Tag: Florence

The Green Land

A western gull (I think) perches on a large boulder in front of a moss-covered cliff on the beach at Heceta Head on the Oregon coast

A western gull (I think) perches on a large boulder in front of a moss-covered cliff on the beach at Heceta Head on the Oregon coast. A stream was flowing between us, emptying into the Pacific just to my right. The rich greens of western Oregon were something to behold, I miss seeing moss growing on the rocks, on the trees, in the grass. I don’t miss seeing it growing on the roof, on the steps, on the car …

Pacific Acorns

Acorn barnacles in the soft orange light of sunset in a tide pool at Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint in Florence, Oregon

I had visited Heceta Head before but spent more time on this visit, photographing birds near the creek and wandering up to the lighthouse. Sadly it was only as the sun began to set over the Pacific that I realized there were tide pools here, in a part of the beach I hadn’t yet explored. I took a few quick pictures in the soft orange light, here of large acorn barnacles, and made a mental note to visit again when the tide was out as photographing tide pools was something I wanted to do more of. Sadly it was my last visit to the coast before we moved so it will be a while before I can visit again.

Preen Before Green

An American crow pauses while preening before moss-covered rocks at Heceta Head on the Oregon coast

An American crow pauses while preening before moss-covered rocks on the beach at Heceta Head on the Oregon coast. It’s a bit bittersweet looking back at the pictures I took a year ago on this wonderful trip as it turned out to be my last visit to the coast, a few weeks later my team got laid off and the wheels were set in motion that led us from Oregon. Someday I’d love to go back, the Oregon coast is so wonderful even I’d consider getting on a plane to visit, but for now my interest is in exploring my new home.

I Don’t Have To Be Tall To Do My Job

The Heceta Head Light on the Oregon coast

I usually think of lighthouses as being tall but perhaps the diminutive Heceta Head Light didn’t need to be as it sits high upon the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean. There isn’t much room between the lighthouse and those cliffs, so photographing it while next to it doesn’t yield the most flattering angle, but it does emphasize the short stature of this beacon of light. You can also see it from both the trail and the beach, and I did mean to photograph it when I got down to the beach near sunset, but the tide was out and I got distracted by tide pools.

As you do.