Orenda Ayashe

Before leaving the gas station I noticed this huge ice cream cone. It reminded me - just that morning I woke from a dream of choosing ice cream flavors from a bin.

This is one of the last DEEP fresh water lakes in the lower 48. Lake Crescent boasts views which bring to mind the worlds of Angels, Wizards and Dragons.

The morning was crisp and after warm coffee, breakfast and a stretch I set off on a hike to Third Beach.

I had a few large mud-puddles to cross, tree-roots to climb and sheer drops to be wary of. EXACTLY what the Soul needs to feel alive again! AND...this is Sasquatch country!

I noticed all of the different types of ferns, trees, wild flowers, mosses and grasses. Being alone in the vast, deep quiet of forest really awakens the senses.

This is one of the views from the end of Third Beach Trail. Unmatched anywhere.

Sunday (April 7) was all about the seagulls and crows! The visitors next door were throwing them breakfast scraps.

This particular gull kept returning to hang out with me on the deck. So I named it after my late Grandma and Uncle whose ashes were brought to these waters.

The sound of waves and seagulls, added to gentle lulling breezes and repetitive patterns of rounded stones, turns a simple walk into a mystical journey- where time no longer exists.

In this special place, one can watch the sun set on the right hand, while the moon's light shines in the ocean on the left.

August 25, 2007 was my first hike alone through the forest to reach the shores of Second Beach.

The hike to Second Beach is one where you realize that yes, you ARE completely alone here. Except for occasional campers, this wild shoreline is (yet) undisturbed by the masses.

Sea Stacks are beautiful, especially on a surf where one can imagine it's unchanged existence through the millenia. What walked here before me?

The clouds rolled into Second Beach as did the tide in late afternoon. This looks like the cover of a book about a mystery at sea!

I was lucky to wake early and enjoy the scent of salt in the wet air. The fog hung above the beach, waiting to unveil the day like a theater curtain opening a show.

Waves say "shhh" and "shush" forever. It's Nature's way of reminding us to BE STILL. STOP, THINK, BREATHE. Be QUIET. Shush.