Remember the part in my last post where I talked about this nice guy from Tennessee (now living in Oregon) who stopped to look at the same trees in the redwood forest where God lives who took a picture of me and Montana? Well, if I forgot to tell you then, I’m tell you now! Well, as I was meandering along, stopping hither, thither and yon and missing turns, lo and behold there is a car in front of me that looks a great deal like his with Oregon tags turning down the same trek I’ve been shooting for the last hour! I’m talking to myself saying, “Naw. Can’t be. This is cosmic or something…but what?” So, there’s this really cool place where we both pull off and I’m determined to see if it is him or not. Yep. It’s the same guy. I say “Hello” and “What are the chances of this happening, like a bazillion to one?” and he just smiles and goes on his way as I do as well.

I’m now thinking Celestine Prophecy and start wondering what the message is as I keep driving ahead of him now. Next think I know, he’s passing me from the opposite direction on a road that is a one-lane dirt road. Third time is a charm or just another coincidence? We’ll never know because that’s where it stopped.

But it’s also where I totally came unglued. Still don’t know what charged the eruption other than the horrific loss of my gypsy belly dancing opera singing best friend daughter and how she was supposed to make this trip with me this summer but why at this moment. And maybe the lack of sunlight for the last few days. But why at this place? I’ve held it together so many weeks. Was it because I’d finally made it back after fifteen years of longing to see this beautiful place again and to show her?

Sorry, I digress but it’s what I do best these days.

So, back to the yellow brick road story. This road I was taking this afternoon was called Prairie Trail because it was used by the settlers on their wagons as they settled the west and, when you think about it, most of our major highways and byways are animal trails followed by Native Americans followed by settlers now permanently carved into history with asphalt.

OOPS. Did it again, didn’t I?

I finally screamed and cried enough out to settle back down to driving the redwood forest back toward Crescent City as I’d strayed about 35 miles south to Klamath where Prairie Trail Redwood Forest is located.

I’d been told earlier today that the drive up Pebble Beach Road was pretty awesome in Crescent City so I followed my normally straight nose down a very crooked path but ended up getting where I wanted to be…driving up the coast toward the city’s first lighthouse about six miles off shore. See, the coast is so riddled with huge, hidden boulders that the lighthouse needs to be six miles away to warn sailors of their impending doom! There’s also a smaller, closer version (probably for looks) near where I ate dinner.

BUT, before I even get back to Crescent City, on Hwy. 101, cars are pulling off the road like crazy! Then a pack of motorcyclist pull off like an emergency vehicle is coming from outer space because I can’t see why they’re doing this. People are walking into the right-of-way! Then, I see it!

A MOOSE IS CAUSING THIS TRAFFIC JAM? REALLY? These crazy people are just a few feet away from this male moose who is horny and hungry! They obviously didn’t read the precautionary information about wild animals! LOL

Now for the journey down Pebble Beach Road:

And the Crescent City Lighthouse on the Bay (not the one six miles out):

As I drove back toward the heart of Crescent City I realized I hadn’t eaten since those pancakes this morning and all I could think about was finding descent seafood. There, in her front yard, was a woman about my age. I pull over and introduced myself and she directed me to eat at the Chart Room off Anchor Way at Crescent City Harbor. It was a lovely Mom and Pop restaurant with reasonable portions for reasonable prices and well prepared food. For dessert, I had seal. “What,” you say?

This is what I had for dessert!

The whole time I’m seated at the table either waiting for food or enjoying it, I’m thinking about seeing a sunset not even noticing out in the water is a floating dock full of seals! I overhear one of the waitresses saying they’re quite lazy and wait for the fishermen to come in and throw food overboard. What a life! I just had to take Montana (who had been patiently waiting in the truck while I ate) down to see them! She shivered like she’d just seen that moose again! Poor dog. I’ve tortured her terribly on this trip. She didn’t really like sitting down on that damp ground in front of all those redwoods today either. I’ll have to give her some of my pancakes in the morning to make up for it.

Well, that’s it for today except I won’t be using this method of posting again. It’s queer.

Happy Trails!