Many of you know that I am a big fan of the writings of Eckhert Tolle. I have awakened to so much about myself by reading his books and studying his teachings of Inner Stillness and The Power of Now. I originally wanted to post about the storm watching opportunities on the Oregon coast this time of year. But after finding and watching this breathtakingly beautiful video of an Oregon coastal storm, I realized that this post is really meant to be about the stillness that comes out of the storm when we allow ourselves to be fully conscious of it.
So I felt that it was appropriate to follow with a wonderful flower meditation video as well. I hope you will pause a moment and enjoy them both and I hope you have a chance to visit the Southern Oregon Coast this winter or sometime soon.
I wanted to share a video that is a bit off the topic that I usually write about, in that it is not specifically about traveling to Southern Oregon coast. (however I did include a wonderful video clip about the Oregon coast at the end of the post). But this post is really about a feeling that has grown in me since I have been spending time on the coast and through the research and experiences I have had while authoring this blog. In light of that idea I have found a wonderful clip on You Tube that I want to share.
It may seem a bit random because it is about horses and the fact that we share higher consciousness with them and all living and non-living things on the planet. And, it is about what we can learn from them.
Eckhart Tolle
I am not sure how I came to find the writings of Eckhart Tolle. Tolle speaks of a spiritual awakening that leads to the realization that we are all connected. By this he means the big WE -- everything on this planet and beyond. I think my visits to Southern Oregon have confirmed that feeling of knowing in me. The wilderness and wildlife that one can experience in southern Oregon confirms for me what Tolle and other spiritual teachers through the ages have been saying. I recommend reading the “Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. Here is a clip of him speaking.
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The Oregon Coast
Since this blog is about southern Oregon here is a stunning photo montage of the Oregon Coast – can you also feel the connection?
I started this post with the intent to talk about the Southern Oregon Coast and to spotlight all the places you can visit if you are interested in whale watching. I do cover that later in the post, including a map provided by Whale Spoken Here a site dedicated to whale watching on the coast. I also will follow this story with a part II since there is so much amazing information and resources about the whales available. What a great way to get your kids interested and involved in saving our planet so we will have a legacy to share!
Before I go on that I would like to share this video:
After watching how alive and intelligent these creatures are, I realized how much I take for granted. I think that it's great to take a vacation and get" in touch" with nature. And I certainly can't deny that one of the reasons that I write this blog is in the hopes that people will want to come and experience Hilltop House and all that the Southern Oregon Coast has to offer. But I can't help thinking, what happens if someday soon, when you come it isn't there anymore? I do believe that when brought into their awareness most people really care about what is happening to the planet and the creatures that share it with us.
So I hope that you won't mind that before providing information about what you can come to see on the Oregon coast; particularly the whales watching opportunities that are available, that I bring some information to your attention. Here is some information I got from the site Whale Spoken Here
Save the Whales - AGAIN!
Apparently the whales are in danger of extinction again due to human greed and the obsessive need to consume and then irresponsibly dispose of things. Here is part of the article I read:
"The Gray Whale was hunted almost to extinction twice: in the 1880s and again in the 1920s. The International Whaling Commission was formed in 1946 by whaling nations, including the United States, to divide the annual catch into national quotas. A massive public outcry (Save the Whales) in the 70s culminated in 1986 when the International Whaling Commission adopted a 10-year moratorium on commercial whaling. All of the endangered whales are internationally protected from commercial harvest, but Japan is leading the demand for a return to commercial whaling and is currently hunting endangered whales even in the International Whale Preserve in Antarctica.
But all whales today face a wide variety of threats, far more than were present in whaling days. They all face severe pollution and degradation of their habitats and destruction of their food sources. Larger, faster, and more plentiful ships cross their migratory routes injuring whales. Each year many whales die as a result of entanglement in fishing gear. Twenty-one countries including England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa oppose Japan’s hunting in the International Whale Preserve."
What We Can All Do To Help
Keep garbage, especially plastics, out of the
ocean.
Pick up litter and put in receptacles
Don’t put paint and hazardous waste down drains
Use non-toxic household cleaners.
Use lawn and garden chemicals sparingly.
Recycle used motor oil and old tires.
Be thoughtful: Reduce - Reuse - Recycle.
Volunteer, Support or Get Involved!
Call or write the president or your congressional representative.
When I began this story I planned to take you up the coast with some general information, hoping to tempt you to want to come to see more. But as I began to research pictures and information, I became mesmerized by all the wonderful things I encountered and decided to slow it down quite a bit and write short posts about things that can be seen and things that can be experienced while driving and visiting the Southern Oregon Coast.
Sea Lions
Sea lions pups are about four feet long at birth and weigh from 40 to 50 pounds. They are slate gray in color for about six months, turn dark brown until approximately two years of age, and they begin to assume the lighter tan color of the adult. They remain with their mothers well over a year and grow rapidly, averaging about six feet long at the end of their first year. The pups continue to grow, perhaps all of their lives, but the growth rate decreases each year.
When you see those innocent eyes you wonder how anyone could possible want to harm them. But there is a war that is raging between the fisherman and the sea lions. Recent scientific studies indicate that fish such as salmon constitute a very minute part of the sea lion diet. Although sea lions are good swimmers, they find it much easier to capture more sluggish victims than game fish. but they have learned to adapt to some very clever ways of stealing fish from game fisherman and this is the cause of all the upheaval.
America’s Wild Rivers Coast is home to Gold Beach and several other coastal towns that I will talk
about in this post. Highway 101 offers 101 miles along the historic Southern Oregon coast. If you venture to Gold Beach you will discover beautiful coastlines, breathtaking natural forests and most importantly some of the last remaining wild rivers in America. I agree with so many others, who have inhabited that area both historically and who live there today that this precious areas must be preserved. The activities that you can enjoy include world-class salmon fishing, numerous hiking trails and historical landmarks at every port. But I hope that if you decide to visit, you will appreciate this natural treasure and treat it with the utmost care and respect. Here is a list of the cities you can visit if you travel up the coast from California.
BROOKINGS
Brookings is the home of the spectacular Salmon Run Golf Course, making the area very popular with golfers, although it is still best known for fishing. With superior weather conditions and many recreational activities available it is easy to see why it is so popular. The rugged Siskiyou Mountains create a series of dramatic rocky headlands and offshore sea stacks. Many of the 80 miles of undeveloped coastline are dedicated as State Parks and all of our offshore islands are part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
GOLD BEACH
Gold Beach (home of Hilltop House) Hilltop House Vacations is an oceanfront community where the famous Rogue River meets the spectacular Pacific. Gold beach is unbeatable for it's lodging with ocean vista views. Hilltop House offers 1000 feet of decking to view the Rogue River and the Pacific Ocean. If you enjoy hiking, the trails are magnificent and provide the best beach access along the Wild Rivers Coast. From May through October, the famous jetboats make their run up into the “wild and scenic” sections of the Rogue and passengers get to enjoy unsurpassed up close and personal views of creatures in teir natural environment, without disturbing the wildlife.
The salmon and steelhead fishing in the area is second to none, and an excellent group of licensed guides are available. Ocean charters for fishing and sightseeing are available on a daily basis with stop-overs at a variety of restaurants with menus to please every appetite. Gold beach visitor's center can provide you with more information and suggest an itinerary. Gold Beach Visitors(See next Friday's post for more information on itineraries).
The mighty Rogue River home of the abundant supply of Coho and Chinook salmon and trout and magnificent wildlife has been the site of many a battle over the years. First it was the struggle between the Native Americans, who inhabited the area for thousands of years and the European settlers who discovered Gold and the lucrative fur trade. Later a battle raged between conservationists and industrialists. Of course violence is never the answer, but once you experience its beauty you realize it is well worth fighting to preserve through more rational and peaceful means.
Author Zane Grey's writings in the 1920s that exalted the river's rugged beauty and bounty of its swift waters, drawing world attention to the river and the region.
Zane Grey (1875-1939) purchased an old mining claim at Winkle Bar, where he went on to write several books. He celebrated the river in both fiction (The Rogue River Feud, 1929) and non-fiction (Tales of Freshwater Fishing, 1909). His cabin, along with Whisky Creek cabin (pictured here) still stand today and are popular attractions for river and wilderness visitors.
An excerpt from Roger Dorband's The Rogue-Portrait of a River:
There is something memorable in the name Zane Grey. Once heard, it is seldom forgotten, just like the name of the southern Oregon river that he loved. Zane Grey and the Rogue River are forever
There is currently more than to be 360 miles to be traveled both in short easy jaunts or in long stretches and much of the trials are along the beach. Abundant native forest plants and wildlife will keep you company while trekking along the hidden hiking trails. Choose to visit high mountain old growth forest trails with ice cold bubbling springs and streams, jewel like mountain lakes, moss and fern covered canyon bottoms or Pacific Ocean vistas with their secluded beaches.
My husband John loves to fish and that's why he purchased Hilltop House as a semi-retirement oasis where he could commune with nature and catch a load of Salmon.
I don't share his enthusiasm for it -- I'm always rooting for the fish. But in this story I'm sure who to root for.
The Rogue River is world famous for Salmon fishing. The spring Salmon run draws anglers from around the globe to Gold Beach for Chinook Salmon, packed with energy from months at sea and ready to put up a big fight. But the fisherman have another fight on their hands. The seals and sea lions that populate the Rogue River bay each summer are well schooled in how simple it is to score an easy salmon meal here.
