Seacrets

Heather wanted to go to the coast today.  Heather was gone for a few weeks since her contract at Stanford allowed her some time to go home and attend some weddings.  So, today, while it was raining, we headed to the coast again.  We tried last week, but it was very rainy and cold.  We thought by the time we arrived at the coast this attempt, hopefully the sun would be shining and we could enjoy a hike along the cliffside.

When we crested the mountains headed west, the fog slowly began to give way to breaking clouds and some sunshine. But, light rain, even in the sunshine, forced us to kill some time before we could try the hike. We drove about five miles up Highway 1 hoping we would find something to entertain in the meantime.  We found this nice little cafe on "the 1," with an espresso bar and wine tasting.  So, while we waited for the rain to surrender to sunshine, Heather tasted some wines (I partook a couple of sips) and I enjoyed an iced mocha while we chatted away, passing the time like we had nothing else in the world to do and no cares.  Not many were in the little cafe and we watched a sweet little couple in the corner love one another.  We looked out the window at a breathtaking view of the lush green cliffs with the waves pounding at their walls.  We watched the rain lightly fall as it began to fade to sprinkles and then to on to only warm sunshine.  We talked about nothing and everything as we sat and watched.  We laughed as the little hostess became annoyed with me as I declined to taste wine and she said, "Well, do you want some water, then, since you're not having wine?" as she rolled her eyes at me (that would be the time I ordered the mocha, which I didn't mind).

So, we finished the little bit of wine and mocha, stepped off the porch into the welcome sunshine after the rain, anticipating seeing the "big waves" at Wilder State Park.  We drove to the park, paid the money to enter, then happily chatted and strolled along as we made our way to the cliffs.  We gasped and laughed as we saw how huge the waves were and the powerful booms and splashes they were creating on the cliff walls.  We stood in silence, smiling, watching little sea gulls down on the beach below run away from the incoming foamy waves, then chase them back out, then run away, chase them back out, as their pace changed when the waves' pace changed with the intensity of the incoming or outgoing wave.  We laughed at the birds.

We continued walking to the next cliff, where we stood on the sheer rocks, would hear a low pound and thump, then be splashed with the spray of the sea as the water splashed 60 feet in the air, was caught by the wind and would meet us.  We tasted the salt.  We stood in the spray.  We smelled the sea.  We laughed and yelled almost every thump and spray.  We watched the seagulls gracefully and effortlessly glide over the cliffs and sea, like they knew secrets about the sea we could never understand.  We looked at all the broken sea shells the waves had tossed atop the cliffs when the tide was high and waves were strong enough.  We watched the tall waves swallow the big rocks below then recede as the water would spill over the edges until the next time 20 seconds later.

Click on these photos for much better resolution and picture quality.

We kept walking and found a little cove with a beach.  We scuttled down the cliff on a little trail, next to a little water fall from all of the rain we've had the past couple of days and we walked on a beach with no footprints while leaving our own.  We stood by the cliffs where the water was falling down the rock from 50 feet above and stood in the shower of the freshwater making it's way to the salty sea.  We watched the waves hit the walls ahead of us as we faced the sea and the enormous waves came rolling in.  We ran from waves as they chased us while we laughed because we were afraid our shoes and socks would be soaked with the frigid water.

We continued for a while longer, seeing more cliffs, more spray, hearing more of the pounding sea.  We kept talking and laughing and yelling in awe.  But, we had to turn around and walk back to get back to our dinner made with love by Theresa, our innkeeper.  So, we turned back and made our way back to the car, over the mountains, through the woods, back to the inn, to come home to a crackling fire, hot chicken chili, and fun conversation with the young and the not as young, around good, warm food and a good, warm fire.

Wow! What a day!

How Great Thou Art

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

I must give credit where credit is due:  Heather took some of these pictures and all of them were taken with her camera.  : ) Thanks, Heather!