OLEQUA HEIGHTS-WA

July 2nd: This morning I was drinking my second cup of coffee; and six pages into a new novel, when Holland shut his laptop and said, "How about we take a drive to Olequa and explore the power line road, as soon as you finish your coffee and change out of your p.j.'s?"

(((YES - and thank you!)))

We had explored another Olequa road a couple days ago … but this one would be different: this one would be on the backside of familial compound boundaries.

Holland's family ranch is at the end of Olequa Road, and I've been curious about the gravel road that spurs off at the junction just before turning onto the Redmill property.

Holland has talked a lot about the {power line road}, ever since I've known him; I'm more than ready to be included in his special place adventuring - I drained my cup quickly, got dressed in record time, and we were soon pointing Betsy's nose toward the anticipated destination ;-)

New read …

Olequa Heights Rd-WA from Woodland-WA ; 42 min (36.0 mi) via I-5 N and Westside Hwy

Woodland has prepared for this Holiday's festivities ;-)

We drove the freeway to Castle Rock, and took our time enjoying a lazy drive up Westside Highway to Olequa. While driving, Holland gave me a background history lesson on Olequa … and he told me about an Indian burial ground that is there, too (maybe we'll go back and visit that, at another time).

Apparently, Olequa was a hub of activity in it's heyday - but the only reminder that it ever existed is the few places where the Name is highlighted (History notations, street signs, home addresses, the Senior Center, and a Farm, in Winlock-WA).

I was fascinated by the historical tidbits Holland was feeding me - and I researched it when we got back from our adventuring.

Olequa Indians/History of Olequa: (https://www.pacific-hwy.net/olequa.htm#:~:text=There%20used%20to%20be%20a,live%20in%20and%20around%20Olequa. & https://www.pacific-hwy.net/pumphery.htm)

Holland turned off a side road at the lower end of Olequa Road instead of the upper end I was expecting … another surprise road.

I like adventuresome surprises :-)

I am pleased to be included in Holland's carefully guarded Life; Holland does not easily share his private life, and he's slow to include newcomers (aka: anyone who did not grow up with him). I've only known Holland for a short period of time - and we've been married less than that. Basically, he still regards me as a newcomer in his Life.

But today, he is making a serious effort to remedy that. He is sorry that he has made me to feel like an outsider in the Life we are attempting to build. He was surprised when I unloaded a lot of hurt feelings on him this month - and he is sorry that he took his insecurities and withdrawal pain out on me.

We have both apologized - we have both forgiven each other for things said and done in the heat of angry moments during the entire month of June.

He is vowing to be a better partner; less apt to push my buttons or foist unrealistic expectations on me (or US) … and to stop throwing the D-Word into every disagreement. In short, after seriously rereading the FB posts, and viewing the hurt from my perspective of why they were necessary to make known, he has been making every effort to show me that he is serious about {going the Lifelong Distance}.

And, I am vowing to tamp my redhead temper down and be a gentler wife; kinder, and less apt to fight mean and dirty when Holland's attitude triggers mine.

He is working hard to make US a priority; and I am learning to trust (I trust Elohim 100% - it's trusting people that trips me up: Elohim doesn't lie, people do). I can't honestly say that actual trust was broken; what I am saying is that I'm finding out things about him as time moves forward, that I am finding difficult to understand or accept.

BUT

All things are possible through Christ Jesus: and He is Who we are trusting as we come together to repair the cracks that have riddled this marriage.

We love each other, despite the complicated circumstances of this marriage. Our home has to be our safe place - even during disagreements. Our home has to be a place of inclusion in each other's life; Holland is not used to sharing his Life with anyone: I'm pretty sure that even those closest to him, from the Past, aren't as close as they think they are. Holland is the most walled-off person I've ever met.

But he has taken pains to include me today, and I am grateful. This is a serious happening and I am feeling blessed by the inclusion.

Holland is going to show me one of his past favorite haunts :-)

The sound of crunching gravel as we climbed the winding dirt road was music to my ears, the atmosphere was warm, and great swaths of foxglove (purple, pink, white, & bi-color) bloomed along the way.

I love foxgloves … and have planted them in flowerbeds at several homes, throughout the decades.

Two does passed right in front of us … Holland spotted them first, and called my attention to them.

They weren't off the road too far - I quietly urged them to go deeper into the side growth.

A doe with twin fawns … sorry about the jittery vid - Holland kept creeping forward :-(

I'm glad Holland has decided to 'stick'; and I'm glad he is feeling comfortable enough to share his special places with me.

I was in dirt road Heaven; and Holland was relaxed knowing that I was enjoying the ride :-)

We talked, we made plans, we laughed, we listened to Supertramp songs, and we thoroughly enjoyed that forested dirt road.

When we reached the top of the steep Olequa terrain, we got out of Betsy and enjoyed the wild beauty of the area: I understood why this place holds a special place in Holland's Life.

I was glad I was standing there, soaking it all in - the beauty, the sounds, the scents, the sharing.

I'm easily pleased ;-)

Holland's special place is simply beautiful, peaceful, and warmly inviting.

The overlook was engaging; Vader and outlying areas.

Then, as we were settling back into Betsy's cab, Holland's phone rang. He's been busy this past week with a side job. I waited until he read the text - and was prepared to beat feet back to town … but instead, Holland shut his phone off after reading the text, and said, "I'll take care of this later." I said, "You've been waiting for this call - we can go back into town." He looked at me, and said, "This is our time, Baby - just me and you; if I call this guy back and he doesn't answer right away, it will be an all day long phone tag thing. I don't want anything to cut into you and me, today; I'll get back to him later on."

Wow.

He really is serious about "making things right, Baby."

The sounds of the forest - the scent, and the intent; healing rode the gentle breeze.

Supertramp - 'Give A Little Bit': 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_leMA3_maBU)

Coming back down the incline, I noticed something I had missed before, because it was on the driver's side going up - so, I said, "Stop! I want to see this pretty thing, up close!" I wasn't being bossy; I just didn't want to use too many words that would eat up time and get us further away from the pretty thing ;-)

A pretty, wildflower, 'Toughleaf Iris'; it seemed so out of place in this wild place of evergreens, foxgloves, daisies, and dandelions: there were 2 of them, close together.

This forest adventuring was fun - and in a sense, cathartic.

As we exited the dirt road where we made new memories and pledges, we both felt the liberating effects of leaving lingering shadows behind us.

Today's adventure end was really the beginning; I'm glad I came :-)

On the way back to Woodland, Holland suggested we stop by Popeye's and grab some chicken to eat with our supper salad :-)

I had seen butterflies flitting among the wild daisies in the forest; but it wasn't until we were waiting for our meal pickup in Popeye's parking lot that a big blue dragonfly appeared to bolster hope, and drive home a gentle admonishment for both of us …

Relax and go with the flow of Elohim's Plan.

Fried Chicken for Supper - oh, yeah ;- )

THE GORGE-WA~Bucket List Drive

June 30th: Today is my grandson's 10th birthday - he's half grown now; the last time I saw his handsome face, and felt his happy hug was July 2nd, 2020; I has been asked to come celebrate his 6th BD & spend the weekend with him … and instead, we were all treated to a Hell storm; from which there would be no recoup:

EDUCATION OF THE ROAD VIRGIN: 

http://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/07/education-of-road-virgin.html

I have weathered this Day every year pretty well since 2020; but the intense missingness got through today because my guard was down due to all the emotional upheaval that this year has dragged into my Life, making me vulnerable to the creeping sadness of loss.

I drank two cups of coffee while Holland snoozed, thinking I was holding up relatively well with a silent toast congratulating my little prince on his Special Day … and then … the tears started rolling down my face, and I couldn't rein them in. They just poured out until I was crying hard with a fist in my mouth (so I wouldn't wake Holland - he needs his sleep), and feeling a pounding headache coming on.

I knew I had to get away.

I would drive up the Gorge: empty my thoughts and become a sponge to the life happening around me. I would find peace along the long drive, and enjoy the happiness of a sun-drenched nature drive.

If I stayed in this motel room crying all day long, I would go crazy with grief.

So, I jumped in the shower - and when I came back out of the bathroom, Holland was sitting on the bed. I was still trying to stave off the burning tears behind my eyes while I ate a hurried breakfast - but the tears wouldn't stay hidden. When Holland noticed them, I started gathering up my purse, phones, Tablet, and light fleece pullover; and said I was going to drive up the Gorge to get out of my head, and relax. As an after thought, I asked if he'd care to join me.

He didn't know why I was crying so hard, but he said he would: and he did.

Neither one of us were dressed fancy - the windows would be down to enjoy the breezy warmth.

We left Woodland around 12:30'noon, and I didn't say much until we were well past Washougal. I don't talk much about my family; there is too much sadness woven through it; but not wanting my husband to think the tears were related to anything he'd said, or done, I finally said, "I'm missing my grandson." Holland doesn't know the situation, so he said, "Why don't you just call him?" Fresh tears fell before I said, "I'd do that if I could; but Stacey won't allow it - last time he tried to talk to me on the phone, Stacey angrily shut the phone off while he was happily chattering. Building bridges isn't Stacey's thing - setting fires is." Bless Holland, he said, "He'll grow up and try to find you." I just smiled weakly, and replied, "You don't know my daughter: Azariah is growing up without any mention of me; he probably doesn't even remember me, he was so little last time we saw each other. I don't want to think - or talk - about it anymore. My eyes burn, and my head aches. I just want to drive up the Gorge and forget the sadness."

CATHARSIS: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2019/11/catharsis.html

Lenny Kravitz - 'I Want To Get Away' song: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewfVFBqOLgw)

By the time we reached Washougal, the headache had abated, and Holland had me laughing :-)

The Gorge is practically unrecognizable - there's so much development going on, and new housing going up … since this time last year, when we were in Washougal to get a bed box; it's like another world here. Rooftops along the skyline, everywhere you look :-(

There's walking trails, new Parks, new marinas being built: this end of the gorge is definitely being annexed into Portland's outskirt area.

We are working things out - Holland is fighting hard for US.

Lenny Kravitz - 'It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over' song:  

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqK0FhPTyxU)

I miss my grandson; I need to fly the coop for a while …

Lyle-WA from Woodland-WA; 1 hr. 44 min (93.5 mi) via WA-14 and WA-14 E

I hate these kind of cliff-&-sky-hanging roadways; but I braved it Solo Lobo a few years back.

Beacon Rock-WA:  (https://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guide/Beacon_Rock_Hike)

Beacon Rock Plaque #1

Beacon Rock Plaque #2

Lewis & Clark Trailblazing~Beacon Rock-WA: (https://lewis-clark.org/the-trail/down-the-columbia/beacon-rock/)

Charles E, Ladd; Beacon Rock, 1904: (https://www.yakimaherald.com/magazine/outdoors/beacon-rock-conquer-a-chunk-of-northwest-history/article_5bfba282-0d14-5786-afd6-337a67ea471b.html)

Beacon Rock polygons: The rock has great exposures of columnar basalt. As this lava cooled, it created five- or six-sided massive columns that can be as big as 9 feet in diameter and 90 feet long. When viewed from the top, the lava flow can look like the honeycomb of a beehive.

Henry Biddle; Beacon Rock, 1915 to 1918: (https://dedemontgomery.com/2017/03/23/biddles-rock-a-beacon-of-the-gorge/)

The hillsides, all along the gorge from Stevenson; were abloom in colorful arrays of wild blue asters, bright orange poppies, wild pink & white sweet peas, Queen Anne's Lace, cattails … and someone had planted Tiger Lilies up one sweep off the side of the Highway near the Bonneville Dam.

Bonneville Dam (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonneville_Dam)

A freight train was blocking the gorge view …

Thankfully, Betsy's horsepower kicked in, and we outpaced it ;-)

I like seeing these train bridges - and I told Holland there are subsequent upcoming train tunnels.

The train tunnels run parallel to the highway tunnels …

Wind-surfing hydrofoil surfers; Holland had heard of them - this was the 1st time he's seen them.

We nipped into the Spring Creek Fish Hatchery parking lot to watch the surfing dare devils ;-)

An anchored  catamaran with a dinghy (WA Gorge = my pic today) & Internet pic showing the two pontoons.

Hood River Bridge.

Not as rugged as the high backcountry - but still a bit wild ;-)

Chamberlain Lake overlook Rest Stop-WA

Chamberlain Lake overlook Rest Stop-WA

We are just about to Lyle …

We made Lyle by 3 PM - weather was pleasingly hot, even with a breeze whipping up white-tipped waves on the river. The warmth felt good on our skin.

There's nothing special about Lyle-WA … it's just the furthest end of the Gorge, that I could run from my heartache this afternoon.

Lyle is just a little high country shot-gun-town in the Washington Gorge.

A milkshake was a fair exchange for the lovely drive ;-)

I like this drive up the gorge … and I'm glad Holland agreed to come along with me. Holland had done union construction jobs in Camas and Washougal, but the little towns we traveled through the gorge to Lyle were new to him - and it's been decades since I've visited them.

We did not cross the Hood River Bridge; Holland opted to treat me to the longer WA side all the way back to Woodland :-)

This drive has been on my Solo Lobo Bucket List for at least 3 years; this year it happened, and I had a traveling companion ;-)

A day that started out badly, ended with sunny happiness :-)

As we backtracked, we could see Mt. Hood on the OR side, peeking over the Hood River area.

Heart clouds around Vancouver-WA … affirmation that our comings and goings, are heavily guarded by our heavenly Father; Psalm 121:8

It was a good day~no milkshake … but Holland got his ice cream 'fix' ;-)

A page turner, hard to put down; I probably won't be in bed until dawn lights the morning sky ;-)