Beach World
Where does reality mold into fantasy without being prompted? Where do shy dogs and wild-eyed children turn into fast cheetahs within a moment's notice? Having been a privileged summertime resident at town along a wide open stretch of the publicly-owned Oregon beach, I’ve seen where this can and does happen. Multiple times a day. I’ve seen young children behaving like playful monkeys. Wooly dogs acting like curious lions while bravely smelling a mysterious beached ocean creature. Solace seekers regularly deposit their care. Mystical treasures are found by youthful (and not so youthful) enchanted hands. Magical lighting can envelop and transfix, making changes so fast, what’s normal is forgotten. It’s hard to find a natural environment that can alter experience as satisfactorily and completely as the long, wide, open beach at Manzanita.