Four Days at Grayland Beach

 Four Days in Grayland

By Michael P. Garofalo

 

Four Days in Grayland, Part I    

Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay: A Traveler's Hypertext Notebook and Guide 

Four Days in Grayland, Part II   
Grayland Beach: A Camper's Hypertext Notebook, Studies, and Comments 

Four Days in Grayland, Part III   
Blog posts, reports and photographs from 2021-2022  

Four Days in Grayland, Part IV   
Reflections of a Beachcomber:  Poetry, Short Essays, Commentary   

The Four Days in Grayland Series began in September, 2021.

Grayland Beach, Southwestern Washington

Michael P. Garofalo

At the Quiet Limit

"Tai Chi" means "the Grand Ultimate."  It could refer to the top ridge of a cabin, property surveyors ground markers, or your birth and death dates.  These grand ultimates, limits, boundaries, edges ... are at the quiet limits of our world.  

“The older I get, the more I see there are these crevices in life where things fall in and you just can't reach them to pull them back out. So you can sit next to them and weep or you can get up and move forward. You have to stop worrying about who's not here and start worrying about who is.”
- Alex Witchel

Aging Well: http://www.egreenway.com/reason/aging.htm


"Ay me! ay me! the woods decay and fall;
The vapours weep their burthen to the ground.
Man comes and tills the earth and lies beneath,
And after many a summer dies the swan.
Me only cruel immortality consumes:
I wither slowly in thine arms,
Here at the quiet limit,
Here at the quiet limit of the world.
A white-haired shadow roaming like a dream,
The ever silent spaces of the East.
Far-folded mists, and gleaming halls of morn."
- Alfred Lord Tennyson, Tithonus
Forests and Woods: http://www.gardendigest.com/trees4.htm

Dao De Jing, Laozi, Chapter 29

Dao De Jing, Laozi
Chapter 29

"If any one should wish to get the kingdom for himself, and to effect this by what he does, I see that he will not succeed.
The kingdom is a spirit-like thing, and cannot be got by active doing.
He who would so win it destroys it; he who would hold it in his grasp loses it.
The course and nature of things is such that
What was in front is now behind;
What warmed anon we freezing find.
Strength is of weakness oft the spoil;
The store in ruins mocks our toil.
Hence the sage puts away excessive effort, extravagance, and easy indulgence."
-   Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 29 


"When one desires to take in hand the empire and make it, I see him not succeed.
The empire is a divine vessel which cannot be made.
One who makes it, mars it.
One who takes it, loses it.
And it is said of beings:
Some are obsequious, others move boldly,
Some breathe warmly, others coldly,
Some are strong and others weak,
Some rise proudly, others sneak.
Therefore the holy man abandons excess, he abandons extravagance, he abandons indulgence."
-   Translated by Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki and Paul Carus, 1913, Chapter 29 


"Ambition
Those who wish to change the world
According with their desire
Cannot succeed.

The world is shaped by the Way;
It cannot be shaped by the self.
Trying to change it, you damage it;
Trying to possess it, you lose it.

So some will lead, while others follow.
Some will be warm, others cold
Some will be strong, others weak.
Some will get where they are going
While others fall by the side of the road.

So the sage will be neither wasteful nor violent.
-  Translated by Peter Merel, Chapter 29


"There are those who will conquer the world
 And make of it (what they conceive or desire).
 I see that they will not succeed.
 (For) the world is God's own Vessel
 It cannot be made (by human interference).
 He who makes it spoils it.
 He who holds it loses it.
 For:  Some things go forward,
 Some things follow behind;
 some blow hot,
 And some blow cold;
 Some are strong,
 And some are weak;
 Some may break,
 And some may fall.
 Hence the Sage eschews excess, eschews   extravagance,
 Eschews pride."
 -  Translated by Lin Yutang, Chapter 29 


"If one wants to possess the world and act upon it,
I know that he cannot get it.
The world is a sacred vessel;
It cannot be acted upon.
To act upon it is to destroy it.
To grasp it is to lose it.
Therefore, in all things,
Some lead, some follow,
Some blow warm, some blow cool,
Some are strong, some are weak,
Some destroy, some are destroyed.
Therefore, the sage avoids the extreme,
The extravagant, and the excessive."
-  Translated by Yi Wu, Chapter 29


"He who wants to gain the kingship by force
Can never be successful, I think.
The kingship is so sacred
That cannot be obtained through force.
Those who try to obtain it by force will ruin it;
Those who keep it by force will lose it.
Because things are different:
Some go ahead or follow;
Some breathe gently or hard;
Some are strong or weak;
Some are in safety or in danger.
Hence the sage does away with extremity,
extravagance and excess."-  Translated by Gu Zengkun, Chapter 29   
    

A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters (Verses, Sections) of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes 25 different English language translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 5 Spanish language translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin transliterations (Romanization) of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter, and 2 German and 1 French translation of that Chapter.  Each webpage for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching includes extensive indexing by key words, phrases, and terms for that Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization.  Each webpage on a Chapter of the Daodejing includes recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, a Google Translate drop down menu, and other resources for that Chapter.  These are hypertext documents, and available online under Creative Commons 4.

Chapter 29, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. Complied by Mike Garofalo.

Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

English Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Spanish Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

A Solitary Daoist Neopagan's Final Journey

An Old Philosopher's Notebooks

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons

Autumn Equinox High Day Celebrations

“Mabon, or Autumn Equinox, is named for the Welsh God of the Harvest, Mabon ap Modron (“divine son of the divine mother).  As told in the Mabinogion, Mabon was stolen from his mother three nights after his birth, and swelt in Annwfn (the Underworld) until he was rescued by Culhwch.  Because of his time in the Underworld, Mabon stayed a young man forever, and was equated with the Roman Apollo.  He is the Green Man whose blood is an intoxicating beverage; Dionysos (wine), Osiris (beer), and John Barleycorn (whiskey).  The bay tree is sacred to Mabon as its magickal action is preservation, a time-honored harvest occupation.  Also known as the Harvest Home, Kirn Feast, Mell Day, Ingathering, and Harvest’s Height, this festival commemorates the ritual sacrifice of the God and his descent into the Underworld, and the brewer’s art that produces the sacrament of this season.  In California Wine Country, where we live, it is the festival of the Grape Harvest.  Whiskey, the spirit of the barley, is also readily consumed during this festival.”
-  Oberon and Morning Glory Zell-Ravencraft, Creating Circles and Ceremonies, p. 227

“Your altar is a great place for fruits, such as squash and apples set in an old wooden bowl.  You will also want to add pomegranate, in association with Peresphone.  Decorate your altar with orange, brown and yellow altar cloths and candles.  Arrange colorful autumn leaves and small gourds, nuts, dried corn, seed, acorns, pine cones, etc.  You also might want to add a bowl of water, since autumn is associated with water, emotion, and relationships.”
-  Oberon and Morning Glory Zell-Ravencraft, Creating Circles and Ceremonies, p. 228


Ask yourself these questions in the month of September:
What is your personal harvest from self-improvement resolutions planted last spring?
In what specific and creative ways can you honor the productivity of Mother Earth? 
What is something new that you produced in the last six months?
How can you best celebrate your productive efforts during the year?
How have others helped you to be more creative?
How can you best celebrate the autumnal equinox holiday? 

September: Poems and Quotes

Autumn Equinox, Mabon, Harvest Festival, NeoPagan High Day

 




 

Fishing at Grayland Beach, Washington

Fishing, Surfcasting, Jetty Fishing, Pier Fishing   NS SS  WP  OP  

Fishing  Washington State Fishing Regulations  NS SS

Fishing: The Complete Guide to Surfcasting: Tackle, Technique, Species, Locations and More.  By Joe Cermele.  Burford, 2011, 288 pages.  VSCL. 

Fishing From the Beach

Grayland Beach and Twin Harbors Beach Surf Fishing 

Surf Fishing Grayland Images

Fishing from the North Jetty in Ocean Shores

How to Catch Redtail Surf Perch UTube

11 Best Beaches for Surf Perch Fishing in Washington and Oregon

Redtail Surf Perch - Wikipedia

Westport: Fishing from the South Jetty in Westport. 

Westport: Fishing and crabbing from the Docks, Boardwalks, and Pier at Westport. 

Fishing  My surfcasting rod is an 11 foot Fiblink Surf Spinning Fishing Rod, 4 piece.  Reel: KastKing Sharky Baitfeeder III Spinning Reel.  Line: Kast King Braided line, 30 lib, 327 yards, Moss Green.  Tackle box with surf fishing and jetty fishing gear.  I have a valid current Washington fishing license and shell fishing license.   

Surf fishing for redtail surf perch is supposed to be very good using clam baits on the high tide immediately after the razor clammers have dug at low tide. 

I keep a fairly detailed hypertext notebook on Gray's Harbor and Willapa Bay in Washington State.  Activities at Westport, Twin Harbors, or Grayland Beach (e.g., surf fishing, clam digging, crabbing, jetty fishing, beachcombing, kite flying, pier fishing, camping, walking, reading, nature studies, photography, sit/stare/listen, your favorite hobbies, etc.) are covered in my:

Gray's Harbor and Willapa Bay: A Hypertext Notebook and Guide
By Michael P. Garofalo 

Westport, Washington, Gray's Harbor

Today, the beaches from Westport to Grayland (9 miles) were filled with people digging razor clams.  

From my yurt campsite at the Grayland Beach State Park campground the distance to walk to the surf is about a 2 mile or more round trip over sand.  I was the only person walking.  

I walked out to the surf at 7:30 am this cool morning, 55F light wind.  Surprisingly, the sky was clear blue and cloudless.  Most important, it was a low tide of  -0.2 at 7:30 am.   

I could see about 100 vehicles parked along the shore for about a mile.  Maybe 150 people were clam digging.  Others huddled in chairs around their vehicles and talked, or sat and sipped coffee in their truck, big RV, SUV, or sedan.  

I carefully walked in the digging area.  I watched the people digging up many razor clams - a first for me.  I did not dig - I observed.  

One couple told me they got their limit (15 razor clams per person) in 30 minutes.  Another old man was telling me about clamming at night at low tide at a full moon.  Children talked about how hard it was to get the tube in and out of the wet sand.  People seemed to like to talk.  

Then, while walking the mile back to my yurt campsite I continued my normal nature studies.  

I went back to the beach at around 4 pm.  It was a receding high tide.  

There were only 3 vehicles parked on the same one mile stretch of beach, nobody flying kites, nobody surf fishing, a few people walking - deserted compared to this morning.  

One middle aged lady emerged barefoot from her big RV, walked to the surf, and got wet.  She was thrilled, shouted, and threw her arms in the air.  

I ate a good bowl of clam chowder at Long's Bar and Grill on WA105.  Everything in Grayland is located on WA105.  Some knowledgeable guy at the bar was telling us about how he would grind up the foot of the clam and cook in a flour recipe patty then freeze, and other clam cooking and digging tips.  Some old fellow told me about his USA travels, his Air Force days, his stroke, and his love of Westport.  His wife was very cute and flirty.  Both were drunk, as people often are in bars.  

Yesterday, I enjoyed delicious Portuguese Bella canned smoked sardines in olive oil with fresh French bread.  For me, I have made tasting seafood dishes a regular part of my beach travels experiences.  

I keep a fairly detailed hypertext notebook on Gray's Harbor and Willapa Bay in Washington State.  Activities at Westport, Twin Harbors, or Grayland Beach (e.g., surf fishing, clam digging, crabbing, jetty fishing, beachcombing, kite flying, camping, walking, reading, nature studies, photography, sit/stare/listen, your favorite hobbies, etc.) are covered in my:

Gray's Harbor and Willapa Bay: A Hypertext Notebook and Guide

By Michael P. Garofalo 

Westport South Jetty

Westport docks, boardwalk, and fishing pier.

Surf casting for redtail surf perch.

Here are my notes about Westport and Grayland Beach. 

I am camping at Grayland Beach State Park in a yurt.   

Grayland Beach State Park in Washington

Today, 9/20/2021, I drive from Vancouver to Grayland Beach State Park.  

I will drive from Vancouver to Longview-Kelso on Interstate 5 (50 miles).  Then drive along the Columbia River on WA4 to the Junction with US101 near Naselle (65 miles).  Then drive on US101 to Raymond (45miles), the drive on WA105 to Grayland.  

I enjoyed seeing more of South Bend and Raymond this trip.

I stopped at Nelson's Crab in Tokeland and ate Dungeness crab and French bread for lunch.  I enjoyed the views of Willapa Bay from the Tokeland Marina and Jetty.  I sipped a coffee mocha, and savored the smells of the bay.      

I will be camping at the beach in a yurt campsite for 3 days.  Beautiful dense shore pine forest in this campground.  Most campsites close together in circular arrangement, flat and OK for RVers and trailers, but some campsites are poor for tents.  

I keep a fairly detailed hypertext notebook on Gray's Harbor in Washington State.  Activities at Grayland Beach (e.g., surf fishing, clam digging, crabbing, jetty fishing, beachcombing, kite flying, camping, walking, reading, nature studies, photography, sit/stare/listen, your favorite hobbies, etc.) are covered in my

Gray's Harbor and Willapa Bay: A Hypertext Notebook and Guide
By Michael P. Garofalo

Nature Studies in Gray's Harbor, Willapa Bay, the Olympic Peninsula, and the Pacific Northwest
Useful Books for Your Campsite or Home Study

The Flora and Fauna of the Pacific Northwest.  By Collin Varner.  University of Washington, 2018, 462 pages.  VSCL.  Outstanding photographs, larger size. 

More Northwest Coastal Field Guides

National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Pacific Northwest.  By Peter Alden and Dennis Paulson.  Knopf, 1998, 488 pages.  This is a handy and sturdy field guide for enthusiasts of natural history studies.  I carry in my car along with binoculars, magnifying glass, and supplies in my backpack.  VSCL.   

Natural History of the Pacific Northwest Mountains.  By Daniel Mathews.  Timber Press Field Guide, 2017, Index, 583 pages.  VSCL. 

A Naturalist's Guide to the Hidden World of Pacific Northwest Dunes.  By George Poinar Jr.  Oregon State University, 2016, 288 pages.

The New Beachcomber's Guide to the Pacific Northwest.  By J. Duane Sept.  Harbor Publishing, 2019, 416 pages.  VSCL.   

The Northwest Coast: A Natural History.  By Stewart T. Schultz.  Timber Press, 1990, index, 389 pages.  VSCL. 

The Northwest Coastal Explorer.  By Robert Steelquist.  Timer Press, 2016, 282 pages.  Overview of key features with pictures and text. VSCL.

Plants of the Pacific Northwest.  By Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon.  Partners, 2004, 528 pages. 

Seashore Life of the Northern Pacific Coast: An Illustrated Guide to Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.  By Eugene N. Kozloff.  University of Washington, 1983, 378 pages.  A technical scientific presentation.   VSCL. 

Seashore of the Pacific Northwest.  By Ian Sheldon.  Lone Pine, 1998, 192 pages.  VSCL. 

The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans.  By Cynthia Barnett.  W.W. Norton, 2021, 432 pages.  VSCL.

First Rains of 2021-2022

It began to rain on Saturday and continues to fall today.  Finally!!  We have not had any rain for many months.  We need rain and snow in the Northwest.

Tomorrow, 9/20/2021, I drive from Vancouver to Grayland Beach State Park.  I will be camping at the beach in a yurt for 3 days.  

Lately, lots of reading!  

"Estuaries are a happy land, rich in the continent itself, stirred by the forces of nature
like the soup of a French chef; the home of myriad forms of life from bacteria and
protozoans to grasses and mammals; the nursery, resting place, and refuge of
countless things."
-  Stanely A. Cain

"When you look at that nature world it becomes an icon, it becomes a holy picture that speaks of the origins of the world.  Almost every mythology sees the origins of life coming out of water.  And, curiously, that's true.  It's amusing that the origin of life out of water is in myths and then again, finally, in science, we find the same thing.  It's exactly so."
-   Joseph Campbell, The Hero's Journey, p. 10

Water Quotations

Dao De Jing, Laozi, Chapter 50

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Chapter 50

"From coming out to life to going back to death:
Those companions (t'u) of life,
They are one-third (shih-yu-san);
Those companions of death,
They are one-third;
Those living but moving toward the place of death,
They are also one-third.
Why?
Because of the intense (hou) life-producing activity.
I have heard that one who knows how to nourish life,
On land meets no tigers or wild buffaloes,
In battle needs to wear no armors or weapons,
A wild buffalo has nowhere to butt its horns,
A tiger has nowhere to sink its claws,
A weapon has nowhere to enter its blade.
Why?
Because such a one has no place of death."
-   Translated by Ellen M. Chen, Chapter 50 

"People are born on the Earth and die.
Out of ten about three continue then paradisiacal existence; three go to hell by the path of death; and three yet are those who have not succeeded in the development of soul due to attachments to worldly affairs.
He who mastered the true life when living on the Earth is not afraid of rhinoceros or tigers; in the battle he is not afraid of armed soldiers.
A rhinoceros has no place to plunge its horn into him, a tiger has no place to fasten its claws onto him, soldiers have no place to stab him with swords.
It is so, because to him there is no death."
-   Translated by Vladimir Antonov, Chapter 50  

"The Source gives life and penetrates death.
Life is a companion to the four directions that exist within Heaven, Humanity and Earth.
Death is a companion to the four directions that exist within Heaven, Humanity and Earth.
People are born, live, and die, on earth, also as companions to the four directions that exist within Heaven, Humanity and Earth.
What is the purpose?
To give life.
To give life abundantly.
Indeed, we have heard of people who are good at sustaining life.
On land they travel and do not encounter rhinoceroses.
Tigers enter the battlefield and they do not need to wear armor or carry weapons.
Rhinoceroses have no place to butt with their horns.
Tigers have no place to put their claws.
Soldiers have no place to thrust their blades.
How can this be so?
Because of the not-dying Earth."
-   Translated by Alan Sheets, Chapter 50  

"Men go forth into life, And return in death.
Out of ten men, three prolong their life (through cleanliness), three hasten their death (through their excesses), three compromise their life by the attachment they have to it, (And only one stays alive until his term, because he is not attached to it).
He who is not attached to his life, does not turn aside to avoid an encounter with a rhinoceros or a tiger; he throws himself into the fray without armour or weapons;
And he comes to no harm because he is proof against the rhinoceros horn, the tiger's claws, And weapons of combat.
Why is this? ...
Because, exteriorized through his indifference, death cannot take a hold on him."
-   Translated by Derek Bryce, Chapter 50 

"People born into life enter death.
Constant companion in life
and in death,
this body is the kill-site animating their lives.
And isn't that because
they think life is the fullness of life?
I've heard those who encompass the whole of life
could walk on and on without meeting rhinoceros or tiger,
could charge into armies without feeling shield or sword.
A rhinoceros would find nowhere to gore them,
a tiger nowhere to claw them,
a sword nowhere to slice them.
And isn't that because
for them there's no kill-site?"
-   Translated by David Hinton, Chapter 50 

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu: Introduction, Bibliography, Commentary, Chapter Index  

Chapter 50 of the Dao De Jing by Laozi: Text and Commentaries  

Index of English Language Translators of the Tao Te Ching 

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices  

Chapter and Thematic Index to the Tao Te Ching

Walking on a Foggy Day

Out walking on a foggy late autumn day.
In Red Bluff, CA, 2008.

Ways of Walking

"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go."
- Robert Louis Stevenson, Travels with a Donkey


"For you, as well as I, can open fence doors and walk across America in your own special way. Then we can all discover who our neighbors are."
- Robert Sweetgall, Fitness Walking

"Pointing at the moon,
making a point-
her lovely fingers."
- Mike Garofalo, Above the Fog

“Common sense and good nature will do a lot to make the pilgrimage of life not too difficult”
- William Somerset Maugham

"The fog is rising."
- Emily Dickinson's last words 

Our first morning with fog today, 9/11/2021, in Vancouver, Washington.  

Tai Chi Chuan at Grayland Beach

Want to practice your Taijiquan or Qigong at the Beach?

I will be camping at Grayland Beach State Park in Grayland, Washington, on Monday 9/20, Tuesday 9/21, and Wednesday 9/22, 2021, Yurt 80.    Grayland Beach is about 7 miles south of Westport.  Clamming and surf fishing are options.  

I plan to practice Taijiquan while I am at this beach campground.  

Tai Chi and Chinese Yoga by Michael P. Garofalo. 

I practice the Yang Style of Taijiquan using the Long 108 Form and the Short 24 Form and the Eight Immortals Cane Form. 

I taught yoga, tai chi chuan, and qigong at the Tehama Family Fitness Center in Red Bluff, California, from 2000-2017.  My Qualifications?

Let's walk the tide line at Grayland and talk Taoism.  

Let's sit in the shade of shore pines and savor the sayings of Lao Tzu. 

I keep my notes about traveling in this area in my:
Gray's Harbor and Willapa Bay Hypertext Notebook and Guide

  

Ford Escape, SUV, Titanium Model, AWD, 2018

In February, 2021, we purchased a used 2018 Ford Escape, Titanium Model, SUV, AWD, 4 cylinder, 2.0 L engine, 22-27 mpg.  This SUV had 35,100 miles on its bones and engine.  The 2.0 L Turbocharged engine can put out 245 horsepower.  Reviews?  

The Ford Escape SUV has many safety features and road handling AWD capabilities, and meets all the Washington State emission control and road safety standards of 2018. This model uses a Sony electronic, audio, and communication system.  There is plenty of room in our "new" Ford Escape for loading groceries from the Kroeger Fred Meyer's in the Orchards area.  Or, room for moving gardening supplies and plants, boxes, travel gear, clothing, lunches and coffee, and recreational gear.  This SUV model has new tires, good handling and AWD stability and adaptability, good lights, and is silver in color.  

Nearly all the time there are either one or two persons in this car.  We will not be towing anything, or carrying any gear on the hard top of this Ford Escape vehicle. We two together stay motels, cabins, or hotels.  Besides suitcases, we have a variety of recreational gear (boots, camera, backpack, maps, emergency supplies, raingear, tools, folding chairs, blankets, fishing gear,

backup food and water, backup clothing, toiletries, auto stuff, etc.) to carry on some day trips or overnight trips.  Plenty of room for two travelers!!  

I camp alone using this nifty SUV.  The Ford Escape compact SUV easily holds all tent camping, cooking, supplies, clothing, and recreational gear that one person would need for an outdoor adventure to the coast or Cascades.  

This kind of newer used card should provide good service for our uses for many years in Southwestern Washington, Clark County, Washington.  We have traveled many U. S Interstate  highways and roads, Washington and Oregon State roads, U.S. Forest Service Roads, local Clark County roads and backroads into and through and over the Cascades to the east of Vancouver, WA. This Ford Escape should have plenty of power and safety features for two auto travelers in our typical 200 miles or far less radius of travel from Portland Metro to Olympia and Beyond, from Desert to Mountains to River Valleys to the Pacific Coast at Grayland Beach.  

The River Chanting All Night

chanting canyon streams
by Mike Garofalo

Opening bell
echoes from the canyon walls —
raindrops on the river.

The sounds of rocks bouncing off rocks;
the shadows of trees traced on trees.

I sit, still.
The canyon river chants,
moving mountains.

The sermon spun on the still point:
dropping off eternity, picking up time;
letting go of self, awakened to Mind.

Found in "Above the Fog" by Mike Garofalo
Composed while camping along the Trinity River, California, 2010

A Repost from Cloud Hands Blog post in 2017:

A few weeks ago, I read a 2016 article written by Esther M. Sternberg, M.D., titled Sidewalk Poem.  She relates how she was sitting at an auto repair shop in Tuscon, Arizona.  She took a walk and noticed a short poem carved into the sidewalk:

I sit, still.
The canyon river chants,
moving mountains.
M. P. Garofalo

She says, "I came upon this poem, carved into the sidewalk in the most unlikely place – along a six-lane thoroughfare in the Tucson Foothills, overlooking the city and Tucson Mountains to the south, flanked by the Santa Catalina Mountains to the North."

"What clever person thought to actually impress Garofalo’s poem into concrete, in this completely unlikely spot! The image-shape in that setting did make one sit still – the words took on a whole new meaning, greater than the words would have just on a printed page or screen. It made me look at those mountains, looming above me, to 5000 feet, and think how when the monsoons come, the water courses down these streets, and could take with it some of the mountain’s slopes. It could move mountains, and did, long before the street and shopping malls and bank were built. And it will continue to do so long after they are gone."

Yes, this is what I also have thought before, while camping along the noisy Trinity River in late Spring.  

My hypertext notebooks on Concrete Poetry are unrelated, but coincidentally concrete (in or on) related "art."

 

Sunrise Point, Mt. Ranier National Park

 I drove this morning (9/1/2021) from La Wis Wis north up to the road up to Sunrise Viewpoint and Panther Meadows.  Driving in this heavily forested area within Gifford Pinchot National Forest or Mt. Ranier National Park provides numerous angles from which to see the east and northeast sides of Mt. Ranier (14,411 feet), as well as the deep and darker forested areas. 

A very impressive trip to Sunrise!  Incredible views in all directions, because it was a very clear day.

I drove around in the White River Campground and Ohanapecosh Campground.

White River, Glacial Moraine,
Northeast side of Mt. Ranier

It was a clear day today when I arrived at Sunrise Point.  Magnificent!    

All photographs were taken by me.

Packwood, Washington

Packwood was getting ready for the huge Labor Day Flea Market event.  Hundreds of arts and crafts vendors were setting up their tent stores. 

Thankfully, I was in Packwood well before the Labor Day crowds and event.  It was relatively quiet.  I would not attend the event because of COVID concerns.  

Today, Friday, 9/1, I leave La Wis Wis Campground, and stop for gasoline and coffee in Packwood.  I will to drive up to Windy Ridge at Mt. Saint Helens. 

I stopped at the Iron Horse Campground.  It is 7 miles south from Randle on FR25.  Impressive old growth forest in the campground by the Crispus River. 

  

Windy Ridge, Mt. Saint Helens, Washington

Today, Friday, 9/2/2021, I will drive from Packwood to Randle (15 miles) on Road 12.  Then south on Gifford-Pinchot Forest Road 25, the on to Forest Road 99, and then up to the top of Windy Ridge.  It is 65 miles from Randall to Cougar by Yale Lake.  Forest Road 25 is paved but very rough in many places, so you need to slow down and watch the road.  Then, down Lewisville Highway 503 to my home.  

Enjoy the Mt. Saint Helens Windy Ridge Loop.  This road is dangerous in places - drive slowly.  

Enjoy many Mr. Saint Helen's photographs.  

The logs are still floating in Spirit Lake.

All photographs by me.