before we begin the journey back to the East Coast.
Fall “Flowers”
The first day we got here it was wet, dark and cold. I could tell it would be challenging with all the rain and mud and redwood needles. Then the sun came out for about an hour on the second day. I decided to take a walk with my camera and was delighted to find at least 30 different types of mushrooms. I don’t have a clue about their names, but I do know that the brightly colored ones are most likely poison. In any case, I think they are all gorgeous.
DON’T EAT ME!!
Cousins
Family Gathering
Folding in on Itself
Tuxedo
Toxic neighbors
Top Heavy
Teeny Tiny
Orange Blossom
Mushroom Condos
Teardrops on a Mossy Trunk
In Line
Hanging On the Edge
Coral Mushroom
Around the Bottom
Waning Beauty
Final Thoughts on Garage Sales…for now
Garage sales can take you through a long, sometimes excruciating journey of self discovery. You meet a lot of nice people, and some not so nice people who only want to spend a quarter on your personal possessions. You see your old self in those who are still collecting and you hope they will have the energy to one day let go. But you don’t put your issues on them. They are on their own path, and right now they are helping you move further on yours.
Garage sales give you the opportunity to put things where they belong. For example, we had a fairly large rustic dining table for sale. It sat there for five weeks with no interest. Then on the last Saturday a lady looked at it, and looked at it again and again. I could tell she was interested so I asked her what she was thinking. She said her daughter worked as a special ed teacher in a small charter school and she needed a conference table. The school didn’t have any money for this so the mother was hoping to help her out. We negotiated a lower price and her neighbor came back the next day and took it 80 miles to the daughter’s school. This made me feel good. I can see all the kids and their parents making progress around this humble table that gave me such pleasure for all those years.
Garage sales also give you the opportunity to think about what is important. There are certain things that you just can’t bear to let go. Then there are others that you can’t wait to see go out the door. You either price your treasures so high that no one thinks about buying them or you hide them away till you have a moment to gather your senses again. My rule of thumb: Anything that is .50 doesn’t matter to me any more. Anything that is more than $20 still has a place in my heart.
I’d like to say we’re done with this garage sale business, but we’re not. There are two more storage sheds in Virginia, one with all the “keepers,” and the other with all the “I don’t knows.” But something is perking inside of me. I think I may want to do this as a mini career. I am a natural organizer, and basically happy with the bare necessities…well, maybe a little more, but not much more. I see the pain people go through when they think about their own storage sheds. I also see the glimmer of hope when they see us letting go. There is a freedom in letting go. There is peacefulness in empty space. At some level, we all see it and we all crave it.
Like the government reminds us, freedom isn’t free. You have to work for it. And sometimes, if you’re willing to let go, you can make a little money at it.
on the road to simplicity 