I spent two weeks on the southern Oregon coast, which has some of my favorite beaches anywhere. The weather and light can be totally different from morning to late afternoon and all hours between, so whatever time I went, I found beautiful scenes.
This particular stretch of beach has a lot of rock formations, or sea stacks. At dead low tide, the reflections of those sea stacks on the beach were almost perfect. I spotted a photographer here waiting for his moment and so I came back two days later to the same spot. This shot was definitely worth the wait.
Despite Oregon’s reputation for rain, I literally didn’t get any rain in 11 days! There were clouds and wind and rocking surf, but no rain. Thanks, Oregon, I feel like you owed me for that rainy Fall of 2016.
Of all the times of day to visit, sunset and low tide is the best. When the sun finally slid below the horizon and the air turned colder by degrees, I still hated to go, even knowing the beach would still be there tomorrow.
I could never stay long enough on the shore; the tang of the untainted, fresh, and free sea air was like a cool, quieting thought.
Helen Keller
“I still hated to go, even knowing the beach would still be there tomorrow.”
That sentence resonated. Reminds me of that feeling I get when traveling on the road. Some kind of existential puzzle occurs as I pass a place – from a small hamlet or farm to a large city.
The act of transitioning is in the forefront … entering and leaving .. I’m moving on to see what’s around the next bend. In that moment there is the realization that many of the people in that hamlet will continue their lives in that spot as I move on. They are staying, rooted. Just as the Oregon beach remains tethered to the ocean and continues to awe as you traveled inland.
With that thought comes a tangled knot of conflicting emotions –
– joy for the freedom to move on
– nostalgia for the familiarity of home
– regret for a life that is too confined to place
– envy for a life that is truly connected to place
Your sentence falls into that tangled knot for me.
thanks for the journey.
Susan
Susan, thanks for leaving that comment, it resonated so much with me. In the moving on that is a constant of the vagabond life I lead now, there is that undercurrent of leaving people and places behind, their lives going on in that place without me, as I flow to the next location and a new set of people and places. It’s truly been bittersweet to leave sometimes, and I swear I’m coming back, but the US is a huge place when one is towing a tiny trailer.
What a beautiful Helen Keller quote. It captures your essay/reflection perfectly.
Thank you, Dorothy! I loved that quote the minute I read it.
Your photos are so inspiring! Thank you for sharing. It makes me want to get out my old 35MM or go camera shopping for something new. I use my Iphone 7 way too much and I need to explore more options with a good quality SLR.
Ah, Dan, get out there and shoot something! It’s so relaxing to me to shoot scenes as I’m walking along. And two of these images were taken with an iPhone XS and the others with a Panasonic Lumix that fits in my pocket. I often don’t take out the big boy (Sony A7), especially in wet or windy weather, so the iPhone gets a lot of use as a camera with me.
From our great American road trip, the Oregon Coast has been in my top 3 experiences!
Mine, too! I will need to come back more often, I think…
I’ve never been to Oregon. I love beaches and oceans. These photos make me want to jump in the car and drive there! Stunning!
I. Love. Your. Photographs.
Thank you so much <3
Wonderful photos, as usual! I am happy anywhere on the Oregon coast, but the southern coast is especially beautiful.
Beautiful photos, love the Oregon coast!