Tuesday, July 31, 2007

The Big Three-Two

Yesterday was my birthday, which based on the phone calls and emails, obviously a lot more people than I thought knew about. Thank you all! Like I responded to a couple of emails, my birthday was spent doing what every person should do: Avoiding work and hitting the beach. To be honest, I felt a little guilty about skipping out on the office, even though I did stop by en route to the coast to check up on things. The remaining Council members seemed to have everything under control...
The 32nd year doesn't quite have the omenous feel that 30 did, but I still have a hard time believing that my college years are nearly a decade gone now.
These photos are form Oswald West State Park, just north of Manzanitas. This was my third trip here. For those of you out-of-state, it is a beautiful park that my photos hardly do justice to. It is also an excellent place to learn to surf. In fact, I haven't learned much on a surfboard since the last time I got out in the water here. It was where I caught my first wave, even if I couldn't stand up for long. If this place doesn't make you proud to be an Oregonian, I don't know what will.
The park is basically a short quarter-mile hike in though some lush temperate coastal rainforest. You soon advance onto a small private beach, maybe one mile long tops, bordered by shear rock cliffs, as my photos testify to. There is camping, but one must reserve a spot with the park months in advance.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Happy Birthday! You chose an ideal place to reconnect with nature and prepare for whatever your 32nd year brings.

Thanks for the commentation on question and answer session.

Dakota said...

Hi, I wasn't around for your birthday, but wanted to wish you a happy day even if it's late.

Chris Mercier said...

Thank you both! Just think, in other 23 years I can get that Elders' pension...

Bill Stephens said...

Happy Belated Birthday. I wish I could have taken a trip the coast to unwind myself.......

Alameda Mommy said...

Happy belated birthday. I turn 32 in January but it sounds like you are taking things much more gracefully than I.