Yachats Oregon Writer Rick Schultze

Not at all like Simon and Garfunkles song Sounds of Silence, the sounds of summer on the Central Oregon Coast are loud and clear. From the occasional siren on the highway, to the gulls squawking, to the crashing of the waves, summer is a noisy time of year.Of course it’s noisy in the windy and rainy seasons but it’s a different kind of sound than in summer. Summer noise is a much more exciting and spontaneous kind of lively sound! The sounds usually start early in the mornings with the various birds making their presence known.Then vehicle traffic begins to roll up and the highway and summer time life begins in earnest. Venture into any town or village from Seal Rock to Florence during the summer and you will find yourself in the mist of locals and tourists alike exchanging conversations, directions, and reports of where to go, what to see and where there is a good place to grab a bite to eat.Also covered in these informal information exchanges are tips about up-coming social events in the areas, reports on mutual friends and updates on who is coming to visit or was just around visiting. Where I live in Yachats I have a view of several restaurants, a gift shop and Toppers Ice Cream and Candy Store. As the summer days unfold folk’s file in and out of these establishments and it’s a merry-go-round of cars unloading and cars loading and the happy sounds of people on a coastal adventure. Very seldom is there a discouraging word to be heard! Last Sunday I had the pleasant experience of walking out on the deck and hearing a live version of “Garden Party” by Ricky Nelson coming up from the community garden below where they were holding a bit of a get together. The voices and music created a wonderful blend of sound rising above the sound of the ocean hitting the beach in the bay. However, of all the Sounds of Summer that I get the biggest kick out of are the shrieks of joy, thrill and surprise I hear from kids down below me when they are at Whale Tail Park. There is a metal sculpture of a Whale’s tail on a mound of dirt shaped like a whale back and a spout of recycled water shots into the air every sixty seconds during the summer daylight hours. The kids run up to the hole right by the Whales tail to see where the water comes from and inevitably they get wet much to their delight. Of all the summer sounds that one is priceless, the pure fun and excitement is contagious and I have a good laugh every time I hear and see the Whale and kids in action. Indeed it is one of the many great sounds of summer keep your ears wide open and enjoy! To reach Rick Schultze email yarick@pioneer.net