Four Days in Grayland

Part I: Southwestern Washington
Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, Long Beach Peninsula, Columbia River
A Traveler's Hypertext Notebooks, Guides, and Resources

Part II: Grayland Beach
A Camper's Hypertext Notebook, Studies, Readings, Activities, Seasons, and Tips 

Part III: Doing and Seeing   
Photographs, Blog Posts, and Reports from 2021-2022  

Part IV: Reflections of a Beachcomber   
Poetry, Short Essays, Commentary, Quotations   

Southwestern Washington

 Grays Harbor

  Willapa Bay

  Long Beach Peninsula

  Lower Columbia River from Ilwaco to Vancouver

  Native Americans in the Area

 

Four Days in Grayland Index

 

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Chapter 57

Dao De Jing, Laozi
Chapter 57

"By uprightness, govern the kingdom.
By rarely using soldiers
And by means of non-administration
Take the world.
By what means do I know this to be so?
By this:
The world greatly shuns and avoids [the poor]
And the people [remain] completely impoverished.
The people greatly sharpen weapons
[And] the kingdom and households grow dark.
The people [become] excessively crafty and clever
[And] strange things start [to happen].
Laws and directives are increasingly promulgated
[And thus] more robbers and thieves exist.
Therefore do the sages say:
I do not administer, and the people change themselves.
I am pleased with stillness, and the people correct themselves.
I do not [meddle in their] affairs, and the people grow rich by themselves.
I do not desire, and the people simplify themselves."
-   Translated by Aalar Fex, Chapter 57   

"Lead by not leading.
Do not script laws and concepts.
Rid yourself of weapons and fears.
Let go of desire and stop valuing items.
Your belly will be full and the grass will be green."
-   Translated by Ray Larose, Chapter 57   

"A realm is governed by ordinary acts,
A battle is governed by extraordinary acts;
The world is governed by no acts at all.
And how do I know?
This is how I know.
Act after act prohibits
Everything but poverty,
Weapon after weapon conquers
Everything but chaos,
Business after business provides
A craze of waste,
Law after law breeds
A multitude of thieves.
Therefore a sensible man says:
If I keep from meddling with people, they take care of themselves,
If I keep from commanding people, they behave themselves,
If I keep from preaching at people, they improve themselves,
If I keep from imposing on people, they become themselves."
-   Translated by Witter Bynner, Chapter 57

"Rule by what is right.
Wage war by clever strategy.
Win the world by being passive.
How do I know?
By this: more restrictions mean weaker people;
more weapons mean a troubled state;
more cunning means many surprises;
more laws mean violators.
Therefore be passive and the people will be peaceful;
be serene and the people will be pricipled;
be reserved and the people will be wealthy;
be selfless and the people will be simple and serene."
-   Translated by Frank Machovec, Chapter 57 

"Honesty governs the empire Cleverness overcomes without weapons Wisdom prevails through non-action.
How do I know this? Because this is how it is:
The more administrations and prohibitions there are the more force and poverty.
The more force and weapons there are the more unrest and resistance.
The more cunning and calculation there are the more craftiness and setbacks.
The more orders are given the more foes of order there are.
Hence the Sage speaks:
I practice non-action and the people do what is right of themselves.
I practice silence and the people calm down.
I practice non-interference and the people attain prosperity.
I practice gentleness and patience and the people attain harmony and simplicity."
-   Translated by Schmidt, Chapter 57  

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

Chapter 57 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

Happy Holidays

In December 2021, I plan to yurt camp for four days at Cape Disappointment State Park, walk more each day, assemble a large cedar pergola behind my house, and join in many holiday festivities.  Here is a repost of blog post of mine from 2020, Vancouver, WA.

Enjoy the many celebrations that center around the Winter Solstice.  Best wishes to everyone.

Merry Christmas, Party at Saturnalia, a Happy New Year, beneficent Yule Celebrations, and more Winter Lore!  

Karen and I enjoy this season.  We decorate a lighted tree, and set out Christmas decorations.  We exchange presents with family and friends.  We prepare special holiday meals: cookies, tamales, Italian dishes, pies.  We light fires in our fireplace.  We play and sing Christmas carols.  Many Pagan and Christian celebrations overlap in America, just like in ancient Rome in 100 CE.  Retails stores and markets are busy and Christmas decorations and colored lights are in evidence everywhere.  

Lately, our typical weather here in Vancouver, Washington, has been 35F low and 48F high, with light rain and fog, and no snow. As for gardening, we bring many frost sensitive potted plants indoors for warmth.  

Yule Celebrations  A hypertext notebook by Mike Garofalo.  

Yule, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Xmas, Saturnalia, Wassail Blot, December 20th - 31st
Festival of the Fires, Feliz Navidad, Birthday of Mithras, New Year Celebrations, Santa Claus, Brumalia, Christmas Eve, Father Christmas, St. Nicholas, Las Posadas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, 2nd Celebration in the NeoPagan Holy Day Annual Cycle or Wiccan Wheel of the Year.


"Reclaim Santa Claus as a Pagan Godform. Today's Santa is a folk figure with multicultural roots. He embodies characteristics of Saturn (Roman agricultural god), Cronos (Greek god, also known as Father Time), the Holly King (Celtic god of the dying year), Father Ice/Grandfather Frost (Russian winter god), Thor (Norse sky god who rides the sky in a chariot drawn by goats), Odin/Wotan (Scandinavian/Teutonic All-Father who rides the sky on an eight-legged horse), Frey (Norse fertility god), and the Tomte (a Norse Land Spirit known for giving gifts to children at this time of year). Santa's reindeer can be viewed as forms of Herne, the Celtic Horned God. Decorate your home with Santa images that reflect His Pagan heritage. Honor the Goddess as Great Mother. Place Pagan Mother Goddess images around your home. You may also want to include one with a Sun child, such as Isis with Horus. Pagan Goddess forms traditionally linked with this time of year include Tonantzin (Native Mexican corn mother), Holda (Teutonic earth goddess of good fortune), Bona Dea (Roman women's goddess of abundance and prophecy), Ops (Roman goddess of plenty), Au Set/Isis (Egyptian/multicultural All Goddess whose worship continued in Christian times under the name Mary), Lucina/St. Lucy (Roman/Swedish goddess/saint of light), and Befana (Italian Witch who gives gifts to children at this season)."
- Selena Fox, Celebrating the Winter Solstice 

"It was the Yuletide, that men call Christmas though they know in their hearts it is older than Bethlehem and Babylon, older than Memphis and mankind."
-  H.P. Lovecraft

Are not costumes so fascinating?
The Ice King and Ice Queen from Russia.

"Before the time of Constantine the ancient world was a virtual cornucopia of different religions and cults that existed all over the Roman Empire and eastward into China and India. As a result of these competing doctrines "when Christianity was only one of several dozen foreign Eastern cults struggling for recognition in Rome, the religious dualism and dogmatic moral teaching of Mithraism set it apart from other sects, creating a stability previously unknown in Roman paganism" (Mithras in the Roman Empire). The striking parallels to Christianity in Mithraism have long been pointed out, for Mithras was said to have been: born of a virgin birth, had twelve followers or disciples, was killed and resurrected, performed miracles, and was known as mankind's savior who was called the light of the world and his virgin birth occurred on December 25. Indeed, the resemblances are so striking in that all of the Christian mysteries were known nearly five hundred years before the birth of Christ that later church fathers claimed that Satan had created all of this prior to Christ's birth so as to confuse the laity. In regard to Mithras Nabaraz wrote: 'According to Persian traditions, the god Mithras was actually incarnated into the human form of the Saviour expected by Zarathustra. Mithras was born of Anahita, an immaculate virgin mother once worshipped as a fertility goddess before the hierarchical reformation. Anahita was said to have conceived the Saviour from the seed of Zarathustra preserved in the waters of Lake Hamun in the Persian province of Sistan. Mithra's ascension to heaven was said to have occurred in 208 B.C., 64 years after his birth. This birth took place in a cave or grotto, where shepherds attended him and regaled him with gifts, at the winter solstice. This is based on an older myth about birth of Mithra, that his magical birth at the dawn of time was from a rock from which he formed himself using his Will. He holds in his hand a dagger and a torch. A statue from Housesteads shows Mithras being born from the rock while the twelve signs of the zodiac surround him, showing his image as a stellar god who rules the cosmos even at his birth. A serpent [is at} times shown to be coiled around…Mithras or [his] birth stone/egg. (Mithras and Mithraism).' "

- Christ, Constantine, Sol Invictus: The Unconquerable Sun By Ralph Monday

Yuletide Customs: Family Gatherings in Oregon and Washington



Thanksgiving Day, 2012, Oregon
Betty Eubanks-Yarber, R.I.P., 2017
Family Gatherings are popular at Yuletide in America, or later at Chinese New Year Week.

2015 Christmas, Oregon

2020 Washington

2020 Washington

Paul Allen Smith

 We have enjoyed watching P. Allen Smith's many television programs that he has hosted.  Many are available on UTube.  There are Facebook and Instagram channels.   

"Paul Allen Smith, Jr. (born March 12, 1960)^[1] is an American television host, garden designer, conservationist, and lifestyle expert. He is the host of three television programs. P. Allen Smith's Garden Home and P. Allen Smith's Garden to Table are distributed to public television by American Public Television.^[2][3] His 30-minute show Garden Style is syndicated by The Television Syndication Company.^[4] Smith is one of America's most recognized gardening and design experts, providing ideas and guidance through multiple media venues. He is the author of the Garden Home series of books published by Clarkson Potter/Random House, including Bringing the Garden Indoors: Container, Crafts and Bouquets for Every Room and the cookbook, Seasonal Recipes from the Garden, inspired by the abundance of food from his farm and a family of cooks. In 2014, Smith's television shows were successful at the Taste Awards with Smith returning to Little Rock with four Taste Awards. In 2015, Smith was inducted into the Taste Hall of Fame for his significant impact in the world of taste and broadcast entertainment.^[5] Garden Home won a 2017 Taste Award for "Best Green or Organic Program".^[6]" 

^{- Wikipedia}

Harvest Blessings to All this Thanksgiving Day!

Happy Thanksgiving Day

(This Post was made in November of 2017.  Families enjoy gathering in the warm kitchen area on cold November days in North America. We look forward to Thanksgiving Day.)

Happy Thanksgiving Day!!

T   hanks for time to be together, turkey, talk, and tangy weather.
H  for harvest stored away, home, and hearth, and holiday.
A  for autumn's frosty art, and abundance in the heart.
N  for neighbors, and November, nice things, new things to remember.
K  for kitchen, kettles' croon, kith and kin expected soon.
S  for sizzles, sights, and sounds, and something special that about.
    That spells THANKS for joy in living and a jolly good Thanksgiving.       
-   Aileen Fisher, All in a Word

"They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty.  For as some were thus employed in affairs abroad, others were exercising in fishing, about cod and bass and other fish, of which they took good store, of which every family had their portion.  All the summer there was no want; and now began to come in store of fowl, as winter approached, of which this place did abound when they came first (but afterward decreased by degrees).  And besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc.  Besides they had about a peck of meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to that proportion.  Which made many afterwards write so largely of their plenty here to their friends in England, which were not feigned but true reports.”-   William Bradford, 1621 

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln, declared the last Thursday of November to be a National Day of Thanksgiving.

November: Quotations, Saying, Poetry

Months and Seasons

Neo-Pagan Holidays

The first photo shows part of our family in 2012, at our home in Red Bluff, on Thanksgiving Day.

Photos of families enjoying a Thanksgiving Day together.  

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Chapter 56

Dao De Jing, Laozi
Chapter 56

"Those who know, do not speak.
Those who speak, do not know.
So shut your mouth
Guard your senses
Blunt your sharpness
Untangle your affairs
Soften your glare
Be one with All dust.
This is the mystery of union.
You cannot approach it Yet you cannot escape it.
You cannot benefit it
Yet you cannot harm it.
You cannot bestow any honor on it
Yet you cannot rob it of its dignity.
That is why the whole Universe reveres it."
-  Translated by John Mabry, Chapter 56


"One who understands won't be willing to use words;
One who uses words won't be willing to understand.
Shut off your dissipation.
Seal up your door.
Harmonize with your brightness.
Adapt to the dust in your life.
Blunt your sharpness.
Untangle your disorder.
This is correctly described as the mystery of putting the pieces together.
Therefore, what can't be obtained and held closely also can't be obtained and cast off.
What can't be obtained and used for profit also can't be obtained and used for harm.
What can't be obtained and valued also can't be obtained and cheapened.
Therefore, every action in the world is precious."
-  Translated by Nina Correa, Chapter 56


"One who knows does not speak,
One who speaks does not know.
Stop the apertures,
Close the door;
Blunt the sharp,
Untie the entangled;
Harmonize the bright,
Make identical the dust.
This is called the mystical identity (hsüan t'ung).
Therefore with this person you cannot get intimate (ch'in),
Cannot get distant,
Cannot benefit,
Cannot harm,
Cannot exalt,
Cannot humiliate.
Therefore such person is the exalted of the world."
-  Translated by Ellen M. Chen, Chapter 56 



知者不言.
言者不知.
塞其兑.
閉其門.
挫其銳.
解其分.
和其光.
同其塵.
是謂玄同.
故不可得而親.
不可得而踈.
不可得而利.
不可得而害.
不可得而貴.
不可得而賤.
故為天下貴. 
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 56 


zhi zhe bu yan.
yan zhe bu zhi.
se qi dui.
bi qi men.
cuo qi rui.
jie qi fen.
he qi guang.
tong qi chen.
shi wei xuan tong.
gu bu ke de er qin.
bu ke de er shu.
bu ke de er li.
bu ke de er hai.
bu ke de er gui.
bu ke de er jian.
gu wei tian xia gui.
-  Pinyin Romanization, Daodejing, Chapter 56  


"Blunt all that is sharp;
Cut all that is divisible;
Blur all that which is brilliant;
Mix with all that is humble as dust;
This is called absolute equality.
Therefore it cannot be made intimate;
Nor can it be alienated.
It cannot be benefited;
Nor can it be harmed.
It cannot be exalted;
Nor can it be debased.
Therefore it is the most valuable thing in the world."
-  Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 56  





"He who knows, speaks not;
He who speaks, knows not.
He closes the mouth,
He shuts the doors of the senses.
He rounds off angles;
He unravels all difficulties.
he harmonizes Light.
He brings men into Unity.
This is called wonderful Unity.
Favour and disgrace do not touch him,
profit and loss do not affect him,
Honour and shame are alike to him,
Therefore he is held in high esteem by all men."
-  Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 56


"El que sabe no habla.
El que habla no sabe.
Habla solo lo necesario,
Controla tus emociones,
Simplifica los problemas,
Deshazte de la confusión,
Atenúa tu resplandor,
Identifícate con el polvo,
Esta es la Misteriosa Totalidad.
Quien ha alcanzado este estado,
No se preocupa por el amor o el odio,
ni por el auge o el fracaso.
A la Misteriosa Totalidad,
No se le puede atraer;
no se le puede rechazar;
no se le puede beneficiar;
no se le puede perjudicar;
no se le puede honrar;
Por eso, es lo máximo que un hombre podrá alcanzar."
-  Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Tao Te Ching, Capítulo 56


"Those who know do not talk.
 Those who talk do not know.

 Stop talking,
 meditate in silence,
 blunt your sharpness,
 release your worries,
 harmonize your inner light,
 and become one with the dust.
 Doing this is the called the dark and mysterious identity.

 Those who have achieved the mysterious identity can not be approached,
      and they can not be alienated.
 They can not be benefited nor harmed.
 They can not be made noble nor to suffer disgrace.
 This makes them the most noble of all under the heavens."
 -  Translated by John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 56  
 

Chapter 56 of the Tao Te Ching

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

English Language Translators' Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

Willapa Hills, Chelais River Valley, Washington

We drove from Twin Harbors State Park on the coast to Raymond, then Pe El, then to Chelais at Interstate 5.  Beautiful lush green farms and many nice homes.  Autumn colors of brown, rust, and yellow.  

Beautiful cloudy morning drive.  Mick drove his Toyota Tundra truck skillfully and safely the entire distance.  It took him 2.5 hours to drive the distance.  

It is 53 miles east from Raymond on the Willapa to Chelais via Washington State Road 6.  Always a pleasure.  

Raymond's many metal sculptures.

Chelais

Centralia and Chelais, Southwestern Washington

Centralia  Population 18,183  Images
On Interstate 5 between Portland and Olympia    WA6 Junction   Timber industry, farming, city, businesses, tourism. 
Centralia is 84 miles south of Seattle.  
Centralia Outlets Shopping     Business Directory

Centralia: Weyerhaeuser Timber Company   The company owns most of the Willapa Hills forests to the west of Centralia.  

Chehalis  Population  7,259   Images   Chehalis is 88 miles north of Portland, and 28 miles south of Olympia. 
On Interstate 5 between Portland and Olympia.  About 12 miles north of the I5/WA12 Junction near Mary's Corner. 
Timber industry, farming, city, businesses, tourism. 

Grand Mond   Great Wolf Lodge and Waterpark

Lucky Eagle Rochester Indian Hotel and Casino 

Chehalis River    Images   Newaukum River

Chehalis Reservation Confederated Tribes

Native Indians of Southwestern Washington

Raymond

Raymond  Population 2,975  Pacific County  WB  Junction of US101, WA 6, and WA 105. 
The largest town on the east side of Willapa Bay and largest city in Pacific County. 
Raymond is 35 miles north of Naselle, 56 miles west of Centralia, and 25 miles south of Aberdeen. 

Raymond Images  WB  

Raymond:  Carriage Museum   Willapa Seaport Museum    Harbor/Docks    Sightseeing    Paddling    

Raymond:  Willapa River  Images   WB  There is a north and south fork of the Willapa River in Raymond.  

Raymond:  Steamboats of Willapa Bay   There is a huge Weyerhaeuser lumber mill in Raymond. 
Many fish canneries are in or near South Bend and Raymond.  There are numerous commercial and public docks in the area. 

Raymond Timberland Library

Raymond:  Willapa Paddle Adventures   Paddling canoes or kayaks on the many Willapa Bay rivers is very popular. 

Raymond:  Willapa Hills State Park Trail   56 miles east to Centralia.  River biking trail from Raymond to South Bend. 

Numerous rusted metal sculptures along the roadway in Raymond.  

Four Days in Grayland
By Michael P. Garofalo

Clam Digging at Twin Harbors

Mick and I spent the whole day at Twin Harbors State Park.  We liked the easy driving access to the sandy beach via Bonge Road.

Mick surf fished and dug clams.  You need to be strong to quickly dig into clam shows.  I helped some with clam digging; but my right shoulder can't work so hard for long.  It was around 55 degrees with an onshore breeze of 10 mph.  It was a 150 yard walk from where vehicles were parked to the digging area.

We both are licensed fishermen.  We dug today and yesterday and found 45 clams.  This season it is a 20 clam limit per licensed fisherman per day.    

Last month, Mick and April and I had no luck in digging up any clams.  

I personally witnessed Mick dig up 20 clams in 40 minutes this afternoon.

Many other people were out digging clams from 2 pm to 7 pm; both today and yesterday..  Low tide was from 5 to 6 pm.  

We drove up to nearby Grayland State Park beaches to surf fish for surf perch.  But no luck.  

We both took long walks in the Shifting Sands Nature Trails in Twin Harbors State Park and along the shoreline.  I did some beachcombing.  

20 clams limit per licensed fisherman per day

We both took long walks on the
Shifting Sands Nature Trails

The campground was nearly empty.
One old guy in his trailer and we in our cabin.
One family came in tonight using a cabin.

Four Days in Grayland
By Michael P. Garofalo

Clam Digging Razor Clams   Washington State Fish and Wildlife 

Clam Digging  Razor Clam Rules and Best Beaches for Digging  

Clam Digging Seasonal Schedule [Sept-Dec 2021]

Clam Digging Tides Grays Harbor

Clam Digging and Crabbing in Washington.  By John A. Johnson.  Adventure North Publishing, 1997, 125 pages.  VSCL. 

Clam Digging and Crabbing in Oregon.  By John A. Johnson.  VSCL.

Clamming in the Pacific Northwest.  By Ken Axt.  Frank Amato, 2016, 88 pages.  VSCL. 

Clam Digging Westport 

Clam Digging Grayland and Twin Harbors   This stretch of beach is referred to in books as the 'Twin Harbors' Beaches. 

Preparing and Cooking Razor Clams

The Secret Life of Clams: The Mysteries and Magic of Our Favorite Shellfish.  By Anthony D. Dredericks.  Skyhorse, 2014, 286 pages.  FVRL

Clam Digging Tools:  Waist waders with attached boots.  Waterproof top as needed.  Waterproof and warm gloves, hat, and warm clothing.  Cylindrical clams digging tube (metal or plastic) and a clam shovel (11'x31").  Headlamps for night clamming.  Mesh basket for holding razor clams.  Snacks in your pocket.  Friends to have fun with at the seashore. Your fishing license in your jacket. 

If you work at shellfishing and have some luck then you will need: A clam opening knife and cutting pad.  Pot in camp big enough to clean and cook clams, oysters, or crabs. 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. 

Twin Harbors State Park, Washington

 We drove from Westport to Aberdeen on SR105.  Sightseeing, Jittery Coffee, and shopping.  

We stopped at a fish market by the bridge east of Westport.  We purchased $12.00 worth of small clams, and other tinned seafood.  We ate ling cod fish and chips at Merinos near the docs.  Dropped off the local history books at the Westport Timberland library.  

Hiking in the Shifting Sands Nature Trails inside Twin Harbors State Park.  

Clam digging from 4:30 to 7 pm.  

Up before daybreak at our wood cabin C3.
Only one other camper in the entire campground. 

Four Days in Grayland
By Michael P. Garofalo

Son and Father Trip to the Beach

 My son, Michael Delmer Garofalo, and I went together to the coast today.  I call him "Mick."
We went clam digging in October, but had no luck whatsoever, nada! Hope we do better at fishing this trip.  

We drove my favorite trip to Twin Harbors State Park: Tour 1 includes photographs and detailed tour guide.  Nice weather all day.

Arrived at our wood cabin, C3, at 5:00 pm.  Only one other person in the entire campsite.  

Four Days in Grayland
By Michael P. Garofalo

String Figures Bibliography

 

Strings on Your Fingers

String Figures, String Tricks, String Catches, Rope and Twine Knots
String and Rope Designs, Knotting, Cat's Cradle Games with String
Northwest American Indian String Figures Research
String Figures and Storytelling Performances by Michael P. Garofalo
Version 3, 2021