‘Got the Spider’
Barview, Oregon. March 14, 2026.
Boycotting the State of the Union
I’m boycotting the State of the Union address this Tuesday. President Donald J. Trump has acted unlawfully and unconstitutionally with impunity, and never has been held accountable. I refuse to normalize his actions and behavior, therefore I won’t give him my time and viewership.
Whale Week Off to a Rough Start
February 9-16, 2026, is Whale Week!
On the Oregon coast, Whale Week had a bit of a rough start when a 46-foot fin whale washed ashore was found on Saturday at Sunset Beach near Warrenton.
Every now and then I’ll come across a whale washed ashore on the Oregon coast. Today, beached whales are either buried or “disassembled,” or let wildlife scavengers have at it
I know what you’re thinking: blow it up! Yeah, that didn’t go so well after falling blubber rained down everywhere, leaving a stinking mess, and even flattening a car.
Image: The deceased 46-foot fin whale on the Oregon coast at Sunset Beach near Warrenton, Ore., on Feb. 8, 2026. Pickup truck for scale.
Bald Eagle Post
No luck finding a superb owl today, so I have to settle for this “fish inspector” bald eagle instead.
Whoops: Toledo Train Derailment
Two Portland & Western engines and the slug (center) remains stranded on a bridge over the Olalla Slough in Toledo, Oregon, on January 24. Media reports say the train derailed early Wednesday morning and no crew was injured.
Morning Cliffside View
The morning view at Neah Kah Nie overlook along US 101 on a calm and clear Saturday morning at the Oregon Coast.
There wasn’t even a breeze at the overlook. Sometimes, I’ll be at the overlook when the wind gusts 40 to 50 miles per hour. Not today.
Peter Iredale Shipwreck
Near Warrenton, Oregon
January 19, 2026
A clear, breezy, and dry morning on the Oregon Coast at the Peter Iredale Shipwreck. Tide was low and rising. Wind swept the sand on the beach, erasing footprints and tire treads marks.
The ocean was tame and not one of those sneaker wave days that I enjoy watching.
Painted Hills Frosty Highlights
Freezing fog in the area left frosty highlights on the colorful pained hills in the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument Painted Hills Unit in Oregon on January 17, 2026.
