1st Samuel 16:17
Man looks at the Outward appearance but God looks at the Heart.
This verse has been one Lori and I have based our Photography Ministry on , most often it reminds us to look at people the way God looks at people . but I also believe it has another meaning as well. God sees thing sin whole , often man only sees things in part ...and the part we see is frequently very limited .
As a species we keep insisting that we can do one thing , without fully understanding how tht one thing affects all those other things . As a result we end up with Hydro electric Dams that create energy but destroy vital fish runs , we harvest Huge tracts of Lumber but leave the way prepared for devestating landslides.
Recently I was on the Oregon Coast and I was saddened to see several houses perched on cliff tops that were being consumed by the Ocean . At one time these homes must have seemed very safe and secure ..High above the ocean waves , but all all one would have to so would be take a walk along the beach below the homes to notice the signs of past erosion of the same cliff face .
This is not a new lesson.
Bayocean was a thriving community located in Tillamook County. It was a planned community that its founders T. I Potter and His father Thomas Sr built in the early 1900's . Bayocean was built on a spit of land with the Pacific Ocean to the West and Tillamook Bay to the East . It was only accessible by Steamship and it fast became a luxury residence for the Wealthy of the Pacific Northwest . At a time when Many towns in Oregon lacked Plumbing and electricity , Bay Ocean had both . It even had a road and a garage . The roads dead ended both North and South , so Cars had to be ferried there as well. The resort was founded in 1906 and by 1914 the population was over 2000. The town boasted a dance hall , a movie theater that could hold 1000 people , a covered Swimming pool ( the largest on the west coast ) with even a place for a band to play music as people swam. Also included were a bowling ally , a shooting range , rail systym , four miles of paved streets , tennis courts , a cannery and a Tin Shop. The one thing the Community lacked was a comfortable way for the Steam ship to make it across the Bar that led into the safe harbour . The trip over the bar was very uncomfortable making for more than one queasy stomach . The residents of the community petitioned the Army Corp of Engineers to build a Jetty into the Bay outlet to make the crossing more bearable . The Army Corp Studied the problem and suggested that what was needed were two Jetties one to the North the other to the South . The cost would be just over $2 Million dollars with the residents paying for half of the bill . The residents chose to adapt to a less costly alternative and instead a single Jetty was . Jetty was built at about half the cost . The result was a much smoother ride into the bay. And ....a dramatic change in the erosion of the Sandy Beach protecting the community . Storms immediately began to eat away at the Coast line . In 1932 a winter storm pushed waves into the community and destroyed the Swimming pool . Then over a period of about ten years the took over the entire town . by 1952 the town was an island and in 1970 the last remaining building was washed into the sea . Now all that remains is a sign pointing to the watery grave.
Hopefully we learn from these mistakes . but a drive down the Oregon Coast will see new communities being built on land that is in similar peril.
In 1970 another incident happened that has a similar foundation . It is if you will a whale of a story: On November 12 1970 a 45 foot long Sperm whale beached itself just South of Florence Oregon. It was unable to return to the sea and died on the Beach . The problem what to do with Eight tons of rotting whale meat ? At that time the Oregon beaches were technically part of the Oregon Highway Department . The task of disposing the whale fell up on the Highway engineers. The carcass could not be towed to sea , it was decided that it was too large to be buried . So a plan was put into effect to blow up the whale with dynamite. Apparently the use of a small nuclear weapon was frowned on. The next problem was how much explosive to use ? There were then as now not too many resources available to determine the amount needed to do the Job so a decision was made to err on the side of more is better than less. And even though there was in fact a dynamite expert on site who had been there on a business trip who suggested that the plan might be using a tad bit to much 1000 pounds of Dynamite was shoved into the whales gullet.
word of this soon made the rounds . Residents on the Oregon Coast arrived hours ahead of the demolition complete with picnic baskets , and chairs to watch the show . A news team from Portland's Channel 2 arrived to film the event as well .
In an on camera interview with Katu's Paul Linnman ( Paul and I went to High School together BTW ) Highway engineer George Thornton, said He wasn't sure how much explosives to use but He thought 20 cases should be enough. The Military expert who was at the scene had advised that 20 sticks would be enough , but His advice went unheeded. The expert , Walter Umenhofer did decide to stay and join the growing crowd of onlookers .
The camera rolled as the countdown began . and the Explosion went off without a hitch. It was the after explosion part that created considerable amount of drama. After all what goes up must come down. and down it came ..the Video shows much of the carnage until the point where the camera dropped the camera and ran for His own life . Whale Blubber rained down on the crowd as effortlessly as the Spring rains for the fourth of July parade . only this wasn't a light downpour it was chunks of meat falling from the sky . BIG chunks . Windshields were smashed , many of the crowd were covered in whale blubber ooze , and in a odd coincidence the Newly bought Car of Explosives expert Walter Umenhofer was flattened by a 500 lb chunk of whale . His car which was parked over 300 yards away , was recenly purchased at an Eugene Auto dealership . during ( no kidding ) a whale of a sale promotion . For years the story circulated around the planet , then it disappeared , many thought it was an urban legend . But a film clip surfaced in 1990 and was written about in a column by Dave Berry.
eventually the carcass was buried in the sand . Like Bayocean nothing remains of it today .
Sometimes we think we have the solution to our problems well in hand ..but often our expediency to solve today's problem only ends up with a bigger problem tomorrow .
Man looks at the Outward appearance but God looks at the Heart.
This verse has been one Lori and I have based our Photography Ministry on , most often it reminds us to look at people the way God looks at people . but I also believe it has another meaning as well. God sees thing sin whole , often man only sees things in part ...and the part we see is frequently very limited .
As a species we keep insisting that we can do one thing , without fully understanding how tht one thing affects all those other things . As a result we end up with Hydro electric Dams that create energy but destroy vital fish runs , we harvest Huge tracts of Lumber but leave the way prepared for devestating landslides.
Recently I was on the Oregon Coast and I was saddened to see several houses perched on cliff tops that were being consumed by the Ocean . At one time these homes must have seemed very safe and secure ..High above the ocean waves , but all all one would have to so would be take a walk along the beach below the homes to notice the signs of past erosion of the same cliff face .
This is not a new lesson.
Bayocean was a thriving community located in Tillamook County. It was a planned community that its founders T. I Potter and His father Thomas Sr built in the early 1900's . Bayocean was built on a spit of land with the Pacific Ocean to the West and Tillamook Bay to the East . It was only accessible by Steamship and it fast became a luxury residence for the Wealthy of the Pacific Northwest . At a time when Many towns in Oregon lacked Plumbing and electricity , Bay Ocean had both . It even had a road and a garage . The roads dead ended both North and South , so Cars had to be ferried there as well. The resort was founded in 1906 and by 1914 the population was over 2000. The town boasted a dance hall , a movie theater that could hold 1000 people , a covered Swimming pool ( the largest on the west coast ) with even a place for a band to play music as people swam. Also included were a bowling ally , a shooting range , rail systym , four miles of paved streets , tennis courts , a cannery and a Tin Shop. The one thing the Community lacked was a comfortable way for the Steam ship to make it across the Bar that led into the safe harbour . The trip over the bar was very uncomfortable making for more than one queasy stomach . The residents of the community petitioned the Army Corp of Engineers to build a Jetty into the Bay outlet to make the crossing more bearable . The Army Corp Studied the problem and suggested that what was needed were two Jetties one to the North the other to the South . The cost would be just over $2 Million dollars with the residents paying for half of the bill . The residents chose to adapt to a less costly alternative and instead a single Jetty was . Jetty was built at about half the cost . The result was a much smoother ride into the bay. And ....a dramatic change in the erosion of the Sandy Beach protecting the community . Storms immediately began to eat away at the Coast line . In 1932 a winter storm pushed waves into the community and destroyed the Swimming pool . Then over a period of about ten years the took over the entire town . by 1952 the town was an island and in 1970 the last remaining building was washed into the sea . Now all that remains is a sign pointing to the watery grave.
Hopefully we learn from these mistakes . but a drive down the Oregon Coast will see new communities being built on land that is in similar peril.
In 1970 another incident happened that has a similar foundation . It is if you will a whale of a story: On November 12 1970 a 45 foot long Sperm whale beached itself just South of Florence Oregon. It was unable to return to the sea and died on the Beach . The problem what to do with Eight tons of rotting whale meat ? At that time the Oregon beaches were technically part of the Oregon Highway Department . The task of disposing the whale fell up on the Highway engineers. The carcass could not be towed to sea , it was decided that it was too large to be buried . So a plan was put into effect to blow up the whale with dynamite. Apparently the use of a small nuclear weapon was frowned on. The next problem was how much explosive to use ? There were then as now not too many resources available to determine the amount needed to do the Job so a decision was made to err on the side of more is better than less. And even though there was in fact a dynamite expert on site who had been there on a business trip who suggested that the plan might be using a tad bit to much 1000 pounds of Dynamite was shoved into the whales gullet.
word of this soon made the rounds . Residents on the Oregon Coast arrived hours ahead of the demolition complete with picnic baskets , and chairs to watch the show . A news team from Portland's Channel 2 arrived to film the event as well .
In an on camera interview with Katu's Paul Linnman ( Paul and I went to High School together BTW ) Highway engineer George Thornton, said He wasn't sure how much explosives to use but He thought 20 cases should be enough. The Military expert who was at the scene had advised that 20 sticks would be enough , but His advice went unheeded. The expert , Walter Umenhofer did decide to stay and join the growing crowd of onlookers .
The camera rolled as the countdown began . and the Explosion went off without a hitch. It was the after explosion part that created considerable amount of drama. After all what goes up must come down. and down it came ..the Video shows much of the carnage until the point where the camera dropped the camera and ran for His own life . Whale Blubber rained down on the crowd as effortlessly as the Spring rains for the fourth of July parade . only this wasn't a light downpour it was chunks of meat falling from the sky . BIG chunks . Windshields were smashed , many of the crowd were covered in whale blubber ooze , and in a odd coincidence the Newly bought Car of Explosives expert Walter Umenhofer was flattened by a 500 lb chunk of whale . His car which was parked over 300 yards away , was recenly purchased at an Eugene Auto dealership . during ( no kidding ) a whale of a sale promotion . For years the story circulated around the planet , then it disappeared , many thought it was an urban legend . But a film clip surfaced in 1990 and was written about in a column by Dave Berry.
eventually the carcass was buried in the sand . Like Bayocean nothing remains of it today .
Sometimes we think we have the solution to our problems well in hand ..but often our expediency to solve today's problem only ends up with a bigger problem tomorrow .
