Our oldest daughter lives with her family in home they call Salty Cove on the north coast region of Oregon. Holly lives there with her husband Jesse and their children Aiden Redemption and Bella Allene. Holly is due to deliver another child in November, a boy, they believe.
Traditional houses in this region are sided with cedar shingles and trimmed in white. Their home is a modern ranch in the same tradition. It is set back just off iconic highway 101 which runs up the Pacific coast from Los Angelas to Olympia, Washington. Parts of the highway are designated a scenic byway including the section that passes Salty Cove.
Just on the other side of Highway 101 is Del Ray Beach. You can drive out onto the beach and bike or hike or run or walk or even drive up and down the vast beach there for miles. Looking south you see the dark silhouettes of mountains in the distance along the picturesque coastline.
Each morning I try to get up first and drive to the beach for a walk along the ocean. Yesterday all along the walk there was a beautiful fragrance in the air, maybe lavender growing in the wide band seagrass growing on the dunes between the beautiful beach homes and the sand.
It’s a vast place and solitary. Still you will see a man walking a dog, a woman on a morning run, a lone cyclist rolling along the beach. Birds run in and out with the tide. There is a constant roar of the waves foaming white.
We have been here three days, each a mix of sun and cool gray mist. It’s a delightful place to walk. I usually pair it with a robust black Americano, strong and smooth and rich to the last sip. It’s a little pricey but, heh, the customer service is tops at Brew 22 and I’m on vacation.
Our son-in-law has been traveling for work and he got home in the night. We will enjoy the long Memorial Day weekend all together on the coast. Today the plan is e-bikes over in Washington coast just beyond the Columbia River. The trail follows the coast to a couple stunning lighthouses with views of the sea and the mouth of the river. You can count on pictures of that.
Holly was raised in a large family in very modest homes, parsonages, or simple homes we rented or leased from others. She waited for her turn in the bath. She was happy but our lives were very simple. She and her husband work hard and they are blessed. God has been very kind to them. You wonder where God will lead each of your children and what their lives will be like. To visit their home and see their life, their work and their church does a dad’s heart good.
Salty Cove | Gearhart, Oregon
May 27, 2023
Your grandies are precious little people, and I’m delighted that another one is on the way in December! What a wonderful Christmas gift for the family! God bless you all.
Sandi, always good to hear from you. Hope you are enjoying your summer.