We’re finally getting some rain this week and it’s wonderful! In addition to the obvious benefits, out here on the coast it also brings wind and big waves. The sun came out for a while this afternoon so my daughter and I decided to drive up the coast for some “wave therapy.”
There is something calm and soothing yet powerful and energizing about watching huge waves crash against those rugged rocks. Or watching rows of surf roll, curl and break onto the beach. It’s mesmerizing, meditative. Some say it’s the negative ions produced by the crashing waves that make you feel so good. Whatever it is, it works!
I found out it’s hard to take good photos of waves, and I now have a much greater appreciation for photographers who catch wave spray in mid-air. It’s difficult to time, plus my little camera doesn’t shoot immediately when I push the button. There’s always a few-second delay. What’s with that?
There are many beaches along the Sonoma Coast. In Bodega Bay, there’s Doran Park and because it’s on the bay, the waves are much calmer. If you’re looking for action, it’s better to head up the coast a bit to the ocean beaches. We drove north on Hwy. 1 and stopped at Salmon Creek, Arched Rock, and Schoolhouse Beach. My favorite is Portuguese Beach but we didn’t venture that far today. My parents used to take us on family outings to Portuguese when we were kids and we have photos that go way back. We’ve all changed with time but the beach hasn’t.
Many thanks to my friend Shona Weir at Business Services Unlimited for this map. One day when I was dropping off some UPS packages at her shop, I mentioned I wished I could find a map of all the Sonoma Coast beaches. She smiled and said “Here you go!” Ask and you shall receive, thank you Shona! If you click on the image, it should expand so you can read the names of the beaches.
On our way back from the big waves, restored, refreshed, renewed, we saw some deer with beautiful coloring. We have a lot of mule deer around here and they’re usually a sort of grayish buff color. But this afternoon, we saw two that were a beautiful warm, reddish brown color instead. The photo isn’t that great, I couldn’t get very close. We pulled over to the side of the road and observed them across a ravine for quite a while. At first they were grazing in the shrubs on the hillside, then settled down to rest in the wet grass. Another beautiful encounter with nature.
Wave therapy is so magnificent, and quite difficult to come by here in Central Oregon. Thanks for the beautiful description, photos, and honest observation of how difficult is to capture those moments in nature (rather like trying to capture a moment on a child's face). I spent years taking pictures of waves, and actually capture 2 or 3 good ones! Love the blog-- Ginger
ReplyDeleteI love your comparison to catching a moment on a child's face, that's beautiful. I hope to see your wave photos sometime. Thank you Ginger!
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