Oregon Coast

With the Pacific Ocean on my right, I drove down to Gold Beach to be on a jury, this week, traveling on a winding road that slows down to twenty miles per hour even on a good day. Whatever was on my mind disappeared as surf, sand, stacks, and mountains came in and out of sight, as the land curved, dropped and jutted out. This stretch of the coast from Port Orford to Brookings is God's country. It is the reason we moved here from California.

More than once, I pulled over, allowing others to pass me, while I breathed deeply and marvelled at the way each mile surprises the senses. The surf was high and few boats were on the water.

The fisherman who was on the jury with us talked about how difficult it is to make a good living as a commercial fisherman these days. A young woman had to line up four different people to take care of her sick child. An entire company shut down because the key people had been called to serve on the jury.

One learns how the rest of the world lives, how our lives are both similar and different. What we all shouted about? How beautiful Oregon is and how lucky we are in this corner of Paradise.