The Washington coast

The Great Sea

The great sea has set me in motion,

set me adrift,

moving me like a weed in a river.

The sky and the strong wind

have moved the spirit inside

me till I am carried away

trembling with joy.

Uvavnuk Eskimo, 19th century

I was sorting through old photo files, and ran across these from a past trip to the ocean. I remember peaceful walks down to Ruby Beach, and another near Kalaoch Lodge where we stayed. We also took a dirt road detour through a clear cut, blasted landscape to see a single magnificent tree named "The Dunbar Cedar." At 178 feet, the world's largest living Thaja Plicata (coastal red cedar.) It looks dead, but no it is not. By some miracle (I don't remember the story) it was spared by the loggers who went through this whole area like the Huns on a lumber rampage.

It was a different weather scene on the coast last week, when a storm combined with high tides brought 30 foot waves to this same area, and flooded downtown Westport under a few feet of water.

Seeing these pictures make me want to go to out there again, although it's awfully dark, wet and cold this time of year. A better time to sit in a longhouse all winter eating seafood, like the smart First People did:

Well, this was a splurge crab and curried mussel dinner I made here in Seattle last Friday. And the ocean will still be there in the spring...