I woke up at 5:30 with a pretty bad headache that first morning in Tillamook. Was probably those coastal smells I was raving about in my last blog post. Guess there's a readjustment period. Makes sense. I'd slept well, though, and the cool foggy morning was the perfect way to begin to reconnect with the Pacific Northwest.
Shortly after six, I heard noises in the kitchen and ventured out of the guest bedroom to investigate. Dave was seated at the table, taking stock of the new day. I settled into a chair in front of the picture window and did the same, as we began another round of too-long-neglected conversation.
Vicki joined us within the hour, then took a few steps back to begin preparing some of the best French toast I've ever eaten! Once we were all fortified for the day's activities, she headed out to pick berries at the neighbor's place - a very Tillamooky thing to do. The climate of Oregon can produce amazing berries of many varieties. In fact, you often have to beat them back from vehicle rights of way, just to maintain access. No joke!
My headache gone, I left Dave at 10:30 and was pulling into my old parking space at work (by the back door) only a few minutes later. That's right. I couldn't believe it was still available, as most of the Department of Forestry staff begin their workday at 6:00 a.m. When Matt (the guy whose desk was closest to mine for years) came out to greet me and take this picture, I figured he must have kept it open somehow!
Many of my old coworkers came out to the back patio to see me, including my direct supervisor, and we all chatted there for a while, before three of my closest friends took me out for lunch at a favorite burger truck on the north side of town.
That's Matt on the left. He can reenact a scene from a movie more accurately and entertainingly than anyone I've ever known. Next is Trevor. One of his claims to fame is surviving the longest Ural sidecar ride I ever gave to a coworker - mostly on rough gravel roads. And he really seemed to enjoy it! Aaron is on the far right. He came to ODF just a month after me - way back in 2006. Before he began accumulating additional responsibilities (i.e. sons), he and I climbed multiple Cascade Range peaks together - including the infamous Mount St. Helens. But that was well after it had blown its top.
Yes - Three Amigos, for sure. And I haven't even attempted to recount any of the crazy work-related adventures we actually got paid for! And yes, our boss, Scott, knows all about them. Well, most of them.
Back at the office, I was able to see another good friend in the breakroom, while she finished her lunch. Debbie would be retiring at the end of the week - the reason I'd absolutely had to make this trip before July. She was called away to deal with an emergency that had just occurred on the forest, so our time was short. But I planned to attend her official send-off the following day. We'd have another chance.
From the breakroom, it was only a short walk to my old department - and then a few steps to my old desk. Yes, I spent 15 years at the same desk. Got a new chair once in that time, though. My replacement was "in the field," as we say, so I took a seat and surprised a couple more coworkers when they came down the hallway and saw me there. That was fun!
I had plans for supper back at my hosts' house and a couple more places I wanted to go first, so I took my leave and headed back out to the patio. But there, I met a few more coworkers and ended up staying until after 4:00.
Once I broke away, I rode out to the small community of Netarts - right on the coast. Kim and I had lived most of our Oregon years there - just seven miles from Tillamook. I climbed the hill to our old neighborhood to check on the house we'd bought and sold. It's the nearest one in the photo. From street level, the environs were not that memorable. But the ocean views from the upper windows were a pleasure that we will always cherish.
This pic shows a lot of the work we did to the front porch and the landscaping between the houses. We hauled a ton of river rock and bark mulch in our five years there! And Kim planted most of the greenery you see. Was nice to see how good it all still looked.
Next, I cruised by the house we'd rented before that. It did not have a view but was closer to the water. The benches in this photo were only a couple minutes walk away. And there's a trail/stairs that go down to the beach from this point. It was our favorite walk to do with our dog Pika.
This is the view to the south. We knew the owner of that hotel and would sometimes encounter him on our walks. The dark distant land jutting out into the sea is Cape Lookout. We hiked to the tip of that a couple of times - but it was not easy. The low rise of green in front of that is the Netarts Bay spit. A state park, it's off-limits to motorized vehicles, but I rode my bicycle out to its point once - and waved at Kim (and probably Pika) who were standing here. Good memories all.
This had also been our favorite point from which to watch New Year's fireworks. Didn't have to worry about parking - just walk out from the house around 11:45 p.m. and fall in with the other locals who were gathering to witness the barrage being launched (impromptu) from the beach below. It was one of the most community affirming celebrations I can remember - in all the places we've ever lived.
Before returning inland, I rode 2.7 miles north along the coast to Oceanside. Much of the route remains within sight of the waves, and I would often tack on those additional miles (out and back) to my ride home from work - just because I could. We'd always known we wouldn't live by the sea forever, so I vowed never to take it for granted. Every time I wound along the top of those bluffs, I thought, "I can't believe I live here!" And I thanked the Lord for planting us in such a spectacularly beautiful place, if only for a season.
But the view pictured above was a bit new to me - from a significantly higher perspective. Before we'd left the area, the road that used to wrap around past the Cape Meares Lighthouse and down to the town of the same name had washed out - and not been repaired in years. But I'd heard that an entirely new road had been built in the three years we'd lived in South Dakota! This one climbs steeply up from the original route and goes over the top of the mountain, before dropping back down to join the old road. Naturally, I had to check it out!
In this photo, I'm parked in a large gravel viewpoint at the top of the initial climb. More earthwork could be done to improve the vista and useability, but maybe that will come later. It's a brand new road, after all.
A few steps past the boulders, and the utilization of my camera's zoom lens produced a more scenic result - but with the obvious downside of not being able to get Ryker into the frame.
I rode all the way over and down the other side - to where it joins with the road along Tillamook Bay. From there, the quickest way "home" would have been to continue southeast. But I wanted to do it again in reverse, so I turned around and went back up! This shot is going down the last pitch toward Oceanside. Afraid I neglected to take any pictures of the northern side - a pity. It's at least as impressive, from an engineering standpoint anyway.
I made it back to Tillamook with just enough time to change and clean up for supper. The majority of the Bible study group Kim and I had been a part of our entire time in Oregon was gathering on a non-scheduled night - just to see me! Vicki had planned the get-together and asked her friend and neighbor to cater for us - and it was incredible!
You know Dave, on the left. Next is Rich. He's the craftsman responsible for all the leather accents on the Ural and now Ryker. Mary Ann is his wife and one of the editors of my second (and hopefully third) book. Jeanie raises Jack Russell terriers and gave me motorcycle gear at one of our first Christmas parties. Her husband, Gregg, is a semi-retired log truck driver and road builder, who worked on many of the State Forest projects I was assigned. That just leaves Vicki and me, on the far right. Being immediately accepted into this close group of locals (and others, not present) is a blessing for which Kim and I will always be grateful! Also of note in the photo is the framed aerial shot of the property, all covered in white ash after the eruption of St. Helens in 1980 - a hundred miles away!
We all had a great time catching up and reminiscing. And they even suffered through a few of my tales from the road. I'm a much better writer than speaker. The evening was over too soon, but not before more Tillamook ice cream was dished out.
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The next morning I slept in til 6:30 and rose feeling much better than I had the previous day. But I was still glad I had 24 more hours before I needed to head back over the mountains to the Dakotas. Ryker is a lot easier to pilot than Ural was but more of a workout than a two-wheeler.
Following another stellar breakfast - this time omelettes - Dave and I went out to the garage to prep the trike for the return trip. We added a splash of oil to the motor and a pound of pressure to each tire, cleaned the windshield, and brushed the dead bugs out of the air intakes and radiator grill. All the chores done, we ambled over to the front porch for some quality sittin' time. Life was good. And we knew it.
We must have had some lunch, but I didn't write it down, so that detail was lost. Probably grazed on left-overs from the night before. Nothin' wrong with that. I left for the office again at half past one and got there in time to reconnect with a few who had retired before I'd left in 2022. I also talked some more with Debbie, whose official, career-capping "shindig" was to begin at 2:00. That's what she'd derisively called it - when she'd basically been forced into it. But it ended up being an honorable and enjoyable way for those she'd positively impacted over the years to say so. She will be missed.
No, she's not dying. But she is moving to northeastern Washington - which is pretty far removed from the Oregon coast. Though not as far as South Dakota.
When the official event had concluded, I accepted Aaron's invitation to follow him home to see his new house, north of town. His wife was still at work, but I got to see his two boys again, who had changed considerably since our last encounter! They all seemed to be enjoying their spot at the edge of the forest now - where there's certainly more room (inside and out) than at their last place.
By the time I'd ridden back into town, many of the shindig attendees had transferred to a nearby restaurant with ample outdoor seating - my favorite kind! I knew I was going back for another of Vicki's incredible meals, though, so I just made the rounds and said my goodbyes - including to the guest of honor. I told them all I was hoping to return in less than three years next time - and with my wife, whom many of them know.
The supper I didn't want to miss was fish tacos and grilled salmon, caught locally - just another aspect of the Tillamook region's bounty. And don't even get me started with fresh tuna and dungeness crab!
I retired to my room a bit early that night, as I wanted to get most of my things packed up before bedtime. My friend Dan, from Portland, called to confirm our plans for brunch. I'd meet him at his place on the south side of the city, and we'd ride from there. I'd be ready.
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