Rainy week on the Oregon coast

 After our grandson left and I was sponsored into the Elks organization, Donna and I sat around looking at the low clouds and rainy weather with no relief in sight. We read about a couple of lighthouses that we haven't seen up north by 

Newport, Oregon so off we go on another adventure, rain or shine.

It's bad enough having two foo foo dogs, but dressing them in raincoats...really? I'll leave that to Donna because when I take out our dogs, they wear the same thing as their long lost cousin...the wolf.

I have a thing with bridges, if you hadn't noticed. This older railway bridge is on the North Fork of the Siuslaw River.

Donna spotted this very pretty and delicate bell flower near the river.  We discovered it was called a Foxglove or the botanical name of "digitalis purpurea".

Near the RV park where we are staying is the Darlingtonia pasture of

these amazing insects eating plants.

Here are the specifics on a very old plant life.

Rock Creek is one of the many clear creeks that flow into the Pacific Ocean, 

north of Florence which is surrounded by a wet and dark rainforest .

Within this wet forest we found a "pine tree lappet moth caterpillar" having lunch.

Cooks Chasm on Point Perpetua displays how the ocean waves create cracks in the sea caves to form a blow hole which sprays during high tides or storms.

Yes, I like bridges...do I have to say that every time? This bridge spans the Yaquina River in Newport, Oregon. As you might expect, it was a dark, drizzly and wet day.

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse located just past the Yaquina bridge is the second-oldest
standing lighthouse on the Oregon coast. It was only in service 3 years 1871-1874, and then replaced by the brighter Yaquina Head Lighthouse 3 miles north.

The Yaquina Head Lighthouse, which is the tallest lighthouse on the Oregon coast, is awesome. About a 1/2 mile before the lighthouse is the Yaquina Interpretive Center, that has an abundant amount of information and history.

Hard to see in the photo are "Common Murre's" that have nested on the this rock right off the Yaquina Head Lighthouse.

With binoculars or 300mm camera lens we can see the estimated 25,000 Common Murre that nest along side some Double-Crested and Pelagic Cormorants, Puffin and Western Gulls.

Based on internet reports... rather than going to the Aquarium in Newport, we decided to go to the Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Center.

Wow, never saw the skull of a walrus, nor felt the smoothness of it's ivory tusks until now. 

The marine center also had this wonderful skull from a female Orca who's body washed ashore a few years ago on a nearby beach.

What marine research center would be complete without a "touch pool". The Hatfield Research Center had many hands-on projects, informational booths and touch PC tables that allow you to see how they can produce electricity from waves or the constant oxygen depletion problems effecting the Oregon coast and many other things.

EDGAR, the bald eagle!!!! We have been searching for Edgar since we last saw him a year ago in Klamath, Oregon. Stopped at a vista point to let the dogs out and all of a sudden Edgar comes flying above us looking like he was hungry. Donna had the feeling that we should put the dogs back in the car and head home!