In Newport I enjoyed good weather and got all around town on my bicycle.  I finally connected up with the Yaquina Art Center at Newport's Historic Nye Beach.  I tagged in on three days of classes and met some folks who encouraged my artistic talents. I had my first exposure to water colors and got a lot of pointers from some very talented people.  The next day focused on acrylics and I quickly realized that I need lots of practice blending and mixing the colors.  Don't look for any of my work in any galleries for quite some time.  The third class
was in basic drawing and the instructor, Mari Reed gave me ample, personal attention while seasoned artist, Olga Gribble looked on.  In hindsight, I wish I had gotten to the Art Center sooner so that I could have taken more advantage of the talent and instruction that is offered there.  But I am a traveller and it was time to move on.

On Friday, August 17th I "battened down the hatches" and left my lovely spot at Harbor Village Trailer Park in Newport.  One of the maintenance men saw me packing up and asked, "Where will you be going today?" When I told him, "I'm 'gonna try to make it all the way to Depoe Bay," which is all of about 15 miles north of Newport, he said, "Well ... if you get an early start you just might make it before dark!"

Thus, my slow and easy journey north continued.  One of the ladies in the office at the Harbor Village RV Park called ahead and made arrangements for me to stay at an RV Park which she said was right on the ocean.  The Sea and Surf RV Park was indeed "right on the ocean" and I was lucky enough to get a fantastic site.  The park cascades down from the highway toward the beach in tiers so that many of the sites have wonderful views of the ocean. I was on the second tier (as you can see from the picture) and had an unobstructed,  180° view of the ocean and the beach.  The row of RV's below me was hidden by a low hedge so I wasn't even aware of their presence.

It was a great location and I met many new friends right off the bat.  The first group of people actually turned out to be "dyed-in-the-wool," still active CATHOLICS, and the only drawback was that they left the next day. They were mostly from the Yakima, Washington area. They were replaced by a nice couple from Rancho Cordova, California (near Sacramento).  Earl and Jeannie Johnson were happy to be in a picture of us enjoying the view from the site of my motor home.  Jeannie said, "Will they be able to tell that I don't have my eyebrows on yet?" After I assured here that nobody would notice, they struck a classic pose for the picture.   Earl was a big help to me in working out some of the kinks that always pop up in this kind of mobile living and gave me some pointers about setting up the motor home that I hadn't known.

  I was on a good 'kite-flying' beach and a nice stretch of the highway that was almost level and had a wide, safe shoulder for easy bicycle riding.  It only took me about a half an hour to bike from the park south to "Downtown Depoe Bay." On my way, I stopped at a view point overlooking Boiler Bay and watched about five whales feeding very close to shore.  Of course, I didn't have my camera with me but there weren't any spectacular tail-waving shots, anyway.  Still it was my closest viewing of whales ever.

On Sunday I took the motor cycle out for the fifteen mile trip north to Lincoln City to go to the 11 o'clock Mass at St. Augustine Church.  When I got to the parking lot a lady was getting out of her car and said, "I'm glad I didn't run you off the road when I passed you back there a ways.  I didn't know you were coming to church." She introduced herself and told me to be sure to come to her restaurant in Depoe Bay for "the greatest sea-food around."

Mass at St. Augustine's was swift.  I was told that Fr. Mel Stead promises the folks, "We'll only sing two verses of three songs and you'll be out of here in well under an hour!" He was right on!   "Lag-time" is not part of the liturgy planning at St. Augustine's and I almost got whip-lash going from the sermon to the creed.  Father was talking about the various divisions in families since the day's  Gospel proclaimed: ".... I come to bring fire... And division on the earth..." (Luke 12:49 ff) and then said, "the rest of this gospel is very confusing to me so let's just stand and say, 'I believe in God...'" It was the fastest transition between sermon and Creed that I have ever experienced.  Still, the church was packed with a wide cross section of people, older, younger, families and many visitors and Father stayed outside visiting and meeting folks as they left.

I was gifted with nice, clear, sunny days and took a bike ride to go to "Gracie's Sea Hag Restaurant" in Depoe Bay.  I asked my server if "Gracie" was around and told her to tell her, "The guy you almost ran over on the way to church is here." I was then treated to the "best of Gracie" as she went to the bar, switched on a cassette tape and began a 'one person show' blowing whistles, clanging bells, and making a xylophone out of all the bottles on the shelves.
Every once-in awhile one of the servers would hold up a washboard and bucket which got rhythmic hits while each of us, sitting at the bar, added our own rhythm section using the percussion instruments she had given us earlier. Afterwards, I sat and spoke to this remarkable lady and found that we had a lot of things in common including mutual friends.  If you're ever in Depoe Bay be sure to stop in at "Gracie's Sea-Hag" under the blue awnings and be sure to tell her, "Brother Daniel sent me!"

Towards the end of my stay at the beach the weather turned foul.  Tuesday (8/21) was a great day to stay inside and cuddle up with a good book.  That night the motor home really rocked and rolled with wind and rain pommelling all night.  The next morning, as I was beginning to pack up for my departure, I was treated to yet another LEAK!  This time it appears to be in the roof.  I caught it in time before it became a threat to any of my stored items or books on the shelf above the drivers seat.

My trip from Depoe Bay north to Astoria took me most of the afternoon.  It was raining all the way and visibility was very limited.  I only made one stop, at the "Chinook Winds" at Lincoln City, and can assure you that I didn't have a very good time there.

Now, I'm staying with my sister, Pat, at her place in Warrenton.  She works in Astoria at Columbia Memorial Hospital in the emergency room and I had a tour of the hospital and met ALL the people she works with who all seemed to know of my travels and my upcoming trip to Africa.
  The next day we went out sightseeing and stooped at the Lewis and Clark memorial called, "The Astoria Column.  It only took me a few minutes to get up the 166 steps to the top where I had a spectacular view of the entire mouth of the Columbia River and the surrounding area. Later, as the day was still nice, I got some "goop" and patched up the roof of the motor home.  I hope it works 'cause it's no fun sleeping with one ear open listening for drips.

During the weekend, I'll try to connect up with my 'kite friend' who is at the Kite Festival over in Long Beach, Washington, just across the river. On Monday, I'll continue north and stop to visit friends in Annacortes before getting to Seattle by Labor Day.

From Warrenton, Oregon (near Astoria), I'm still on the road. Friday,
August 24, 2001