Pictures of the Oregon Coast, Presidents Day, 2010: Cape Foulweather and Points North

The view from Cape Foulweather: Yaquina Head farthest to the south, Devil's Punchbowl and Otter Crest in the foreground

Cape Foulweather is the first place in Oregon discovered by European explorers: Capt. James Cook spotted it during a raging storm in 1778.

Big breakers at Rocky Creek State Park, looking across Whale Cove -- Just for perspective, that squarish bit of light coloration on the rocks across the cove is a house.

Depoe Bay, World's Smalled Navigable Harbor

The sidewalk allong US-101, Depoe Bay -- I've seen whales within 50 yards of this sidewalk, but the season wasn't right this time.

Weather flag, Depoe Bay -- Points will be awarded to the first person to identify the conditions that day. A hint, it was a balmy 60 and sunny that day -- but it WAS the Oregon Coast.

Pictures of the Oregon Coast, Presidents Day, 2010: Devil's Punchbowl

The following pictures are captioned properly, but the files are misnamed, due to errors on my part when they were saved.

Looking SOUTH towards Yaquina Head this time, as viewed from Devil's [sic] Punchbowl

The beach south of Devil's Punchbowl

A lone tree

Devil's Punchbowl

Otter Crest & Cape Foulweather from Devil's Punchbowl

Pictures of the Oregon Coast, Presidents Day, 2010: Newport

The view from Nye Beach, Newport, Oregon, looking north towards Yaquina (pronounced yuh-KWINN-uh) Head

Looking west across Newport Harbor towards the Yaquina Bay Bridge, fishing fleet in the foreground

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

The view from the second story of the keepers quarters, Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

The Best Game of them All

I'm not going to dwell on details, I'm just going to say that the following poem has come to mean a lot to me:

The Quitter
by Robert W. Service

When you’re lost in the Wild, and you’re scared as a child
And Death looks you bang in the eye,
And you’re sore as a boil, it’s according to Hoyle
To cock your revolver and . . . die.
But the Code of a Man says: “Fight all you can,”
And self-dissolution is barred.
In hunger and woe, oh, it’s easy to blow . . .
It’s the hell-served-for-breakfast that’s hard.

“You’re sick of the game!” Well, now, that’s a shame.
You’re young and you’re brave and you’re bright.
"You’ve had a raw deal!” I know-but don’t squeal,
Buck up, do your damnedest, and fight.
It’s the plugging away that will win you the day,
So don’t be a piker, old pard!
Just draw on your grit; it’s so easy to quit:
It’s the keeping-your-chin-up that’s hard.

It’s easy to cry that you’re beaten-and die;
It’s easy to crawfish and crawl;
But to fight and to fight when hope’s out of sight-
Why, that’s the best game of them all!
And though you come out of each grueling bout,
All broken and beaten and scarred,
Just have one more try-it’s dead easy to die,
It’s the keeping-on-living that’s hard.

Oregon in a Nutshell

"We have no one left to tax."

- State Rep. Michael Schaufler (D- Happy Valley)

Hats Off to Troutdale Canfield via OregonGuy.

Ted Kulongoski Doesn't Give a Tinker's Damn What You Think.

Hats Off to David's Oregon Picayune via Oregon Guy Thinks.

Recently the Oregon Marine Board held a series of meetings seeking public input regarding a possible van on motor boats and float planes on Waldo Lake, in the Cascades southeast of Eugene. After hearing all sides and giving the proposal much consideration, the Board decided to proceed with the ban.

At least that's the story we've been told. It turns out, not so much.

According to Paul Donheffner, who was at the time the State Marine Director, prior to the public hearings, Governor Kulongoski's office had already informed him of what the boards decision would be, and furthermore used the Oregon Department of Justice to lean on Donheffner and the board.

So if you attended one of those meetings, congratulations. You were, in effect, witnesses at a show trial for Waldo Lake.

So F***ing Wrong It's Funny

Thanks to the people here, via here.

I Wish The Who HAD Died Before They Got Old!

I had to work today -- one of the occupational hazards of being a cook. I work in an open kitchen, which means it's out where the customers can see me, and I them. The boss had on the superbowl, and when there were no customers around, and I was caught up on prep and cleaning, I got to watch parts of it -- inculding the halftime show. I Could barely hear it over the sounds of the kitchen, but I could see it.

Really? "My G-g-g-g-generation"? "Teenage Wasteland"? From The WHO? In 2010?

Note to Roger, Pete, et al:

You're GEEZERS! You're older than *I* am, and *I'M* a geezer. Ugh. you looked like a bunch of relics going through a prolonged midlife crisis. How embarassing. As one friend of mine put it, "...they should limit themselves to playing at their retirement home."

Or maybe Indian casinos. But for God's sake, don't tour, don't do the Superbowl, or the Grammies... if your best stuff was on the charts before today's teenagers were BORN, just live off the royalties and retire to Florida with some grace.

Not Tanned, but Rested and Ready

A long time ago a guy had a Blog. He was passionate and opinionated, but did his best also to be humble and to rememeber his own shortcomings. He wrote about a lot of stuff, stuff that was important to him. He wrote, it is said by some, well. But along the way he got burned out. Wrung out. Even grossed out. And so he left the Blogosphere. He posted a final farewell entry on his blog, closed up shop, and walked away.

Well, he's back. I'm back.

You won't find any links to my old blog on this one, nor any links to this one back there. This is about a fresh start, a new perspective, a "redo". If you're one of the privileged few to whom I gave a link to this new place, congrats. If you just stumbled across me, welcome.

The tone here will be... well, I'm not sure yet. I'm at a different place in life than I was back then, especially back when I STARTED the old digs. I think for now I'll let the tone set itself.