I visited Oceanside, OR and enjoyed this little town on the Pacific. It was a perfect day trip because we went prepared with firewood and other comforts to stay warm as we watched the sunset.
The skies were clear and as the tide went down a new beach seemed to open up to us. Gooey bits of jellyfish were strewn about. The caves and rock walls were thick with mussels and barnacles and other sea creatures. Some of them hung out on a stalk and slowly retracted when poked. Others were more like living blobs.
As I tested my new binoculars I was really surprised to see a colony of dozens of seals resting on one of the giant rocks a quarter of a mile out. I could see them moving about and jostling for space.
I met a deaf-since-birth dog named Beethoven. Some dog breeders pursue specific traits at the expense of the genetic health of the breed and of individual dogs. That happened to Beethoven, who is beautiful but deaf. To get him to drop his ball, you point down to the ground because shouting will get you nowhere.
When the sun set we got a hot fire going and had hot dogs and s’mores. I saw the winter constellation of Orion and noticed it was lower and lower in the sky as spring finally arrives. Good riddance. We used a sky app to identify Venus and the phase of the moon and to trace the ecliptic. I felt connected to sky and sea and marine life.
pseudoisaac 