Dory Boats, Starfish and Ocean Waves

It was our 27th Wedding Anniversary.  For three years we've celebrated our wedding anniversary in Pacific City, Oregon.  This is an enchanted place where just about anything could happen.  We were blessed--the weather was fair, the wind crisp and cool.  Here you see Teacup Rock against a spectacularly blue sky.

One can meet the most interesting people walking along the beach.  I thought this young fellow with that wonderful hat was the very picture of magical quality of our weekend.

There was a minus tide which allowed us to walk along places normally covered by the sea.  In particular I enjoyed the colorful starfish curling into the face of the rocks.

I worked hard to capture the teal green of the ocean when the sun shown through the waves.  I was finally able to capture a sense of that illusive color in this sparkling wave.

Above you see one of the most spectacular and fascinating aspects of Pacific City. Every morning the Dory boats go out to sea.  The Dory is a small, shallow-draft boat with high sides, a flat bottom and sharp bow used in commercial fishing.

The boats take turns coming back to shore.  Around mid-afternoon, there's a blast of horn to warn surfers a boat is coming in.  One can watch a Dory boat gather it's strength to fly at the beach full-tilt--engines are unhinged so when the boat  hits the sand, it slides up out of the water, halfway up the beach.  It is a thrill to watch as they come in one after the other!

We climbed the sand dune, where the pathway branches out along the spine of the cliff.  That's where we found this funny fellow.  I can't figure out if he's just grouchy, or if he's puckering up for a kiss!  I call him the Muffin Man.

While we were sitting together on these cliffs, in the cove just below the Muffin Man we saw a great grey whale!  It is the first time I've seen a whale in real life.  I did not get a good picture of the whale--but the memory was magical. 

This rainbow colored rock wall was just above a cave where the water pounded and sighed.  Up on the curve of the rock, I was sure I could see the outline of a mermaid.  Can you see her?  She's silhouetted against the colors of the rock.

Our 27th Anniversary was absolutely lovely.  We came away with so many wonderful memories--it was REALLY hard to go back home!