MY HOME
by Kent Russell
To those who live in Oregon,
Along the southern coast,
They have so much to be thankful for
Please forgive them if they boast.
This little piece of paradise,
Is blessed in so many ways,
One just can't name them all,
But each deserves your praise.
The mercurial changing coast line,
The watching for the whales,
The arrival of the pelicans
Diving in ocean swells.
Where salmon charge up stream,
To mate, to spawn and die.
Where the cycle begins again,
With schools of returning fry.
Where festoons of changing colors dance
As the flora starts to bloom.
Wild life proudly struts...
Just showing off its plume.
We have a pristine setting,
In this Eden by the sea
The greater Chetco area
Is the home for you and me.
Can anyone give a reason?
Or ask the question why
I should ever leave this place,
Even when I die!
As a visitor, you will soon discover that the Brookings/Harbor area is a treasure of nature's beauty. It is a pleasure for those of us that live in these beautiful surroundings to share some of the area's wonders with you. Please enjoy.
by Kent Russell
To those who live in Oregon,
Along the southern coast,
They have so much to be thankful for
Please forgive them if they boast.
This little piece of paradise,
Is blessed in so many ways,
One just can't name them all,
But each deserves your praise.
The mercurial changing coast line,
The watching for the whales,
The arrival of the pelicans
Diving in ocean swells.
Where salmon charge up stream,
To mate, to spawn and die.
Where the cycle begins again,
With schools of returning fry.
Where festoons of changing colors dance
As the flora starts to bloom.
Wild life proudly struts...
Just showing off its plume.
We have a pristine setting,
In this Eden by the sea
The greater Chetco area
Is the home for you and me.
Can anyone give a reason?
Or ask the question why
I should ever leave this place,
Even when I die!
The Place Itself
Brookings and Harbor are located in Curry County, snuggled in Oregon's southwest corner. Bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by California and on the east by the magnificent Siskiyou Mountains, it is one of the most pristine and rugged; one of the most inviting and picturesque places in the American Northwest. Approximately ninety miles long and forty miles wide, every footstep of the length of this westernmost spot in the contiguous United States touches spectacular coastline, craggy headlands, rocky outcroppings and smooth, sandy beaches. Looking inland from the ocean you take in a rugged and mountainous interior sweeping eastward.One of the first locations in "The New World" to be explored by Europeans, this area remains, 450 years later, a perpetually renewable feast. If you are a fisher, boater or water sprite drawn to the Pacific; a back packer, hiker or biker looking for a botanical paradise inland or simply a nature lover who wants to experience all the nuances offered by land and sea, you have chosen well. Beach combing, tide pooling, crabbing, clamming, camping, hunting, canoeing, picture taking, picnicking, animal looking and bird watching can absorb your vacation or your life.
Curry County boasts plant and animal species found nowhere else in the world. Brookings is ringed with areas set aside to protect species in their native habitat. There are numerous flora and fauna whose disturbance and collection are either forbidden or reserved to scientific study. Admire that starfish or darlingtonia plant and collect its photograph. Then leave it to complete its journey.
