Hitchhiker on Board

I explored the hip, weeknight coffee-bar scene in Portland, OR, mostly so that I could be adequately caffeinated to stay awake for Beth's late-evening arrival
from New Hampshire. Oregon's Portland is much like Maine's, except the ocean is on the wrong side of the city, and they have a different kind of bad climate from Maine's kind. Nice people, cool town.
It was great to catch up after a couple weeks away, and there was plenty of catch-up time in the car, as we drove south through Oregon and northern California. From what I gather, Beth and Brittany miss me, Will is relieved I'm away, and Kersee is unaware of my absence.

If you have not seen the Oregon coast, it looks just like you think it does: big, tall bluffs drop dramatically to the Pacific, where there are crashing waves,










long sandy beaches, lots of driftwood, and no people (it's often damp and chilly and the water is freezing). This scene continues for miles -- hundreds of 'em.

Some guys wanna ski uphill and downhill from Chamonix to Zermatt, and some guys wanna chop up smelly baitfish in Oregon, fire up the eight-horse,
head out to catch the wild Dungeoness Crab, and still be home in time to watch American Idol. God bless 'em! Here's Clement and his traps getting ready for a day on the bay! I wonder if they sort of picture themselves in 19th century Nantucket, and they're Captain Ahab, and they're fearless on the high seas, chasing their mortal foe, defying sanity and reason, Captain of their ship, Master of their world. Nnnnno, I guess I know the answer to that, so I'm not really wondering it anymore.

Stalking the wild oyster is another big past time here. How 'bout them big ones, eh?!


We did our best to boost the local economy, eating more crab meat and oysters than a flock of seagulls.



And the trees... my goodness, the trees are HUGE.
They are the size of redwoods, so they even call them "Redwoods," and they are up to 360' tall. And while these trees are the only living thing on Earth older than Mia, Beth's beloved grandmother, Mia does remember when some of these giants were just saplings.We especially enjoyed the Lady Bird Johnson Forest, and the cool 1969 pic of the forest's commemoration, with Lady Bird, LBJ, Pres. Nixon, and Governor Reagan all in attendance!


Oregon people find some real comfort in knowing the government is everywhere, always, protecting you from everything, including yourself, forever.

Bye bye to the coastal scene, and it's on to Marin and Napa Counties!