Eric's Beijing Diary

The Oregon coast is the Oregon coast. Too cold for swimming, but for hiking, it's as good as it gets. During the years that I lived in Oregon, I did go swimming in the ocean two or three times.But I was never able to do it without getting an ear infection or a cold. The water is icy. But the Oregon coast is rustic. Lots of interesting rock formations. Weather is predictably unpredictable, so there is never a guarantee of a sunny day. But the coast is mystic and beautiful nonetheless.

When I was a child, we lived about five minutes from the sands of the Japan Sea coast. That was a superb swimming beach. I have never experienced anything like it. Not sure why the waters of the Oregon coast are so cold, because the latitude is pretty close. But, as I said, the Oregon coast is beautiful. There were many times during my youth, that I stood on some rocky prominence at the Oregon coast, and looked out across the ocean toward my home. The words of the prophet always came to mind, "Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn." I looked and looked, but I could never quite see it. As a matter of fact, I left my home when I was thirteen, and did not return for 32 years.