Sowing the seeds of Nurture Culture

I’ve been working on my business development skills lately. Trying to create sales funnels, and learn about marketing platforms but honestly today my heart just isn’t in it. Two young children were swept off a local beach a few days ago and neither of them survived. There was an abnormally large tide coupled with 20’ waves pounding the north coast and I, along with many others went down to see it in action. The ocean is a majestic thing when it’s pitching its full weight against the offshore rocks and sending spray hundreds of feet into the air. It’s not a mystery why people went down to see it. What is a mystery is why I felt called to go to that specific beach at that moment. It’s not beach I normally go to walk our dog Rosco and I had actually just taken him on good long walk a bit further south in Oswald West State park. So why when I got back in my car did I have the notion to drive north and down to a winding, pot holed filled road along the ocean? I told myself it would be fun to get a different view of the ocean from there. What I got a view of was lined up rescue vehicles and a helicopter making low and slow sweeps in circles searching the churning white capped surf.

It made me stop and become aware of the tragedy taking place. At the same time I was happily just walking my dog a few miles away, another person’s world was being torn apart.

I drove home not knowing what had happened exactly but knowing that someone had very likely died that day and my heart was heavy. Later I found out it was a 4 year old and 7 year old with their father who had been swept in by a sneaker wave. He survived and the kids did not. Now how does one even begin to cope with such trauma? And if losing your children wasn’t bad enough you get to live, and then relive, that horrifying moment the rest of your life. How do you move on?

I keep on wondering why I ended up there. Maybe it was just a coincidence but I tend to not believe much in those anymore. As I watched the news of the tragedy unfold and spread throughout our coastal community online there arose in people anger and judgement towards the father. “How could he be so stupid” “Didn’t he see the danger signs?” Of course there also many voices of sadness and grief as well. And at first I was shocked to read what felt like mean spirited and heartless attacks on this poor man who had just experience the death of his children. I found myself being angry and judgemental about people being angry and judgemental.

Then as I sat with it some more, my heart spoke up. This is what it said:

“You were brought to bear witness that day to understand that life is precious and that life is fragile. The children that died were innocent and lost into the ocean’s arms. The grief and sadness in those swells released waves of emotion pent up in many people, so can you see how death became a healer in disguise? It is in these times that we reveal our shadows and the heart’s hidden pain. The choice to be in the heart is everyday and the path forward for humanity is to honor the reality that is life. Nothing is permanent, all that rises will pass away again and again. The lesson for you is to let go of fear and to see the fullness of living. The earth desperately needs the human heart to engage with it. Speak the words of peace and love. This will align you more and more with your light and power. Move forward in love. The truth is everywhere written in the living earth.”

That conversation with my heart lead me back to a concept that I was first introduced to by my friend (and amazing heart centered being) Iris Sullivan Daire (dreambirdstudio.com). “Nurture Culture” she called it. It is her vision of how she moves in the world creating art and healing with plant magic in the form of natural dyes and weavings. I immediately felt my heart respond when she said Nurture Culture in a way that happens when the brain gets an “aha!” moment- but this time that “aha!” was coming from my chest. It was as if the big picture that my heart and brain both needed to contain all the crazy ideas, projects, businesses and gardens that I keep creating and knocking down and creating again finally had a name.

In American Culture I often feel like a failure because I keep not arriving at the places we have all been told we are meant to go. Nurture Culture helped me realize that I wasn’t arriving mainly because I’ve been on a path towards a different destination all along. When I found a name for it I then realized it isn’t actually a place to go but a releasing of many layers of enculturated fear, shame, judgement and anger. It is putting the heart in the driver’s seat and using the brain as a helpful (if not always correct) navigation system.

In a Nurture Culture I wonder how we would respond to an event like a tragic accidental loss of young children in our community? In a Nurture Culture I wonder if we would know the ways to feel and express our grief without the need to make it right or wrong? In a Nurture Culture I wonder how we would treat the ocean differently and if we could honor the life within it as much as ours on land?

I don’t have the answers for anyone but myself. Each heart has a different journey and voice to express. If I have one purpose I am aware of it’s to hold space for others to connect with their own hearts. I believe in doing so we will heal, envision and create a future for generations to come that looks very different than the reality we find ourselves in today. One of peace, balance, health and love.

I guess that’s why I found myself at that beach a few days ago. To remind me that the time to create this Nurture Culture vision is now. Life is short and hearts all around me are in need. Let everything I do be a seed towards this vision. Let it help me see grief disguised as anger. Let these children’s deaths not be for nothing. Let this heart breaking moment be a gift that offers us our grief as a healer, unifier and inspiration to love even more.

Cultivating the Well Life Garden. New Year, New Approach.

Journaling the in the Well Life Garden at the I AM retreat held in August of 2019 at North Fork 53 Retreat Center. Photo credit to Danika Lynn at https://danikalynn.com

How do we cultivate a well life? The life we really want. Not what we hope to find time for after we do all the other things- but a full experience of living in alignment with our joy and seeing our dreams become reality.

The disconnect between the life we want to have and the life we find ourselves working our butts off in comes back to haunt us around the New Year. We ask ourselves how is it possible that I worked so hard all last year and I’m still not any closer to: writing that book, or saving that money, or having time for my own self? We resolve to do it better this time. And, if you’re anything like me, as soon as I resolve to “do it better”, I can already feel a bit of my inner child in rebellion. “I can’t work any harder” she yells. “Don’t tell me I can’t eat sugar!” and with her resistance engaged the resolution starts to lose momentum. I end up breaking the resolution (usually by the end of January) because I am just punishing myself rather than stepping back and looking at where I actually want to go.

The truth is, no one teaches us how to live a well life. We are taught many things in school but there are no classes on how to listen to your inner guidance, passion or calling. There are no classes on how to create a life goal and then create a balanced plan to take steps towards achieving it. Most of us just do what we saw our parents do (good or bad) and then try to stumble through life working hard and hoping for the best. The messaging in the culture is “get a job. work hard. be good. and maybe someday you can retire and enjoy yourself.” All the while we are bombarded with advertising assuring us that “You’re not doing it right. You should be doing it so much better. You’re not thin/rich/smart/cool/powerful/unique enough.. but if you buy x,y,z..”

Sound familiar? It’s the water we swim in and many of us don’t realize there is any other option.

That’s why I was so excited to find well life coaching by Brianna Borton at The DragonTree last year. I didn’t really know what well life coaching was except I felt “You can’t be doing life right” if you need a coach. I used to laugh about people getting life coaches- “I mean I’ve made it this far alive without one…” haha. .

Then I looked into it more and I realized that it was exactly what I was wanting and needing. Even though from the outside my life looked fairly harmonious and abundant, in the background I was running myself ragged and felt overwhelmed. The harder I worked the more I felt like there was always something more, something I was missing. I wanted to make the world a better place. I wanted to feel more alive and energetic. I wanted to have time to be more creative and to play instead of waking up each day feeling like I was just slowly chipping away at a never ending to do list of work. So this year I’m excited to share with you some of what made last year a game changer for me.

2020 isn’t just a new decade- it’s a new approach to life that is designed to reclaim my time, energy and money for the things that I care about the most. Life doesn’t have to wait for retirement. The old stories of this culture are crumbling before our eyes like the tower card in the tarot. Our opportunity now is to sow the seeds of a new culture of nurturing and life in its place. I like to call it “Growing the Well Life Garden”.

Being an organic farmer for over 10 years I tend to think in terms of growing and harvesting when it comes to life and work. No matter what what you do for a living though, you will find that following nature’s rhythm feels much better than the fast pace created by the human mind and technology. In January the earth is quite cold and sleepy in the Northern Hemisphere. The garden work is mostly in the planning stages; selecting what seeds to grow this year, inventorying your supplies, deciding on how much to grow and making a design on paper for the where, when and how it will happen. When growing a well life garden you will find most of the planning applies quite the same.

Start by setting aside some time to do the planning. (I suggest an hour or two to start) and write this time on your calendar so that you keep this important date with yourself. When your planning date arrives, get to a quiet place with a cup of tea and a notebook or journal.

Well Life Inpsiration happens at North Fork 53 through retreats like “I AM” women’s empowerment gathering. Check out Ciara and Abby’s offerings at https://www.iamalliance.me for future dates. Photo credit to Danika Lynn at https://danikalynn.com

First take a look at what you grew last year (or decade) in your life and reflect upon this in your journal.

1. What projects/accomplishments/relationships etc. were the blue ribbon winners- the ones you the most proud of and why? What about them felt good to you? What lessons did you learn from these wins and what do you want to remember moving forward?

2. What did you do that you would like to throw in the compost? What ended up taking more money, time and energy than it was worth? What happened to make it feel that way and how could you do it differently- if at all in the future?

3. What are you willing to let go of? What are some things you don’t need to replant this year- or need to pull out to make room for new ideas and growth. This can be old goals, job descriptions/titles, expectations from others, “I should or I need to” projects and ideas that keep not getting done and maybe just don’t make sense for you any longer or aren’t true to your heart.

4. Are there any resentments/upsets or old baggage you are hanging onto? Is there anyone you need to forgive (including yourself?)

5. Just let all this pour out onto paper. Then go back in and circle or highlight the things that are the really important ones and ask yourself what qualities do these things share- good or bad- that are calling for their release or for more focus in the year and decade ahead.

6. See if you can pick out your top 3 goals for this year and write them down. Ask yourself: Why are each of these goals important to you?Who do you need to become in order to bring each of these goals to life? What character traits, habits, or skills do you need to develop to accomplish these goals? What would life look like if these goals were the main focus of your time, energy and money?

   This kind of journaling exercise is a great way to start the planning for your 2020 Well Life Garden. Planning is a key part of getting what you want in life because if you don’t know where you want to go— how will you know if you get there or not? Most of us can identify that we want things to be different in our lives but we can’t really describe how our ideal life would look. This could be a result of a long habit of not listening to our own needs and desires and instead proving to ourselves that we can be the best at giving others what they want or need. Women especially are conditioned to this and so when we finally are confronted with what we want our garden to grow (just for us, based on what we want, love and feel joyful about) we feel guilty about claiming it or we really have no idea because no one has ever asked us before. If you can find your top three goals or seeds that you are excited about growing this year you are well on your way to making a beautiful garden.

   Tune in to my next blog for more Well Life Garden Planning for 2020 and please comment below with your questions, ideas, goals and things you are composting. It’s so inspirational to grow our well lives together- by doing so I believe we can seed a new culture that can heal the planet and nurture our spirits for many generations to come.

Feel the Green Sting of Heavy Nettles!

Dancing with the Season

Spring is the best season to start anything. The energy of the Earth is supporting new beginnings of all kinds. We can use all that winter compost and the breakdown /breakthroughs of 2020 to fertilize the next steps for abundant health at all levels.

Even if you don't believe you can change- you can't help but be amazed at all the changes nature shows us in the spring! If a bare tree can suddenly be full of beautiful blossoming energy- so can we!  I want to share with you my favorite spring plant ally in sourcing the energy that so many of us feel is lacking to break the cycles of self judgement and fear. I will be using plants as guides to self care medicine this year. As a farmer I work with lots of plants- I mostly have spent time pampering the domesticated veggies but some of the most powerful healing energies in my field are actually the weeds! 

Weeds are Magic!

The war on weeds in farmer's fields reminds me of the war we wage on our bodies. Weeds are really nothing more than the Earth trying to protect and care for her own skin. She covers bare ground with the weeds that spread out like band aids and keep soil from eroding. She replenishes her mineral content with weeds that tap into root energy and bring those nutrients up to the surface. She nourishes her bees with lovely flowering weeds that burst into pollen early in the season. Because we are a part of the Earth our own body's self care is intertwined with the seasonal medicine of the Earth as well. In spring we find the Earth offering us the most potent spring tonics for deep cleansing and strength. 

Energy for Days- Stinging Nettle

I wanted to focus on a plant that is a remedy for some of our shared struggles that were expressed after the last post's shout out. Feeling tired, low self worth, fear of failure, lack of abundance and general stress and anxiety.

Stinging Nettles growing in profusion! This is not me but an image from another herbalist

Stinging Nettle is a powerful spring medicine. Many people consider it a noxious weed but I am joyous whenever I find some growing wild by a river bank. It's like finding a free source of energy. I am slightly anemic so I begin to crave the high iron content of spring nettles after a long winter of eating storage squash and potatoes. The deep green plants are the one of the best sources of calcium and iron for our bodies. You can find nettle patches growing all over Oregon in the spring. If you are in doubt just touch the stem and the "sting" you will feel will instantly verify their name. They are also easy to grow in your garden and I have my own patch that I harvest from as well as going on nettle finding missions in wet spots near running water (under Alder trees and near old homesteads are great bets!) If you can't find fresh nettles use dried ones or a nettle tincture from the natural foods store!

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) packs more stimulating energy than sugar or even coffee, and without the downside of feeling jittery!  According to herbalist Susan Weed; "Nettles are rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, especially the critical trace minerals: anti-cancer selenium, immune-enhancing sulphur, memory-enhancing zinc, diabetes-chasing chromium, and bone-building boron. A quart of nettle infusion contains more than 1000 milligrams of calcium, 15000 IU of vitamin A, 760 milligrams of vitamin K, 10% protein, and lavish amounts of most B vitamins.... Nettle builds energy by nourishing the adrenals and detoxifying the kidneys ... Minerals in a nettle tea are actually magnetized into the blood stream without needing to be digested so the effects can be felt quickly"

Nettles are obviously good for you. Your lungs, skin, urinary tract, bones, hair, blood and nervous system will thank you for drinking nettle tea or even steaming them (cooking removes the sting of the plant) and eating them like a spinach substitute! (see recipes below!)  Nettles is a particular nourisher of women's bodies and helps fertility, breast feeding, healthy pregnancies and menstruation. 

Nettles are also energetically powerful. They are known as being a plant for protection from negative energy and cleansing any bad mojo in your body and your home. Burning nettles is an ancient way to purify a space. The entire plant is here to help us break our bad old habits, cleanse our bodies and give us the deep nourishment and energy to revitalize our lives!

 Nettle Meditation

Meditation is key to observing our mental patterns that keep us repeating the same old shame based loops. When we become still and watch our thoughts we lessen the power they hold over us and we become aware that they are not "us"- they are just thoughts we have. Thoughts can be changed- but not unless we can see them for what they are. 

I like meditating with plant medicine. Drink your nettle infusion, take a nettle tincture, eat your nettle pesto, maybe even give your skin a little nettle acupuncture (careful! they hurt!) and then set your phone for a  15 minute alarm and relax in a comfortable position.  Listen to the plant's message as it works with your body. Offer up some self tenderness to any part of your body that you normally think ill of. Offer your gratitude to nettles for protecting you from harm, for cleaning your blood of toxins, for nourishing your energy at all levels. Do this for 3 days and take some notes on how your body or energy is feeling before and after!

Nettle Recipes!

Make a Heavy Nettle infusion/tea:

(From herbalist Susan Weed): Measure one ounce of the dried or fresh herb. Boil a quart of water. Put the herb into a quart jar and fill to the top with the boiling water. Stir with a wooden spoon and add water until the jar is full to the top. Lid tightly and set aside to brew for at least four hours, or overnight, whichever is easier for you. You can drink up to 2-3 quarts of nettle infusion a week to feel the full invigorating effect! To use: Strain and squeeze the liquid out of the herb. Be sure to refrigerate your infusion, as it will go bad at room temperature once it is done brewing. Nettle infusion is delicious over ice. Its rich green taste is not at its best when served hot. Adding honey can make it taste quite strange. Some folks like to add a little apple juice to sweeten it. Or stir in some miso, for a salty drink. However you consume it, do drink it up within a few days, as nettle infusion doesn't last.

Nettle Pesto

from Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life by Louisa Shafia

Nettles leaves are serrated like teeth and they’re covered with spiky hairs that sting on contact. But the sting is fleeting, and the antidote is the juice of the nettles’ own leaves. Boiled briefly, nettles turn into a rich green vegetable much like spinach. You can drink the nutrient-rich cooking water like tea, just leave out the salt. Toss pesto with pasta, spread on seared fish or chicken, or use as a dip for raw vegetables.

Makes approximately 3 cups

Ingredients

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 pound stinging nettles

• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup firmly packed grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Instructions

Fill a large pot halfway full with water. Add 1/4 cup salt and bring to a boil.

Fill the sink or a large bowl with cold water. Using gloves or tongs, submerge the nettles in the water and let them sit for 5 minutes. Remove the nettles and discard the water. Wearing rubber gloves, pull the leaves from the stems and discard the stems.

Put the nettles in the boiling water and boil for 1 minute. Drain and spread the nettles on a baking sheet. Let cool completely. Squeeze out as much of the water as possible and coarsely chop.

Place the nettles in the bowl of a food processor with the mint, garlic, pine nuts, and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Process until the mixture has formed a paste.

With the machine running, pour in the olive oil. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the cheese. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Nettle Spanikopita:

inspiration from Rosemary Gladstar's  Herbs for Longevity & Well-Being

Saute together in olive oil:

• 1 entire bulb of garlic, minced

• 2 large onions, diced

• 2 large bowls full of fresh nettle tops, chopped

• 2 packages of frozen spinach

• 2 to 3 large pinches of strong dried oregano

• a tiny pinch of nutmeg

• salt and pepper to taste

Remove from the heat and mix in:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese

• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

• 8 oz crumbled feta cheese

• 2 eggs, beaten

For the flaky yummy crust:

• one package of phyllo dough

• one stick of butter

Butter the bottom and edges of a 9x13 pan.  Start laying sheets of phyllo dough into the pan on sheet at a time. Keep the sheets you are not using under a damp towel to keep them from drying out.  Apparently phyllo dries out quickly and becomes brittle.  Lightly brush each sheet with butter before laying the next sheet on top.  I did about a 3rd of the package and then put half of the green mixture down in an even layer.  Then I repeated this process one time.  Finally I took the remaining phyllo dough and created a top layer.  I think next time I will just do a bottom and a top layer of phyllo with no middle layer because the middle layer seemed to get lost in the midst of the green veggies.  Before putting the spanakopita in the oven I lightly scored the top into serving sizes and I was glad I did too because if you try to cut the top once it is baked the flaky sheets on top get messed up.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until golden brown on the top.

Three easy but powerful ways to spring clean your brain.

It’s almost spring time. It is a great moment in the year to recommit to our 2019 goals and do some “spring cleaning” around whatever is standing in the way of having the best year ever. We all want to have more fun and freedom to be ourselves and the time and money we need to turn our dreams into reality. As I write this on the full moon in Virgo- it’s the perfect time to learn how to dig into those inner emotional and mental piles of stuff and use the Marie Kondo method on ourselves. (i.e get rid of anything that doesn’t give you joy!)

1. Create a morning routine that gives you some time to focus on self care.

Set a timer on your phone or watch and get up 30 minutes earlier than normal each day. Try 20 minutes of yoga or meditate for 15 minutes, or have a cup of tea and journal for 20 minutes. Keep it short enough that you can stick with it. It’s better to do 5 minutes everyday than try 90 minutes once and then give up. This little self care routine will ground you for your day and help you set an intention for having more joy. If you love it then build a little evening routine as well or a mid day tea break where you take time for yourself. Early morning does hold some magic for clarity and focus so it might be the easiest place to start. Go to bed earlier so you still get enough sleep! I now take 90 minutes each morning to journal and do yoga and it’s been a total game changer!

2. Journal Questions - To cleanse it out, write it out.

It’s always helpful to write down your thoughts so you can see them on paper. You might be surprised what you come up with! Most of our thoughts come out of an overstuffed storage unit full of old ideas, judgements, beliefs and emotions. When we write we are slowly emptying the items out of storage and checking them over to see if they still fit. If they no longer work for you then letting them go is the only sensible option- and it feels like a deep cleanse:) Here are some questions to get you started*:

• What do you want most in life?

• What do you want to have accomplished before you die?

• If you knew you had one year left to live, what would you fix or clean up?

• What are you ready to let go of- habits, attitudes, beliefs that no longer serve you?

• What would make life feel extra fun?

• What do you want to explore more deeply?

• What feels really nourishing in your life?

As you journal you will see themes emerging and often more questions. Note these and use them to guide you in step 3.

(*Questions adapted from the Dragontree Rituals for Life Dream book- highly recommended!)

#3 Do one nice thing for yourself each day and one nice thing for someone else

Practice the give and take of kindness and find balance in your own self. Often we feel we are out of time, energy, money or all three. We feel overwhelmed, stressed and depleted because we have lost our balance in these 3 ways. Here are some quick ideas to regain equilibrium.

Time: Experiment with the give and take of time by slowing down and enjoying the present moment for yourself. Breathe, relax, gift yourself a break. Even a 1 minute break of being fully present can feel like an amazing gift to yourself. Watch a bird in a tree or savor the feeling of sun on your face. You can also practice by giving someone else time. You can practice giving time in a conversation by not reacting, listening intently, holding space for a person to be heard and seen without needing to respond or question or judge. You will be surprised at what a precious gift that is in a world where we rarely feel heard or seen in everyday rushing.

Energy: Experiment with what gives you energy and what depletes it. (a good journal question too!) If scrolling through Facebook drains you then give it a rest and gift yourself a walk or some time with a good book, or playing with your dog. You can also lend the gift of your energy to another person each day. It is as simple as doing little unexpected things like bringing someone a cup of tea or sending a kind text. These small shifts of energy can go a long way towards creating a happier life.

Money: Money is energy- a conduit of manifestation. Use it to further your dreams and goals and not deplete them. if your goal is to travel around the world then start a travel savings or buy that guide book or tent or language app. The more you use the money energy towards what you really want with focus and intention- the sooner you will get there! This sounds obvious but it’s surprising when you pay attention to your spending where it’s actually ending up. Be intentional with your money flow just as you are with your words or your actions. You can also use money each day to support good causes or help someone fulfill their goals. This can be as small as a dollar but it does add up over time. Pay attention to where you send money energy and your goals will start to become reality. Once we get in sync with giving and receiving, the world will seem a more generous place.

If you have a moment - email me and let me know if this helped you and/or if you want to see more posts like this! I believe that a better future starts with all of us being joyful and more grounded in the present. It’s my dream to see my fellow big hearted creative folks living their dreams, helping change the world and being wildly abundant and happy doing it!

Stay calm and drink tea,

xoxo

Ginger

revolutionginger@gmail.com

Rainbows and Whales! The BNB reopens for the best season on the coast.

I'm going to share a top locals secret with you.  Summer is not the best season on the coast. Now don't get me wrong, the north coast summers have their appeal; (perfect 70 degree days, sparkling clean waters to swim in, gourmet ice cream from happy grass fed cows, overflowing gardens, fresh tuna steaks on the grill, epic wild berry picking, hiking beach trails, starry night surf camp outs…. It’s no secret that summers on the coast are pretty great!)

But unknown to the summer tourists, locals working like mad in the bustling summer secretly yearn in our hearts for the coming calm and beauty of the rain season (aka September- May). You can feel a collective sigh of relaxation as the mist returns, ocean squalls scrub the empty beaches clean, coho and chinook salmon move upriver, the crowds depart and the lines of traffic disappear. The coast returns to the way it has been in former decades: Peaceful, beautiful, overflowing with natural abundance and quirky small town charm. 

Here are some of the local secrets that are FREE and accessible all winter long!

Rainforests: The Oregon Coast is a rare temperate rainforest ecosystem. It has a unique balance of western red cedars, sitka spruce and hemlock that are only found here on our special coastline. These forests are designed to take in the 100 inches or so of rain the coast gets each season. Instead of dropping their leaves and being lifeless- the Oregon Coast rain forest is at its most flourishing in the fall and winter. Expect giant sword, lady, maidenhair and bracken ferns spreading under towering evergreen canopies bedecked with trailing mosses and lichens. Rushing creeks, waterfalls, misty blankets of fog, hidden lakes, sweeping ocean overlooks, abundant wildlife and more shades of green than you ever knew existed. All you need is a good light rain jacket and some waterproof hiking shoes and you are well on your way to becoming a rainforest explorer of the zillions of coastal trails all winter long. Here is a list of trails to get you going

Whales: Squeee! Nothing is more exciting than seeing whales up close from a coastal cliff. The grey whale migration starts in the fall and goes all winter long off the Oregon coast. You have to have luck and a bit of patience but on the right day you can see the spouting of whales and their giant backs rising and falling below you as you stand alone on a coastal outcropping of rock. At that moment you are being given a gift of whale magic and your heart pounds with excitement and the thrill of being lucky enough to witness these magnificent beings in the wild ocean. Oh, and there are barking sea lions, curious seals, loads of wheeling shore birds and incredible pounding surf hitting majestic sea cave filled cliffs as your consolation prize if you don’t see whales that day- it’s pretty much a win win! Here are some spots along the coast to watch for whales- although any point with a clear view is fair game.

Rainbows: OK- you can see rainbows in other places it’s true. But here on the coast there is a unique winter pattern of crazy rain being broken up by patches of clear sunshine as the weather rolls in untamed off the vast stretches of Pacific Ocean. Everyday there are rainbows, double rainbows, triple rainbows! It’s a rainbow-palooza as the weather changes it’s mind every 10 minutes. Black storm clouds with piercing rays of sunshine blazing behind them ignite cascades of rainbows over the green pastures and rushing rivers. Rainbows are one of those things you can’t help but smile when you see. They make you feel special like you won the pot of gold. Every little fishing village bedecked by rainbows takes on a fairy world appeal until suddenly the hail begins to pelts down and you run for cover into the nearest bar to eat chowder and drink local brews waiting for the next rainbow to appear. Yes- that is coast life in the winter. Here are some pics to prove rainbows really do exist!

North Fork 53 is once again renting individual rooms (as low as $65 per night) and we are the perfect launching pad for all your off season coastal adventures! Give yourself the gift of whales and rainbows or just a good book by the wood stove with a cup of tea. The magic of the Oregon Coast awaits!