Tides and Trees
The beauty of Brookings was palpable.
Forested cliffs
Sea stacks replete with avian life
And framed by frothy waves.
A city of flowers surprised us with winter blooms of all colors
and a reprieve from the rain.
Afternoons at the library provided
friends, art projects, wi-fi for work and school,
and a glimpse of a Samurai Sword.
Day trips across the state line
took us into the forests of giants
where time seems to slow
and silence is weighted with
the wisdom of the ages,
and centuries of sylvan growth.
Our breath hung in the frozen air
when we reached the end of the historic stagecoach trail
and clambered out to get closer,
To touch time
and feel the immensity of
something far bigger than ourselves.
Hearts brimming with the fullness of these days,
We returned to our little home
For a dinner meal & Advent lights.
On the last day of our week in Brookings,
After missing low tide each day,
We descended the cliffs
To discover
A wonderland of tidepools,
some iced over at the edges from the cold,
And ocean treasures,
unearthed and gloriously within reach,
Inviting us
To gawk and touch and dance and see
Riotous beauty
Clinging in silence without complaint,
Delivering an eloquent discourse on community and hope.
"When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you until it seems that you could not hold on for a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time when the tide will turn."
-Harriet Beecher Stowe
