wake up

Norway by  polywinter

Lang Leav

― Before We Go (2014) “You’re gonna need her a lot more than she needs you.”

Helliwell Park, Hornby Island, BC

The Front Bottoms - Laugh Till I Cry (x)

Yesterday was one of the best days of… ever. I was driving south on the 101 along the Oregon coast when I noticed people had pulled over to look at something and from the road I could see a beached whale. I was trying to emotionally prepare myself for it to still be living, helplessly stranded, but fortunately she died from what they believe to be natural causes at sea less than a week ago and her body had washed up. She was phenomenal and breathtaking and I can’t quite put into words how it felt standing next to a creature of this size. She’s a blue whale and from a couple people walking it out guessed to be around 70 ft. Since she was still mostly intact I was able to touch her, most fascinated with her mouth filtery things (baleen?). What appears to be white pattern along her back is where the sand is taking off the outer layer of skin. You can also see chunks missing, they suspect a shark was feeding on her postmortem. I spent the rest of the day making my way towards Sacramento driving through some of the prettiest scenery I’ve ever seen: through fog along the Oregon coast, into the redwoods, to following a raging river lined with moss covered rocks. I’m absolutely in love with trip. I do love sharing moments with others but it is quite incredible to be alone.