DEFEATING THE HIDDEN DEEDS OF DARKNESS (Part 1 - Olive Tree Ministries)~Jan Markell and Michele Bachmann

Defeating the Hidden Deeds of Darkness~Part 1:  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otPBQrcjGMk&t=830s)

 

THE EDGE OF THE CONTINENT~Cape Disappointment State Park; Ilwaco-WA

Friday, April 25: Yesterday I lazed around 🛌 reading a Clive Cussler novel I got from David, last week; drinking a Peach Tea, and occasionally drifting into a welcome nap 💤 now and then.

This morning, I woke up antsy to get out of the house for a little bit - nothing that takes all day, because we are still dealing with sniffles, weepy eyes, coughing, and utilizing the inhaler. But being cooped up is driving me up the walls 😑

Making a cup ☕️ (and knowing we need to buy bread), my thoughts went to the Discovery Trail at the North Head Lighthouse … there wouldn't be space large enough to park Betsy; but Holland could drive up there, turn around, drop me off at the trailhead … and wait for me alongside the road, below: probably a 15 minute walk - most likely, less 😉

I'd have to utilize the inhaler because this year has been so weird weather-wise (no matter where we have been): but, I am missing the ferns that will be plentiful there. I am missing my Nature Walks 😟 The trail is a short one, but it is a walk through a rainforest environment; and Holland is agreeable 😊

It will be a nice Shabbat treat for the senses and the soul 🌞💖😁

Leaving Ocean Park, I asked if we could take a side road around the log cabin - so I could get a good peek at it; we drive past it every time we go into Long Beach, but it's always a passing blur: today, I wanted to see it up close & personal 🧐

Holland obliged 😘

I did not wash my hair; that could wait until I got back home.

I dressed comfortably.

Rain was expected; I wanted to be ahead of it … spending time on frivolities seemed futile if I wanted to get a walk in before rainfall drove me out of the forest and back indoors.

North Head Lighthouse~Ilwaco-WA from Ocean Park-WA - 25 min (14.5 mi) via Pacific Way

We like Ocean Park-WA; it's a quiet, quaint, little neighborhood. Ocean Park began as a Methodist Revival Camp ✝️ in 1883, as an attempt to get away from the rowdy, boomtown lifestyle of Oysterville, to the north. The town atmosphere is quiet - and despite it's burgeoning growth at the upper end, a restful, reverent atmosphere, still remains.

Our souls always enjoy our time spent here 💞

Ocean Park-WA: https://revisitwa.org/waypoint/ocean-park/

The cabin, though painted with what appears to be a latex-based paint, is a real log cabin. There was an Historic Plaque … as well as a Realtor Sign at the edges of it's property:

A log cabin; Ocean Park-WA

The Wreckage is up For Sale with Lighthouse Realty:  (https://lighthouseproperty.com/idx/mls-2286958-1408_256th_street_ocean_park_wa_98640)

The Wreckage - Original structure when built in in 1912.

The Wreckage Cabin Plaque; Ocean Park-WA:  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wreckage_(Ocean_Park,_Washington))

Having seen the cabin that has drawn my interest over the years we've been spending time here, we aimed Betsy's nose towards the Day's Goal 😁

Pioneer Chevron, Market, & Deli (internet picture); #2006 Pacific Ave, Long Beach-WA

This young man who works at Pioneer Market, is 6 ft. 7 in. tall - he can reach the roof edge, easily! & Brunch on the go ;-)

Cape Disappointment location.

Cape Disappointment; Ilwaco-WA: 

(https://www.nps.gov/places/cape-disappointment-wa.htm#:~:text=The%20cape%20was%20a%20notable,the%20Columbia%20River%20was%20only)

These old growth trees are big, wide, beautiful things to see.

Sword ferns unfurling new growth, & matures Sword Ferns.

These trees are very t.a.l.l.

Cape Disappointment's Giant Trees; Ilwaco-WA:  (https://www.nps.gov/lewi/learn/nature/plants.htm)

This old growth tree has 4 [heads] … and the trunk looks like several trees fused together to form 1 tree.

Fused Trees: 

(https://naturalwonders.substack.com/p/what-causes-trees-to-fuse-together)

The top does not look storm damaged.

It looks like debris & ferns sit in the {crotch} - a natural crease, not storm damage fall-out.

Viola glabella (smooth yellow violet); a common wildflower of the Pacific Northwest.

Common Lawn Daisy - I like seeing these little daisies ;-)

Candy Flower.

This giant is a host tree … ferns have taken root & are thriving on upper limbs.

Recent storm damage - the winds along this coastal region are very intense.4 years ago, while this YouTube video was being filmed, the wind at Cape Disappointment gusted to 74mph - the highest wind speed recorded along the Cape Disappointment coastline in Washington State was a gust of 150 mph at North Head, near Cape Disappointment, during the January 1921 windstorm … this event also included sustained winds of 113 mph.

10-24-2021 Cape Disappointment, WA - Huge Waves and Strong Winds Batter Washington: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAZnswrrr3M)

Deer Fern shoots & fronds.

Deer Fern, Blechnum spicant: 

(https://nativeplantspnw.com/deer-fern-blechnum-spicant/)

Sweet Coltsfoot, Petasites frigidus: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petasites_frigidus); 

Seaside Bittercress, with Horsetail Reed; & Devil's Club Blossom.

Lady Fern overshadowing a Deer Fern.

Lady Fern, Athyrium filix-femina: 

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athyrium_filix-femina)

PNW Old Growth; 100+ yo.

Storm damaged tree with a conk. Conks are large, shelf-like or bracket-shaped fungi that grow on the bark, trunk, or branches of trees. This type of fungi enters weakened trees through wounds or injuries, such as broken branches, or lightning strikes. They then spread their spores through the air, infecting other trees. This tree, infected by this fungi, will eventually die of heart rot.

Conk fungi: this particular fungi is called Artist's Conk, because it is hard enough to etch, or burn, an artwork image into the upper surface.

Artist's Fungus, Ganoderma applanatum:  (https://www.ediblewildfood.com/artists-conk.aspx)

My brother Mahlon, as a teenager used to collect these large, shelf-like conks to embellish with his artwork. He was very good; I am not sure what became of the art-covered conks 🤔 … but I know they came and went with a frequency; and he had $ to spend.

Today's Discovery Trail walk was very enjoyable.

The rain held back.

Sunshine was sparse - but it was there, and it felt good to be outside.

I shared space occasionally with three bicyclists that passed by quickly (2 men on electric bikes, & 1 woman peddling by with a backpack on) as they traveled the trail that wound from Long Beach to the North Head Lighthouse. It was good to be out and about in fresh air.

I refused to think about the possibility of being house bound for another week. I would deal with the "maybe misery" fallout, if - and when - it showed itself 😑 - today's outing was needed.

And though my husband was concerned (I've been laid low, off-n-on, since we arrived in WA on the 10th), he wasn't holding me back. He did grouse a bit, but he also knows I need to be out of the house and enjoying life out in the wilds.

Mat Kearney - 'Anywhere With You' Lyrics: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipMQjiBhgA0)

The Dandelion is just about as 'evergreen' in the PNW, and the conifers are … & Cranesbill blossoms.

Salmonberry blossoms.

It's a perfect day for walking.

THE BONUS! A Trillium; I was hoping to see one ;-)

Walk results …

I meant to … but was in a hurry; and it was left in my purse, in Betsy, with Holland.

After kissing the North Head Discovery Trail goodbye, we drove to the Cape Disappointment State Park for a quick pit stop - there is a Restroom Station at the North Head Lighthouse, too, but the State Park Rest Area is newer, and larger; assured immediate relief, could be found 👌

Exiting the cubicle, I saw a lady feeding a young racoon. Reaching our 4x, and grabbing my camera, Holland said, "You saw the racoon - it came scampering over here for freebies, too. Do you want to feed it some of your left-over chicken?" I declined to feed it … but I did snap off a picture:

Feeding the wildlife at Cape Disappointment State Park~ Ilwaco-WA

Cape Disappointment State Park; Ilwaco-WA:  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Disappointment_State_Park)

Racoons are cute, but they are also tricky: they can go from being cute, to being a Tasmanian devil in a heartbeat. I thought that lady was standing a little too close to her furry interest - but I also saw that her partner was watching the activity from the passenger door window, and he seemed capable of a few Tasmanian moves himself if the situation turned on it's ear.

Having captured the picture, I walked back to Betsy; and Holland turned us towards the jetty a bit down the road. The North Jetty, along with the South Jetty (on the Oregon side) and Jetty "A", were built to protect the entrance to the Columbia River navigation channel.

Neither of us wanted to walk the jetty: but we did want to look at the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, on the opposite towering bluff. A lot of people do walk to the end of the jetty, and fish off the stacked jetty boulders.

The North Jetty; Ilwaco-WA

Those HUGE boulders are the North Jetty; Ilwaco-WA

The Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, which is closed to the public; Ilwaco-WA

A Navigation Tower; North Jetty~Ilwaco-WA

This was a river course marker - it had a flashing red light to warn ships and large boats traveling the river channel; it is a land warning marker that means "Do not get closer! Stay between the green lights (channel lights buoys in the water)". The tower was probably closer to the water, than it is now. These buoys & towers effectively made the Lighthouses obsolete.

The little beggar was still at it, when we passed back through the Park ;- )

As we were exiting the Park, I said, "It's too bad we can't get up to the Lighthouse anymore. The road is always gated & the Lighthouse has been closed to the public for decades. The Coast Guard controls this end, now."

AND THEN … turning to look up the forbidden road … WE SAW THE GATE FLUNG OPEN!

We didn't wait: we turned in that direction and shot Betsy forward, laughing and fueled with anticipated adventure 🤠👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

The worst that could happen would be that we'd be reprimanded and turned back by a Coast Guard person 😔

Our adventure wasn't curbed 👌

Coast Guard guards did not swoop down on us ✌️

A surprise awaited us at the end of a sketchy, snaky, paved 1-lane road; I jumped out of Betsy, and explored (I avoided the moldy bunkers); and  Holland waited me out 💕 - while I explored, mused over History, and gathered more pictures for my Memory Bank … memories that will inevitably find their way into Blog posts 🙋‍♀️

The gate was open! We boogied forward ;-)

Bunkers! An unexpected surprise - neither of us have ever been here, before.

The remains of Fort Canby; Ilwaco-WA

Fort Canby; Ilwaco-WA

Fort Canby; Ilwaco-WA: 

(https://revisitwa.org/waypoint/fort-canby/)

The Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center; Cape Disappointment State Park~lwaco-WA

A blurry zoomed out shot of the North Jetty.

The North Jetty (internet picture); Ilwaco-WA

How to Survive the North Jetty~Ilwaco-WA:  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJgWcHIyZVw)

The North Jetty built between 1913 & 1917, is part of Cape Disappointment State Park, which known for its strong waves, wind, and wild nature. The North Jetty is 2.5 miles long (a 5 mile walk round trip) and can be a dangerous place, due to strong currents, huge rocks, slippery conditions, and cold water.

I have walked that jetty in the Past.

With my first husband Bob.

Bob was raised on the water, as well as in the forest; in his youth he spent time in Ilwaco-WA with his father, on their boat - as a teenager, he spent time riding the rollicking wild waves of the ocean, as a deck hand on a Charter Boat. Bob loved the water and spent as much time on it, as he could. Deep water scares me - the ocean terrifies me 🤮 But I loved Bob, and I trusted him: he knew water, & understood the dangers. So, when he wanted to walk the length of the jetty one sunny afternoon, I swallowed, grabbed his back belt loop and said in a shaky voice, "Don't race up this thing; take it slow and easy." And he did - the whole 5 mile trek. I didn't trust the waves rushing at the jetty, and breaking against the boulders, but I trusted that the jetty would hold strong under the battering … and that my husband would keep my safety foremost in his thoughts and actions. Thank the Lord, we never at any time, experienced a wave breaching the jetty walkway - that would have given me a heart attack, for sure 😳😱 When we got back on solid ground again, & I released my grip on that poor strained belt loop, I said, "Okay, you've walked the jetty. I never want to do that again."

We never did.

And I never will.

Deep water and I are not on friendly terms.

Cape Disappointment Plaque.

Cape Disappointment State Park History: 

(https://parks.wa.gov/about/news-center/field-guide-blog/cape-disappointment-state-park-history)

The Edge of the Continent Plaque; Ilwaco-WA.

The Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, seen from the Interpretive Center.

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, when it was maintained (internet pictures), & a lighthouse forlorn and neglected; Ilwaco-WA

Lighthouses on Cape Disappointment; Ilwaco-WA:  (https://www.historylink.org/File/5622)

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse Compound (internet picture); Ilwaco-WA

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse (internet picture); Ilwaco-WA

'The Bar' Plaque - the mighty Columbia River & the mighty Pacific Ocean converge at Cape Disappointment: this is the most dangerous waterway in the USA.

Climbing back into Betsy, I was happy to see the notification on my watch face, that with the additional walking … my feet activated mileage was bumped to 1.02 miles: daily goal reached 😁

This colorful, ornate, building on the corner of Ilwaco's Main Street has always caught my eye … so, I captured it in frame and researched it, at home 🧐

I love vintage architecture~the Doupé Building; Ilwaco-WA

Details matter ;-)

The Aberdeen Packing Company = Doupé Building & wooden plank streets (internet pic); Ilwaco-WA

The Aberdeen Packing Company = Doupé Building; Ilwaco-WA:  (https://washingtonourhome.com/then-and-now-doupe-building-ilwaco/ & https://theclio.com/entry/161651)

Main Street Ilwaco, has not changed much since this picture was taken (internet picture).

Doupé Bros. Department Store~1970's (internet pic); Ilwaco-WA

Doupé Bros. Department Store~1970's (internet pic); Ilwaco-WA

Doupé Bros. Department Store~1970's (internet pic); Ilwaco-WA

Having been to the edge of the Continent, my wild side satiated, our  curiosities satisfied, and that loaf of bread finally bought … Betsy sighed with relief when Holland aimed her for her resting space in Ocean Park; and my husband sighed with relief that my heel jets have been cooled, and he can relax and unwind, too 😂🤣❤️

Home Sweet Home …  Ocean Bay RV Park; Ocean Bay-WA

Holland wearing his blanket vest (the one I designed & made for him); the rains did not come … but the c.o.l.d., did.

Blue Bunny 'Banana Split' ice cream. Very good!

Today was a good Day 💯 to usher in a good Shabbat ☝️🕊️