I made the long trek to the coast clinic again. The drive always seems shorter on the way over and infinitely longer on the way back. It generally does take much longer driving home. Yesterday was no exception. I hit the Portland area just after 5:00 and once highway 217 met the interstate, traffic stopped dead. For miles then, stop, go a few feet and stop again, went on and on. My brain took me elsewhere, to a beach, warm sun, sound of water lapping. I wasn't there, in the midst of that jam of metal and fumes and stress.
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| There was old snow along the road in the coast range. |
I took Mops, an older black and white male, and Trouble, a young torbi girl, along with me to see the vet.
I had wanted to take Mops in, to the vet, to have his mouth checked, for a year, but he would elude me when I tried to catch him before a clinic trip. Not this time. Years ago, he had 11 bad teeth pulled. Now I feared the rest would need out because he had been pawing at the sides of his mouth and working his jaw. However, he'd ended his mouth problem sort of on his own, I found out, after the day ended and I picked up the cats. He'd lost the teeth bothering him at some point and needed no further mouth care or even cleaning. I was good with that.
Trouble needed updated on vaccines and worming. I hoped, since she's young, she had no tooth issues yet. She didn't, just a bit of tartar.
After I checked in the cats at the clinic, I went out to the south jetty again, one of several beach accesses off a main road, outside Hammond. I park in the lot there, and sometimes nap. There's a restroom too. When the tide isn't in, you can get out to the beach. So I went out and as I came up over the rise to see the ocean, I saw a big bird sitting atop rocks on the jetty. Looked too massive to be a real bald eagle from the distance but it was. They are a common sight in that area, as they are here in the valley.
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| There were the usual assholes on the beach in pickups. I call them the laziest people on earth too. I don't like to see vehicles on the beach. There are plenty of roads and just narrow strips of beach. Can't they at least give it a rest there. |
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| More eagles in Astoria along the Columbia River, but they looked filthy, from mud or oil. |
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| Lots of Sea Lions on the docks. |
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| They have cameras on them now. Many are being branded, literally, with burning irons. |
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| NOAA monitoring station near the lions. |
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| Wetlands near the south jetty. A lot of people were wading through them, even though birds are nesting out there. |
The video shows why we're told to never play on logs in the surf.
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| Mops, none the worse for the wear. |
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Trouble, the youngest cat here at 2.5 years old. Good to go, all updated on everything.
I'm good to go too. I like getting out of town. I'd like it better if I could stay overnight on these trips. Too much driving otherwise for one day. Gas prices are climbing rapidly in Oregon. Over $3 a gallon now, and at the coast, $3.19 most stations. Makes my budget much tighter and I think this might be only the beginning of price inflation for many things.
It's pretty over there. I like the river walkway in Astoria, a path that goes along the river for over 3 miles. I walked a good share of it yesterday too. The city gets jammed up though in the summer and even on spring break with Portland people and many others coming to enjoy the coast or just get away from the rat race for a few days. Oregon has gotten jammed with people, so our roads, getaway spots, even trail heads are often very crowded. |
Well, resting up today, starting a new colony tomorrow, mid size, maybe 15 cats or so.
The Riverside Drive colony cat Black Mama had five kittens a couple days ago. She's up with Animal Rescue and Care Fund. In good hands.
Amazing photos! I get that some folks enjoy driving on sand, but it seems there should be limited spaces designated for it. To find it everywhere must be frustrating. And wading through those nesting areas is insane. I cannot believe it's legal. ~shakes head~ As for kitties, good work, as always. I'm in awe and so happy about the good outcomes. Best wishes on the new project.
ReplyDeleteOn a less industrious but silly, happy note I got to meet two brother of Palaye Royale last night. Also, my niece is on her way home with her parents today (if I didn't already share that with you). Take care, my dear.
I saw that you got to meet them. That's wonderful!
DeleteI always enjoy your trips to the beach and this time was no exception. Pictures are great especially the bald eagles.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteBranded? With hot irons? Hiss and spit.
ReplyDeleteLove the eagles.
Loathe people driving on the beach.
And hooray for another successful vet trip. Isn't it weird the way the trip our and back can feel completely different in length. But it does.
Yeah if they're caught up near the dam after salmon, a staple of their diet so of course they're going to go after them, I think more than twice, don't quote me, because a lady on the docks was trying to tell people watching the lions how they are being treated, then they get the number brand, so they know its a salmon eating culprit. Wouldn't they all be? I think they're going to kill a lot of them, to protect salmon, for the rich salmon fishermen. Sorry, but since they go out on boats, have expensive gear, get expensive licenses, I figure salmon fishermen as rich.
DeleteIts not like the majority of average Oregonians could gear up, get a boat big enough for the Columbia or ocean, get a license and go catch salmon. It's only rich people who can catch and eat salmon here.
DeleteIn the news they're always talking about saving the salmon and the salmon runs but it flies by my head because I think it doesn't affect me and way out of my league of existence. I think of people with fancy hats and fly fishing gear and boats largely, that drifts through my brain but none of it settles because its not my world so I just don't care that much. I know I should but I don't have time.
DeleteOh, how awful! I told myself it was for researching the animals, which is naive wishful thinking. I agree that you don't have time. Also, we have only so much energy for impossible situations. ~hugs~ Thanks for such kind words! The Palaye Royale guys are so genuinely caring. I was tempted to blur out my fat face but, besides blogger Liz A. daring me to share, the guys' own kind discouragement of fans doing that on social media decided me. Hope you're having a great day!
DeleteYes we do waste energy on things we can nothing about. I love the photo of you and the band.
DeleteYou are so sweet! And thanks for kind words on my current endeavor. I can spend joyful hours lost on writing, while your physical efforts blow my mind.
DeleteThanks Darla and I wish you'd publish some of your writing!
Delete"I think they're going to kill a lot of them, to protect salmon, for the rich salmon fishermen."
DeleteI don't have any stats here, Strayer, but I very much doubt that recreational fishermen sitting in a boat with a beer in one hand and a rod and reel in the other take that many salmon compared to commercial fishermen (salmon are America's number one food fish), nor do I know why the sea lions are so abundant. Comorants are said to be another problem. It all comes down to the impact of our species in ways that we often either don't care about, don't anticipate, or both. Native Americans also have a stake in the salmon population, and they continue to eat a lot of salmon despite the fact that salmon have a lot of mercury in their bodies. I love fish, but I try to stick to the smaller fish--like sardines--that don't have such high levels of mercury. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a good source for learning about which fish are best to eat, both for good health and a good environment: https://www.seafoodwatch.org/seafood-recommendations/consumer-guides
The eagle photos are good. There are hundreds, perhaps more, living creatures within the sand at the beach, and they are killed by vehicles driving on the beach. It sounds like your country is the same as ours, overcrowded in the name of prosperity. It seems to be only we older people complain about it so much. Younger people have grown up with it and don't know what it is like to move around freely without crowded roads and cities. Portland seems to be such a desirable place to live. I bet the smell of the sea lions wasn't too good at the docks. Making a conversion, I am shocked that we are paying about $7 per gallon for petrol at the inflated Easter holiday price. That's $5.40 in your money.
ReplyDeleteI know we are lucky to have cheaper petrol than you do there. We hit nearly $4 per gallon a couple of years ago. It's not integrated into the amount of money people make on low wage jobs, higher gas prices, so it hits those with low pay jobs hardest. OUtside of Portland, maybe Eugene, we have little public transit available in Oregon that is practical to use. Something will have to change if prices keep going up. I've been on the beach there when I literally have to watch out for speeding cars and trucks on the sand. I wish they would be banned, for many many reasons. There is no reason for them to be there. Sea lions smell and they make so much noise! It's like one gets into a small tiff with another and they all weigh in on who is right or just to complain.
Delete"It seems to be only we older people complain about it so much."
DeleteI'm struck by this too. All that people worked so hard to bring about in the '60s and '70s has been thrown out the window by a generation that, even when they're in nature, are too absorbed by their "devices" to notice what's in front of them.
"we are paying about $7 per gallon for petrol"
Gas here is cheap enough that millions of Americans have gone back to buying one two two ton extended cab pickups that are so long that they stick out into traffic when they're parked diagonally. A local town (I think it was Bend--in any case it was in eastern Oregon) tried to outlaw them from blocking traffic, but soon backed down, presumably under threat of lawsuits.
I probably haven't been to the Coast in two years or more, which seems a bit odd since I love the ocean so much that I would like to live on the coast, though not in Oregon where, if a sneaker wave didn't wash me out to sea or a quake didn't kill me, a tsunami would; and it would be nice if the water were warm enough that I could wade a little. Anyway, I generally go to the area between Yachats and Florence, and there are NO vehicles on the beach there. Just below Florence, there are ATVs everywhere (I hate those damn things), but nothing is allowed north of Florence, and I don't understand why the situation would be different on the north coast. They spent millions a few years ago to move a ship wreck that I would have considered picturesque, yet they allow ugly-ass 4-Runners!
ReplyDeleteI just set up a recurring donation to the Happy Cat Club. It's for an embarrassingly paltry amount, but I can always give more.But even if I do, the amount I give is so little that I'm embarrassed when you thank me. I love hearing from you, but don't feel that you need to thank me for donating so little for so much. I'm well aware that the work you do is hard, sad, dirty, and, worse yet, endless.
I saw the recurring donation, Snow, thank you! If you knew how broke I usually am you would know no embarrassment for any size donation. I think about the tsunami risks but only at Seaside. That beach is so wide and flat, nobody would stand a chance if one came in, to get to high ground, wherever that might be. I avoid walking the beach there, gives me a creepy feeling.
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