August 27: So Blessed!
I know my life is blessed indeed if I can be just as excited about being home as I am about being on the road. Today was my first day off since returning to West Linn five days ago and what a great day on the bike it turned out to be – a delicious lunch at my favorite bakery and stunning views of the Oregon coast followed by dinner with my son and a movie with popcorn. Woohoo!
I felt a palpable sense of delightful anticipation as I headed south towards Creswell this morning. The bacon ciabatta breakfast sandwich there is made with home cured bacon cooked just to my liking and includes locally made Tillamook Cheese on top of a just-out-of-the-oven roll covered with delicious oozing runny egg. I always order it with a side of butter so I can taste the bread better. Walking in the doors of the bakery and being recognized and welcomed by the staff was almost as wonderful as sitting in the sun at the picnic table savoring every bite of my delicious food. What better way to top it off than with a mouth-watering fruit tart with fresh blueberries and strawberries inside a perfectly crisp almond and sugar shell. Yum!
After thoroughly enjoying my meal, I headed west on backroads to territorial highway and then highway 126 towards Florence. I love the twists and turns on this road as it weaves through forests and then follows the Siuslaw River into town. I am a sucker for tree canopies and loved twisting and turning around curves, under trees, and through tunnels of sun and sky.
Heading north on highway 101, I was struck with a sense of joy and peace seeing the familiar rippling waves of the Pacific Ocean as it lapped up on the soft sandy beaches and rugged rocky outcroppings. Behind me, sand dunes and green-covered rolling hills rippled in the distance while seagulls flew overhead. I laughed with happiness as I soared high in the sky, crossing Alsea Bay and Yaquina Bay by bridge on my way north.
Although every ocean in beautiful in its own way, I am particularly enamored with the Oregon coastline. Having traveled along coastlines in Alaska, Canada, France, and the Eastern United States this summer, I have an even greater appreciation for the accessibility and preservation of our coastline. As I sped north today, I felt so fortunate to have so many unobstructed views of the stunning beaches, cliffs, and oceans as well as numerous pull-outs to enjoy them. Heading east at Newport I had plenty of time to think thoughts of gratitude, sing, and pray.
Arriving home around dinner time, I was delighted my son accepted my invitation to join me for dinner at the Duck House in downtown Portland. The Chinese food there is the some of the best in the country and we both thoroughly enjoyed our homemade pork wontons with chili oil, fresh and tender lamb with green onions, and moist and flavorful twice cooked pork belly. Having been away from my favorite eateries for so long I was especially grateful for the meal.
What better way to top off dinner than by eating freshly made popcorn topped with real butter and salt while watching a movie? Life is so good!
