I was thinking of renaming this post but any label I add will not justify the raw

power, beauty and relentless force of the sea and storms.  We arrived here from the snow, edging through Portland still reeling from the 15″ snow storm.  We traveled to the coast across the ridge of foothills.  The signs requiring chains ignored in favor of the sunny crisp winter day.

I was panicking a bit.  I had hoped for sunshine and a mild climate.  After all the last 8 years had been mild and gorgeous winters.  At least from afar, not so for natives especially farther inland.  The mild weather meant severe drought, lack of snow for winter activities and West Coasters forgetting what winter weather really felt like.

We braved the windy road and headed down the coast.  We chose an RV Campground with a large heated pool (84 degrees) and a hot tub.   We spent time each day swimming laps and soaking.  It was crazy having such a cool facility.  Of course cell service was non-existent. There was a short walk to the beach.  The laundry was great and overall I’d give it an A-.   Minus for connectivity.  An A for the site, the amenities and the short trail to the ocean.  It was cool.  The ocean roared and the rain poured.  There was a constant background music to our visit.  Joel said the rain sounded like marbles.  Turns out it was hail the size of marbles.  Amazing.

We ate fresh seafood and visited the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport.  It was pouring and we had the place to ourselves.  The staff was very helpful and delighted to teach us about the sea creatures.  Definitely worth the visit.

For us these latest storms meant fun in the snow in Washington. It also meant we could  experience first hand “ground zero” for three consecutive coastal storms.  And then to top it off as the storms passed inland wreaking havoc across the country we were immersed in an amazing Women’s March in Coos Bay, Oregon.

The people gathered in the rain and wind. I used a piece of insulation to make a sign.  Miraculously the sky cleared for the protest.  The sense of community was over whelming.  The commitment to our countries values of human rights, respect and honor was paramount.

Throughout our visit the Oregon people were amazing.  Sometimes gruff  but always helpful.  Warm and welcoming once they let their guard down.  We bonded with the natives throughout the 10 day experience.  They were mesmerized by the intensity of the winter.  We were exhilarated by the beauty and power of the Pacific Ocean.

We made new friends – Arlene a fellow marcher, who cried when she realized people were there from as far as Michigan.   All of our fellow marchers- moms and children, teenagers, men, women, retirees were friendly and excited to share their commitment.   Drivers honked their horns and gave a thumbs up.

The next day we met Ted and Katherine from Ashland at the Irish Pub while watching football.  We compared notes, relishing memories of the march.  They had 8000 marchers in Ashland, a town of 16000.  Katherine and I connected at once under the only heater in the pub.  It was fun chatting. They invited us to visit and we’re hoping to meet up in Southern California.

We continued down the coast.  We walked the beach, racing the water as it advanced in ribbons up the sand.  We gathered driftwood, captured the antics of beach birds as they darted, pecked and flew across the beach.  We marveled at the size and scope of wave, upon wave, upon wave breaking across the water.

We took a detour to a rocky inlet.  We marveled at the sound of rocks rattling for a full minute as the waves receded to be reconstituted once again.  People, few and far between in awe of their environment immersed themselves in their chosen sport with a fervor.  It was winter, there was a break in the storm and the ocean was roaring.  Life in Oregon is magic.