Hobuck Beach, Neah Bay

We camped here on New Year’s Eve 2022. I am grateful that the Makah Tribe shares this part of their land with us so we can experience some of the beauty of this wild coast. It is a sacred place of many stories.

The Makah people have lived here for thousands of years. Thousands. Wikipedia says “more than 3,800 years.” My guess is much more. There is much we could learn from these strong people.

Although the coastline is always changing, I like to think that this area might still look a lot like it did back then.

A beautiful sunset closed out the year. There were no fireworks, only a small campfire around which we reminisced and shared dreams. There was hardly anyone here.

Near midnight, I walked down to the water’s edge. The moon reflected so bright off the surface of the waves, I thought it might be bioluminescence. Magical! It sparkled off the crests and tumbled into the curl. The waves pounded the shore, one after another after another. Deafening!

Inhale deeply. Exhale slowly. Somehow, in the presence of such power is where we can best listen to the quiet within.

We awoke to watch a sunrise full of color and hope. We mark the new day as January 1, 2023.

The tide roars in and softly rolls back out again. A seagull calls in the distance. Several ravens land on the large upturned driftwood log that transforms into a sea monster at dusk. They do not care what day it is. They are doing what they have done for thousands of years.

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