It Gets Better

Newport found us feeling torn. We need to push to get south before the weather changes for good, but we needed a little break, a few repairs, and wanted some family and friends to come for a visit while we were still within driving distance. We squeezed in our work and a little play and said a few last goodbyes. A good friend came to visit, brought us bread and butter and took us to lunch and the grocery store. We had a day of eating and playing with my family and jokingly celebrated Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and the 4th of July. Hannah preemptively pinched everyone who wasn’t wearing green and we sang Christmas carols in the Mo’s parking lot until much too late.

We spent a couple of nights in the ocean, and I came up on watch Monday morning just in time to see the sun rise. Clouds extended off to the north and sun shone bright off to the south. The dividing line was sharp and appeared just over the Oregon/California border, as if the strength of sunny California could overcome even the mighty power of Oregon’s gray weather.


Crescent City, CA was a delightful stop. The marina is still under major reconstruction after the 2011 tsunami, so we anchored out in the bay and rowed (and rowed and rowed) into shore. We spent 2 nights and a couple of beautiful, sunny days running errands and exploring the town.



In the evening, the tide was low enough to walk over to Battery Point Lighthouse, a privately owned lighthouse near the entrance to the bay. We’d motored past it the day before, but it was fun to see the sea from the other direction, without having to worry about all the rocks and sea stacks that necessitated the lighthouse’s placement.



We still have miles to go to get clear of the impending autumn weather, but getting to California feels like a good start. And taking a day or 2 to explore the novelty and beauty of new places sure helps shift the balance of frustration and joy back in the right direction.