Oregon Trip Blogging #3

Today while Linda ran I got Kobi ready and we took a hike. I followed the road south to the Norton Gulch group tent area and then followed the headwall trail around where I could look out over the ocean, Sunset Bay and also see the Cape Arago Lighthouse. It was a moderate hike, but what made it a bit dangerous was the shear dropoffs the headwall to the shore rocks below. I kept Kobi on lead because he probably would have fallen if he was free to run ahead. Some of the undergrowth actually hung over the edge and if you were to step through it you would just keep on going to the jagged rocks below. The sun was out as we hiked and I took some photos of the rugged shoreline. Once we were away from the headwall areas, I let Kobi run as we returned to the camper to see what Linda wanted to do today.

We made a decision to go into Coos Bay so that Linda could get the cell phone messages her sister had left us earlier in the day. I wanted to up-load more posts and pictures to this blog so we got ready to go as quickly as we could. As it started to rain I grabbed the computer and put it into the Jeep. Kobi watched me load things, and for some reason went into the bushes behind our camp and hid. Linda came out of the camper and called the dog, but he refused to come out. We tried everything, but he just crawled in deeper and lay down. I got the chuck-it out and tossed the ball and he shot out of the hiding spot, but before Linda could grab him he headed back in, carrying the ball. I believe Linda caught him by the tail and he pulled her into the thicket. His hiding place was a wild raspberry patch and Linda was then fighting Kobi and the thorns. She dragged him just enough for me to get a hold of his collar and I immediately lead him to the Jeep. We cannot for the life of us figure out why he does not want to ride in either vehicle. We think he might be getting car sick, but he really shows no signs of illness. We finally got things locked up and everything loaded into the Jeep. I looked at Linda and she had two little blood drops on her cheek. She must have gotten scratched when Kobi tossed her into the briar patch.

We drove into Coos Bay and as soon as we were at the city limits Linda realized that she did not have her cell phone. In all the dog commotion she had left it in the camper. Since this was one of the main reasons for going into the town, we just drove around and looked at the city. We stopped at a Fred Myer and picked up a couple items and then headed back out of town. On the edge of the city we spotted a small coffee shop that had a big “Free WIFI” sign painted in their window. I needed to up-load and check emails so we stopped in. I feel less of a thief if I use a shops free service, then when I sit in my car outside a random location where I can get internet access.

Java Jones, home of “Free WIFI.” We ordered up a coffee and a hot chocolate, bought a muffin and a cookie and sat down to connect to the World Wide Web. First thing my computer asked was for a password. No problem, I just went up and asked the lady at the front. “It’s a secret; well actually it is our phone number.” She passed me a business card and I went back to my seat. I tried the password but it would not work. She came over and said that I had to type in the name of the coffee shop as the log-in and the phone number as the password. Nothing! “Oh, use all small letters for the name!” she said. I tried every combination of their password and business name that I could try. I ate the dry muffin, while Linda ate the mediocre chocolate chip cookie. I still could not get logged into the system! The lady mentioned something about changing providers and disappeared into the back room. I can’t say that I would recommend Java Jones Coffee to any of my friends. I thought that “Free WIFI” meant that we could get on line and get our emails; I guess it meant “Free WIFI” like bumper stickers proclaim “Free Tibet!” We drove down the street and parked outside the bed and breakfast and stole their internet.

The beach at Bastendorff was calling us to play chuck-it with Kobi so we stopped and let him run. No ill effects from the drive, he just takes off and runs after the ball until he can hardly move. Once Kobi had enough we drove back to Sunset Bay and hiked the north headwall trail out to a point where we could see the Cape Arago Lighthouse.

It was a real good hike but the trail went real close to the cliff. Both Linda and I did not like to be that close to the edge, but we kept moving forward. When we got to where we could see the lighthouse, Linda was also able to get cell phone coverage and she called her sister. Our hike accomplished three things, it got me out for exercise, we were able to take pictures of the lighthouse, and we were able to check our cell phones for messages and make calls. Isn’t life just great!

Costco cooked us dinner and we enjoyed the meal while the rain pelted the roof again. We had chicken alfredo and garlic bread. We have the meal at least once a trip because it is so easy and very tasty. After Linda did the dishes we got our rain gear on and headed out to walk the dog. The wind had picked up and it was raining hard, Kobi didn’t care, so off we all went.

The gray sky met the mouth of the bay and only changed a slight shade darker. Waves were crashing the entrance causing white foam to erupt and disappear again. We looked out into the surf and spotted one lone figure standing on a large body surf board. The wetsuit clad man was tall and skinny and used a single bladed, long handled paddle to move himself out into the break. Using the paddle and rotating his body, he would find a wave and position the board so that he could catch his ride and slide gently toward shore. Once he wave lost its strength, he would turn to board and paddle back out where the wave break was most consistent. We watched him ride as Kobi ran along the shore, darkness crept in and we return to the warmth of our camper.