Moored to the Room

Yesterday was a little on the grey and gloomy side of Oregon we haven't
had too many days like that here . We have been very well blessed with the
weather . Bob and i drove into the nearby town of Newport , to sample some of
the local coffee . To be honest its kinda hard to get my head around ordering a
double Latte in a hard core commercial fishing town . ( foam optional ). I
spent a few minutes getting some test shots of the local fishing fleet . At
least the boats that were not fishing . I Hope to be able to go back when the
day is a little brighter and get some photos of the hard working boats and crews
of the Oregon Fishing fleet .

For the most part we simply stayed in the house watched the drizzle , and
did this odd thing called relaxing ...it was good .

We had a Left over buffet , which included , spare ribs , Pot roast ,
Spaghetti, Hash Brown casserole and one solitary piece of pizza , not sure who
ended up with that .. and the buffet was good .

I reminisced about our child hood Bob for the most part just nodded . His
memories and mine don't always agree ...but a good time was had by all .

Lori and I watched part of the Grammies , before we went to bed , saw
Jennifer Hudson's stunning and heartfelt tribute to Whitney Houston a great set
by Sir Paul McCartney , and something that I am not sure what it was by a new
artist whose performance was so horrid I immediately for got her name . I am
generally quite liberal and flexible when it comes to Art , but this was
.....horrid .

Another blessed day ,,,,,

Sunday Morning new day same headland to the South

It is a quiet Sunday here on the central Oregon Coast . I think both Lori
and I are missing some of our friends and our Church family back in Nashville .
Its been a difficult few days for them . The Lord has called the Sister of one
dear friend home , and has called the beloved wife of another home . We are
saddened by these losses , and yet we know both are with Him in Heaven . And
yet we feel loss.

We are at the mid point of our stay , and i am still puzzling over what
this stay means for me. Where is it leading me ? What is this connection I
seem to have with the Ocean , especially the Oregon Coast. I have spent time
here reexamining my child hood and my friendships . I have connected so much
of who I am to this place where I grew up .

I am finding myself inspired to ponder but I do not know what I should be
pondering . I have come to the conclusion that each wave I see is part of Gods
plan . Not only the Wave but each particle of the wave is precisely where God
intends it to be . The purpose , the direction , the velocity of each wave is
perfectly sculpted by God , and likewise I believe I am as well .

When you see the waves arrive ...it is their arrival that makes the impact
, the how and why they began their journey is an academic exercise that has no
bearing on their destination ...and their destination , their arrival is not and
end unto itself . All this the waves the erosion the thinking the reminiscing
...is moving me on my own Journey .

I am left between the past and the future in the place we call now . and
Now is a moving target . the Now of my existence when I typed above is gone it
is past .

All terribly confusing especially if I believe it is up to me to sort it
all out . But what if I am part of a plan , what if it is God who is working
in me and has been working in this body I call me from the beginning of time ?

Improbable ? Perhaps ..but then again I have breathed the air that
Abraham Breathed , I have been washed in the water that Jesus was baptized in.
i have eaten food that has been nourished by the desiccation of animals long
thought to be extinct .

As the Teacher said "there is nothing new under the sun" . and as the
Poet said " I am stardust " and as the Bible says " In Him all things hold
together " He is in all and through all .

Its a quiet Sunday here on the beach , my Brother and His wife are with us
. Lori across the table from me is working on her projects tapping gently on a
laptop . Bob is sitting at the couch absorbed in some correspondence he is
working on , Susan is in the Kitchen perfecting pork soup .

It is noontime here ....in Nashville our friends are just winding up lunch
after church in Smyrna . There announcements were made about memorials and
funerals . Praise was offered freely and lavishly to the Lord who sends the
waves landing squarely in front of the rental house we are in .

The waves press forward and in time will impact those who live thousands of
miles away where there is no ocean shoreline . This beach is held in the Grasp
and will of its ocean boundary , and I am held in the Grasp and the will of the
One who made it all ...

Its a quiet Sunday here on the Beach .

This Week in Photos : Facebook Gallery :

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Held by Mercy

Yesterday was probably the worst weather day we have had on our stay here
at the beach , a steady rain , drizzle , mist , for most of the day . We were
expecting my Brother and His wife . They had landed Portland late Thursday
night and would drive down to the beach to stay a few days with us .

Lori and I caught up some on our various projects . Lori on her photos and
files , and scrapbooking. and I continued to work on photos I have been taking
. Outside we could hear the constant sound of the ocean . It was one of those
wonderful relaxing days at the beach.

Bob and Susan were able to sleep in after a long flight from Hawaii , and
started heading down to our rental in the afternoon. There was a brief sun
break just at High tide so I went out looking for photo opportunities.

Stopping in Depoe bay I noticed several people gathered around the seawall
watching the waves misting over the highway . Took some photos of them and
noticed that the waves were really wild ...I drove down to the point I had
located to try once again for the perfect wave shot .

When we were in St Paul I had bought a raincoat for the camera . this
device allows you to shoot in wet weather with a certain amount of confidence
you will not ruin the camera . Salt water is not the best friend to digital
Cameras . The camera raincoat fits the entire camera . there are two places for
your hands to be snuggled into which can be cinched up for even more security.
the only part of the camera exposed to the elements is the lens . Which if you
have a lens hood stays pretty dry , but in heavy weather you do need to keep a
towel handy to wipe off the lens as well . This was a day to use the Camera
raincoat . The wind was driving a fine mist , and the spray from the waves
assault on the rocks back toward my vantage point .

I was not alone , three men had made their way out to the rocks as well .
One of whom for a while stood atop the rock that was being washed over , several
times the waves broke over His head , and He disappeared in foam and spray. Not
a safe place to be he soon retreated from his perch , and joined his friends .

The Ocean can do that to you , the power and danger of the waves attracts
people like the Moth to the flame ...

After several minutes I left ...time to return home and see if our Guests
were near . Lori and I had time to take a nap ...and around 5 pm Bob and
Susan arrived . As they arrived the sun finally broke through the clouds and we
were rewarded with a beautiful sunset to celebrate their arrival ...it was
delightful , after we all stood on the deck and enjoyed the ending day
masterpiece we dined on Pizza and fresh salad . It was another good day
!

The Wave

Most of my day yesterday was consumed by trying to get the " perfect shot "
in this case the perfect shot was one of the Ocean waves breaking over the
basalt remnants that dot the Oregon Coast . The particular remnant I was
concentrating on was just off Yaquina head . IN the late spring this rock is
home to thousands of nesting birds , my guess it is about 70 to 80 feet high .
It is solid basalt a very hard and dense volcanic rock.
The winter storms take this rock and the many more like it on with a
relentless fury . The waves batter the rock , often the spray from the waves
completely cover it as the broken wave travels over the crest of the rock.

Watching it all its is pretty impressive : but what is Impressive to my
eyes ..sometimes has difficulty being translated to photography. There are
issues of scale , of contrast , speed , and light to overcome .

One of the major issues is that of scale . if you do not have something
that helps the viewer understand the immensity of these waves ..its hard for the
viewer to grasp the whole story :

For instance here is a photo of Tillamook light house being overwhelmed by
a wave ....but with out the light house in the photo it is hard to get the idea
of how big the wave is . Not taken by me .

The other issue is contrast ..black rocks and white waves are something our
eyes can easily see , but the camera has trouble contrasting the two , in
variably you either get a good exposure of the rock with the wave all blown out
and just a white blur , or the waves in sharp relief , and just a dark
silhouette of the rock
I had chosen a good vantage point , and the waves were cooperating .
Several other people were there with me , they were watching for whales , three
graduate students of the Oregon State Marine Biology Department ..were there
counting whales . There was a steady wind but no rain . I Must have stayed in
that location for several hours . You can watch the waves come in and see the
pattern , usually seven large waves will come in one after another then there is
a lull and then the pattern repeats itself ,. If the tide is coming in as it
was the waves get bigger with each new series . The waves do not come in from
the same direction , the angle of the wave seems to vary , and I could not
discern this pattern , so of the seven waves perhaps one or two would be
perfectly lined up with the rock.
My shots were definitely getting better , but still limited by the
limitations of photography ...
I found myself asking God to teach me something about Himself as I was
standing there ...in time God said " put your camera down ".

I like that about God He gets straight to the point . Here I was trying
to perfect a shot of a wave that God had been perfecting since the foundation
of time .

I wonder where does art cross the line between exaltation of God and His
Majesty and self love and ego ?

For me I have learned from Photography what a wonderful gift God has given
us of our eyes . Our eyes are so incredible . Cameras and lenses by comparison
are not nearly as efficient as our eyes ..Photography is a relatively new art
form . Perhaps no more than 150 years old . Painting has been around a lot
longer ..Long enough for painters to understand that what they are doing is
simply creating an impression of what they are seeing ...Photography still
struggles with the balance between faithful representation of the subject and
impressionistic or even romanticize representation for the subject . As an Art
form it more than likely is too new to fully understand its place in the world
of art .

I Know for me I loive to share with others what I have seen and enjoyed
myself . I try not to become the focus of the praise but rather the conduit of
the praise ..but Praise has a way of creating its own addiction . I know i need
to refocus . My photography should not be to exhalt myself , it should be to
remind me and others of what a wonderful God we serve . Easy to write this
...difficult to achieve .

Dear Lord , I Pray that I should always keep my art in perspective , that
what I do should be to your honor and glory , not mine . That I should seek to
remind myself daily how bless I am that you reveal to me on a daily basis your
creation, your artistry, your passion and your diversity ...Amen

The rest of the afternoon Lori and I spent some time together we went into
Lincoln City did some tourist type stuff. Stopped off at the super market .
Returned home where Lori prepared another wonderful meal :
Baked pork chops , with apple nut chutney , Broiled Asparagus and baked
potato.....was wonderful , another pleasant day on the Coast . .

Jane left yesterday ..we had a pleasant morning of conversation , then went
out to lunch at one of our favorite Restaurant's in Depoe bay called the Sea Hag
. By the time we got to Depoe Bay the tide was almost fully in , the sea was
still unsettled from a low pressure disturbance off to the West and the waves
were hitting the seawall in front of the Downtown area and some waves were
misting over the highway . Quite a sight . The restaurant is quite popular but
this time of the year ...its pretty easy to get seated , we had a window view of
the bay . Lori and I had our favorites Clam Strips and fries , and Jane opted
for the Fish and Chips ( Cod ). We like the Sea Hag because the food is fresh ,
it is well prepared , the Clam strips are full size strips of clams gently fried
.
We said our goodbyes on Highway 101 with the crashing surf in the
background ..and a light mist hovering around our heads . I had planned to go
straight home but the sight of those breakers ..made my shutter finger itch and
Lori accompanied me to an overlook where I left the care and hiked to a vantage
point,
The breaker shots are very difficult for me. The biggest issue is the
contrast . The camera has difficulty knowing what to expose for , the white of
the wave or the dark mass of lava rock the wave is beating against .
I find the best solution is to expose for the wave , the rocks look like a
black mass , but the waves are seen in much better detail .
I am very grateful for the time available and locations available to
continue to work on this ...type of shot.
I only stayed for a few minutes , but Lori suggested I simply take her back
to the house and come back ...the temptation was too great so I did just that
.
It was pretty cool, standing on the rocks watching the waves roll in
...makes you feel kinda small.
I stayed for about an hour , returned home . Lori was working on dinner ,
she has been cooking a lot in the house ..and she cooks very well . Last night
was Spaghetti, meat sauce and mushrooms with tossed green salad and cheesecake
for desert . we watched the waves for a little bit , enjoyed the ships out on
the sea ..with their bright lights visible on the horizon and then spent some
time watching TV.
It was a very enjoyable day .....

Resting

Yesterday was a very pleasant day , our friend Jane from Bend Oregon Drove
down to the Coast to visit with us and spend the night . I have know Jane since
the 1980's we did Theater together in Bend and Sisters . Was fun visiting with
her ...

The weather here has turned a little to the stormy side , not bad , but
definitly gray and drizzly . I woulld be disappointed if we didn't have this
kind of weather . This is the Oregon Coast as well .

The Ocean swells are more pronounced , the surf looks rugged . Spent some
time photographing the storm surges against the rocks . So far both me and the
cameras have stayed dry .

Been thinking a lot about the Creation and about the Ocean , what is it
that draws us to the waves , and what is it that seems to mesmerize us as we
watch them ?

For me it seems as if I am catching a glimpse of the Hem of Eternity
....working it all out , or trying too , the next few days look like perfect
time for contemplation and reflection.

Lori has been catching up with her projects, her scrapbook and her own
photo files .

Peaceful day ahead ....

Converstations with God

Yesterday both Lori and I spent time exploring our " Neighborhood " Low
tide was around 5:30 PM. Both of us spent time on the beach , but we spent it
on different beaches . Lori took a walk along the beach facing the House .
This beach is sandy , withy little or no obstructions . Sand curving gently
into the surf , perfect for long walks , and in the summer for racing along
playing tag with the waves. Later that night Lori showed me some of her photos
from her walk , they were wonderful , I was envious of her captures , she really
did a great Job of capturing the movement the beauty and the color of the day as
it gave way to night.

Lori posted some of her photos to Facebook and with one she wrote a caption
I would like to share:

When I get to heaven:

Me - "God,do you remember that perfect day when it was just you and me on
the beach?

"God - "Yes, dear one.

"Me - "Thank you again. My heart cried,you know.

"God - "I know."

Lovely !
and so straight from the heart . Loris Love of God , her Love of friends and
me testifies daily to me of Gods great love for us . I do so much Love that
about her.

As Lori was walking on the beach in front of our Rental . I was a few Miles to the
South , Scrambling over rocks and Seaweed , taking photos of fossils and living
sea creatures in the exposed rocks of Fogarty Beach . This is an amazing beach
, Mudstone has been exposed and eroded ..forming complex and intricate designs
in the rocks . Usually underwater , at very low tide the rocks are exposed .
revealing Starfish , Sun Star fish , Chitons , and assorted Mollusks .

The footing is difficult , made even more challenging by the various forms of
seaweed and grasses growing on the rocks . each step is carefully measured not
only for footing , but to avoid damage to the creatures clinging to the rocks .
There is a community sharing these mudstone condos . A diverse community. It
is also a community of the nitty gritty , each creature is some other creatures
meal . even the rocks themselves are not immune , several forms of life
actually eat into the rocks , not just for shelter but for the organic compounds
found in the mudstone .

Along this particular beach there are the exposed shells of fossils from long ago
time . and evidence of continuing erosion on the Cliffs and Headlands . Since i
have been coming to this beach I suspect the land has lost 10 to 15 feet to the
Ocean waves . Several houses perched on the cliffs are now dangerously close to
the edge . You can see more evidence of attempts to keep the ocean at bay , but
more than likely in time these houses will , fall in to the sea .

I had a wonderful time , avoided falling into the ocean , stayed dry , and brought
home lots of photos ..but my best , my most precious memory of this day will be
Lori's photos ....and that wonderful dialogue between her and God .

Photo by Lori Stilger :