A Different Kind of Beach than this Texas Girl is Used to!

Bandon with the evening sun

The sea He made belongs to Him, along with the dry land 

that his hands formed.  Come! Let us worship and bow down; 

let us kneel in the presence of the Lord who made us.  

--Psalm 95:5-6

Recently, I visited Bandon, Oregon.  My husband was working temporarily in nearby Medford, so travel was just a few hours by car.  The entire trip was refreshing and unbelievable.  The people of Bandon are so blessed to see this coastline year-round.

Table Rock formation
where sea gulls, tufted puffins and other sea birds nest

The weather was clear, sunny, and comfortable this May day. I stayed at the Table Rock Hotel where I walked around above the beach on the cliffs. I saw spectacular views of rock formations including Table Rock (pictured), an endless blue ocean, and the inviting shoreline. The waves made their way through the rock formations to the sandy shore. The gulls, unruffled by my presence, found snacks along the shore and in the water.  They glided by me with the wind currents and landed atop the distant rocks where they were nesting. Small boats and fishing vessels slowly made their way through the protected channel in the distance coming in for the night. Beyond that stood the historic Coquille River Lighthouse.  Standing on the cliffs with my camera on a tripod and snuggled in a jacket, I watched the sun slowly disappear on the blue horizon. I lingered for more color in the sky and the hope that the longer I stayed the more of these moments I could soak in and remember. I hated to end this day, but the best was yet to come. Tomorrow I planned to walk on the shores of the Pacific Ocean!

The last of the day's sun rays warm the Bandon coastline.

The sun has set and this day is ending.

The next morning was cool, so I put on my jacket and a hat and grabbed the camera bag. I could hardly wait to explore. I descended several feet on stairs to reach the sand and cold ocean water.  I climbed over driftwood and around large rock formations and across the sandy beach.  I watched sea gulls fighting for food -- an orange starfish to be exact. I ran toward the gull to make it drop the starfish, but it would not let go of its captive. Other orange and purple starfish, called Ochre, clung to rocks on a large rock formation in front of me. Seals, with cute faces and whiskers, rested and sunned on the lower rocks. Occasionally, one would slip in the water and swim around. You could tell the seal pups by their smaller size and proximity to their parents. Colorful sea urchins let out their tentacles to sway in the shallow water.  Much of the lower rock was covered with barnacles, mussels and seaweed forming a rough protective surface.

View of beach from the cliffs in Bandon at low tide.

I had worked up an appetite walking and exploring the beach, so I drove to Old Town Bandon and enjoyed delicious Clam Chowder with fresh bread and butter at one of the local restaurants. I walked around this shopping district and Boardwalk area and discovered a statue of a colorful 15-foot fish sculpture made out of debris from the sea by an organization called Washed Ashore. The fish is called Henry and he will remain in Bandon for the admiration and education of all visitors.

Henry, made out of debris from the ocean

I met a professional photographer, Gary Edmiston, at Art by the Sea Gallery, who shared some of his work, a few photography tips, and his business card. We both enjoyed photography talk for a while, and I learned so much from his experiences. After saying our goodbyes, I stepped out into the sunny street once more. Oh, to have more time to photograph the fishing vessels and other boats lined up at the marina or visit each of the specialty shops!  However, after talking with Mr. Edmiston, I decided to go back to the beach and see some of the features and sites he mentioned to me.

At the beach, the tide was low, so I was able to get closer to the large rocks (called "sea stacks") and see more things up close. I removed my shoes and waded in the cold water. Park rangers had roped off some areas to protect the seals as they rested and enjoyed the sun. Visitors could look but not touch or walk on the rocks in an effort to leave the birds, seals, and marine life undisturbed. The park rangers explained that they were also there to count starfish. There had been a disease that decreased their population and they needed to count whatever starfish they could see for researchers. Hoping to be of help, I tattled on the sea gulls from that morning, saying that I saw them fighting over and eating a starfish. I pointed out the rock where several were clinging at the waterline. I also reported that one of the seals was injured and showed them a picture on my camera.  I think I would like to be a park ranger on this beach!

Injured seal on the left

Purple and Orange Starfish (Ochre)

There is so much more of Bandon to see such as the lighthouse, caves, the marina, and other rock formations further down the beach. I was just too tired to continue and vowed to come back.  Would love to watch and photograph the stars from this beach. I wish everyone I know could have a chance to renew your spirits in this majestic place. This is a different kind of beach than this Texas girl is used to!

Sea Urchin sifting through the low gentle waves

Orange starfish (Ochre) clinging to the rock at low tide.

Tiny onlookers observe the vast Pacific Ocean.
Sea Stack formations along the shore.

Harbor seal in the water
Starfish clinging on the rocks

Harbor Seals

Super Blood Moon from Blue Mounds State Park

Panoramic from Blue Mounds State Park getting ready to shoot the moon.  My shadow is in the picture also.

I read that there will not be another Super Blood Moon until the year 2033.  This was a unique time to practice photography and reflect on the significance of this event.  I have seen headlines of supernatural events associated with this time in our history.  While these theories are intriguing, what can I do about it if an apocalypse were to come to pass?  My only thoughts were recording this historical time in pictures, being creative, inquisitive, thankful, and enjoying these moments God provided.  

Trail starts just beyond this tree.
Used my sunglasses as a filter for this shot.

We drove about 45 minutes to Blue Mounds State Park in Minnesota to hike the ridge and discover a spot to take pictures. We brought water, a flashlight, camera equipment, and jackets. The sun was bright, the sky was clear, and the wind was strong, As we entered the hiking trail, a huge tree rustled leaves and swayed with the wind.  The trail was cool green grass with scattered boulders and rocks to the sides.  The ridge was treeless for the most part; just tall grasses and a sky that goes on forever.  After a few minutes, we stopped to admire the distant lakes, corn fields, farm houses, silos, and country roads below us. There was a small quarry from the 1930's. An information post told of its beginnings and history.  The rock was blasted out and shipped to a nearby crushing plant for use on roads and other projects in the local area. Another information post recorded this: 

In 1836, making his way to the Pipestone quarry, George Catlin described the vegetation of the prairie. "There is not a tree or bush to be seen.  The eye may range east and west to a boundless extent over a surface covered with grass.  The grass is green at one's feet but changes to blue in the distance like the blue and vastness of the ocean.  Man feels here, the thrilling sensation of unlimited freedom."

I repeated the words "unlimited freedom", took a deep breath, and looked out across the land imagining what early explorers must have felt when they crossed this way and realizing too that we are explorers ourselves in so many ways.

Farms, cornfields, and lakes from the trail.

The trail is soft grass.

Pipestone quarry.  Our shadows holding hands.

On the other side of the ridge a herd of bison contained by a fence grazed below in an open field.  A woman taking her daily run was silhouetted on the ridge. A rabbit jumped out between rocks as the sun was setting. We set up the tripod and camera on a shelf of flat rock and watched the sun set and the super blood moon appear. We discussed the science of this event, where the little puddles of water came from since we have not had any rain and warnings of the spindly cactus growing along the rock. We took selfies with our remote and tried the popular pose of appearing to hold the moon up in the air with our own hand.

Moon finally comes out after the sun sets below the horizon.

The moon finally appeared as the sun settled under the horizon and it was unusually majestic with an rusty orange glow, effortlessly hanging in the sky.  I practiced taking photos every few seconds with different settings.  I kept having to adjust the tripod because the moon was moving.  Eventually the moon went behind clouds in the darkness creating an eerie night sky.  I saw the beginnings of the eclipse but soon the clouds were too dense to see anything.  We gathered our things and walked by flashlight back to the car avoiding the little water puddles and stumbling hazards.  This was a great evening.

The moon is hard to capture.  A regular small camera only captures a small white dot.  A camera and lens kit such as what I have captures some detail and I was using the far edge of my camera abilities this night.  I feel I am ready for a better, longer reaching lens...  and some more training and practice. Learning and exploring is what makes photography fun.

When the lights go out ...

Did I mention that many people in this area have generators to keep their lights on when the power fails? We do not, of course. Tonight a powerful storm came through blowing limbs and leaves and maybe some hail. I was visiting a friend in our subdivision at the time. My husband was out of town on business and I was alone. Our lights flickered off and did not come back on. I remembered a small flashlight in my purse which we used to navigate out of our neighbor’s house and back to the car. We drove in the rain to our own homes. I lit three decorative soy candles that I saved for such an occasion; then called City Hall to let them know that our neighbor and I were without power. I called and checked on our neighbor to make sure she found flashlights or candles and made sure she was ok.

Now what? I called my husband (as if he could do anything.) Now what? I am alone… and for how long. Now is the time when all those scary movies you watch could take control. Thank goodness, I do not watch scary movies. Although, I did catch my reflection in a glass framed picture as I was coming down the hall holding a candle and just about jumped out of my skin! Hssss! Oops! I stepped on the cat! Sorry!

I like to be productive no matter what the circumstance and if I just wait for the lights, I will start imagining things. So I decided to take pictures… of the candles… of the flames specifically. I practiced with three different lenses, and at different settings, with a support, covering the flash with my hand, no flash, and with the flash. The flame was a glow on most shots. It was pretty, but my goal was to get that flicker. I need to research that. However, at this point and time I do not have Internet. So I think to myself that I do have battery power on this laptop, so I could write about this dark, dark experience.

I hear voices outside, dogs barking, and generators running in different areas of the subdivision (but not at my house). There is thunder and lightning, but the wind and rain has slowed. The flame flickers so silently beside me and smells of Warm Cinnamon Pumpkin...

I have decided that the best way to get the flame on a candle is with my long lens zoomed all the way up close and using the flash. What do you think?

Yet there is something to be said for the glow of a candle flame.

The lights are still out. I will call my neighbor again and check on her. Thanks for listening. I am sure I will be ok. I will play spider solitaire until my battery runs down. Goodnight all.