My husband, Mark, and I, along with our dog, drove to Otter Rock on the Oregon coast over Labor Day weekend. We stayed in a dog-friendly cabin that was clean and comfortable. We arrived on Sunday, midday, and played on the beach. Our dog was so happy! He ran in the waves and down the beach as fast as he could with a huge grin on his face. Our dog, named “Kudo,” is a mix of Pit Bull and Bassett Hound…a most funny looking guy! He has a gigantic head with big ears, and the body of a B. Hound…very short legs included. He’s a hit wherever we take him. People stop in their tracks and exclaim things like, “What is he???” and “May I take a photo to show my wife/husband/coworker/child?”
That first day went well, the bed was comfy, and our dog slept like a baby. The next morning, Labor Day, we drove into downtown to get coffee at the only place in town (other than Mo’s Chowder, a lunch/dinner place). It was only a little after 8am, but we found the coffee place didn’t open until 9am, oy! We knew there were no other options in the tiny town of Otter Rock, Oregon, so we drove down the coast to Newport and found a breakfast place with outdoor seating. We had delicious lattes and omelets, and all was well. We spent the day wandering, both driving and hiking, and bought a whole bunch of smoked salmon, smoked tuna, and shrimp from a seafood stand to have for dinner. Oh it was tender, smoky and delicious! We had lots left over to enjoy the next day and maybe some to take home with us.
We heard from a few different sources that a big “wind event” was coming in later, but didn’t think much of it until we went to bed that night. How the wind did scream and howl all night long! I was conscious of the fact that we were surrounded by forest with very tall fir trees that could come down without warning. After that fitful night, I awoke and noticed that no outside lights seemed to be on, and the lamp by my bedside wouldn’t turn on. Then I peeked out through the curtain. The whole sky was bright orange and the smell of smoke was everywhere. Mark and I decided we needed to get our stuff together and leave as soon as possible. We packed up by flashlight, fed Kudo and drove off through a very dark and smoky town. We were headed north to our home in Camas, Washington, but didn’t get far before we were re-directed south, due to some large trees having fallen across the highway. So, back south to Newport we went, picking up another highway that went east. As we made our way home over the course of many hours, we drove through areas of smoke so thick, it looked like the end of the world!
We arrived home to a yard littered with debris from the wind, the wind still blowing, and lots of smoke. Our house was still standing, which made us feel very lucky. There are so many less fortunate throughout several western states that are suffering losses from a record number of huge wild fires, many of which are still burning. The winds have died down, but the air is still thick with smoke. The folks who monitor unhealthy air particulates have recommended we all stay indoors. We’ve been doing a lot of that anyway, with the global pandemic still going strong.
I hope that the saying is true, “Better days are coming!”