Lots have been happening in our lives along the OR coast this summer. Maybe a future blog will mention some of our travels and adventures. Ahm, the track record for this blog is not exactly very encouraging that any additional information will be forthcoming. Now I've got you hooked.

Yesterday we spent a delightful day with Shannon's cousin Joan and her husband Ron. They made the long, circuitous trip from CO to the coast to see us and catch up on some sights that were on their list and had never been crossed off. Our time with them is always marked by continuous peals of laughter as people around us cast inquiring looks at us and quietly move away. Anyway, it was a good time by all. We got to show them Cape Perpetual and the OR coast, but as typical, the clouds and fog moved in and by the time we were ready to go to the top of the Cape to get a stunning view of the coastline, visibility was down to 3 feet. This is were imagination always comes in handy.

Life along the coast, and it seems anywhere in OR, is filled with thoughts that the big earthquake is overdue. The Cascadia Subduction Zone where tectonic plates meet lies off the coast and runs from northern CA to Alaska. The last big quake was thought to have happened in about 1700. Since smaller quakes to relieve pressure should occur every 100 to 200 years, doing the math tells one that the West Coast is overdue for a large adjustment. A lot of folks have taken earthquake preparedness courses (Kedric and Paul did in Portland), and have stocked up water and food. Even here at the VC at Cape Perpetual there is a tsunami cache of food and water.

As you drive up and down the coast on Hwy 101, most low areas have tsunami warning signs, and all communities along the coast have evacuation plans that go something like this: You have 20 minutes to get to higher ground after a quake hits and before the resulting tsunami hits. Walk as fast as you can uphill, NOW! The VC is 125 feet above sea level, and we are at least another 25 feet above the VC. The most vulnerable will be at 50 feet and below. So, we should be okay when the tsunami hits, but the earthquake will take out much of the infrastructure and we'll be stuck. We're heading to New Mexico SOON.

Included is a picture of Gifford Pinchot and his grizzled sidekick. Gifford visits the Cape couple of times a month. It is always the dream of most foresters to have his picture taken with Gifford Pinchot. I've finally arrived.

And, finally, today we celebrated our 47th anniversary. We went to the movies, had popcorn, some sea food afterwards, and remarked that we never thought 47 years ago that we would be on the OR coast and homeless. Can't wait to see what the next 47 years has to offer.