Mount Saint Helens or Bust

After cruising along the Columbia River Gorge and heading into Washington state on our way to my aunt and uncle's house, a mysterious mountain loomed ahead.

Actually, we had to exit and drive a ways first, but then we saw it ... Mount Saint Helens, the stuff from geology class made of legends from the 80s.

It's been over 30 years, and the treeline is still barely starting to recover from the famous volcanic blast.

Here you can see the once snow-capped mountain that blew its top in a nine hour stew of gases and ash. Well, the build up to it lasted much longer, as you can imagine.

Eight foot diameter trees were snapped off their roots and the sound barrier was smothered for 30 miles around. My uncle remembers his apple farm getting covered in ash over 100 miles away, and a visitor from Ohio told me that ash snowed into her pool from that fateful day.

That's one mountain I think I'll skip climbing.

Red Tide at Dawn

 

I went to the coast earlier this week and finally saw the thing I've heard so many talk about. Do you ever think you know something because you hear it so much until you actually see it for yourself and realize you had no idea what you were talking about?

 For me, that was a red tide. This algae bloom was the first I'd seen, and you can see for yourself how it gets its name.

And fishing just a week before showed no trace of it. Even a mass as infinite as the ocean can change quickly.

 The algae blooms are part of the season and provide food for lots of species- just harmful to us if we eat shellfish from the water during a red tide.

 

During my hike with Chuck on a glorious sunny day, we looked out at seal rock to see whales feeding and seals barking their heads off. Here's a little video I shot so you'd get a picture of just how loud those cute little flippery fur-balls really are.

Supermoon 2012

A lovely view enjoyed on the night of the Supermoon from a ridge in Forestville. Even from the perspective of a low-end point-and-shoot camera, the wonder of the moon's luminescence can not be denied. 

Where did you go to see the lunar phenomenon? Did anyone get a view from a telescope?

Poetry for Your Wednesday

From "Diving Into the Wreck" by Adrienne Rich

And now: it is easy to forget
what I came for
among so many who have always
lived here
swaying their crenellated fans
between the reefs
and besides
you breathe differently down here.

I came to explore the wreck.
The words are purposes.
The words are maps.
I came to see the damage that was done
and the treasures that prevail.
I stroke the beam of my lamp
slowly along the flank
of something more permanent
than fish or weed

the thing I came for:
the wreck and not the story of the wreck
the thing itself and not the myth
the drowned face always staring
toward the sun
the evidence of damage
worn by salt and sway into this threadbare beauty
the ribs of the disaster
curving their assertion
among the tentative haunters.

The Horse King

When I set out to Washington a few days ago, it was to take advantage of down time from work and reconnect with family.  It's really become a vision quest.

This is me with one of my new goddesses on the third day of my quest.  

The first day was realized with profound insight from my aunt on who I am and where I fit in with my life and family.  While we met only a year ago at my brother's wedding, it was kismet and we've continued the conversation ever since.

Part 2 was a reiki reading by another goddess.  I'm not going to try to sway the skeptics, I'm just here to heal.  I can just say there is magic in someone being able to read you by concentration before even talking to you.  We give off a light that we each have the power to see, but few can understand.

I've always been a seeker of destiny so today in a cozy yurt, I had my chart read to find some connections in some of the inexplicables of my life.  Divine.  Truth will find its way out and though I've been hearing it a million times, I needed to hear a soothsayer remind me that being my full self and feeling safe is the only way for me to grow and learn.  I got some answers, and now I'm ready to blaze a new trail.

With two of my three goddesses we each drew a card from Wisdom of the Hidden Realms, just for fun as we were saying goodbye.  I drew The Horse King.  I had to share, since The Horse King card is about Assistance and Control, and lines up almost eerily with my road trip.  It reads:

"The Horse King always comes to lend you the power to go the distance, forging ahead whatever the weather.  You will most certainly reach your perfect destination with this noble ally.  He lets you know that some person or circumstance brought through synchronicity will certainly appear to help you with your endeavors.  You aren't meant to go this part of the journey alone.  This is also an important time to delegate authority to others so that they may assist you.  Currently you're magnetic to powerful people who are in a position to help make your dreams come true.  The Horse Kings asks that you remain open to those who are sent to aid you.  You can be assured that you will be lifted up and will ride high in victory."