Messages from the River

By Jill Hance Bakke, EdD

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest, the fourth largest river in North America, and the largest hydroelectric power-producing river in North America.

It’s also a sight to behold.

On any given day, you can see sailboats, kayaks, a paddle wheeler, and cruise ships merging with pilot boats, tugs, small fishing boats, cargo ships, and other vessels that ply its waters. Sea lions, salmon, and occasional pods of whales mix with other sea life, and seagulls, crows, and cormorants rule the sky.

Filled with lovely illustrations of the Columbia River and the surrounding Astoria, Oregon, area, these reflections reveal what the river has taught the author about life and how it has become her muse.

In considering the mysteries of the river, the author urges others to think about what speaks to them. Whether it’s music, dance, the smile of a child, or some aspect of nature, you’ll learn important things about yourself and the universe by honoring it with expression.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Feb 2, 2018
• ISBN: 9781483472737

Book preview

Messages

from the

River

Jill Hance Bakke, EdD

Copyright © 2017 Jill Hance Bakke, EdD.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Cover photos courtesy of Shutterstock

Author’s photo by Teresa Lee

www.teresaleephotography.com

Cover Design by Therese Wells

www.ayni-communications.com

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-7274-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-7273-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017910886

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Interior illustrations by Eeva Lancaster

http://www.eevalancaster.com, based on photographs.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 9/13/2017

Dedication

1.jpg

This book is dedicated to my daughters:

Beth Merie Slivkanch

Donna Lynn Mealy

Maura Ann Maneely

Kara Katrin Bakke

May your lives be enriched by nature and its beauty. May your always listen to your intuition, being aware of the messages given you by the universe. Thus, unfurl your sails and set your course with confidence.

Prologue

I notice a thin ribbon of deep blue water lay against the Washington shore when I open the balcony door and step into the crisp September air. It has become a ritual to greet the river with my first cup of coffee in hand. As I sip my coffee, I stand watching the ribbon widen, pushing the blue water closer and closer to the Oregon shore until the entire width and visible length of the river reflects the great blue sky above.

This beautiful river, the Columbia, never fails to entrance me. Its diversity seems endless. Sailboats, kayaks, a paddle wheeler, Coast Guard ships, and cruise ships merge with the pilot boats, tugs, small fishing boats, and immense cargo and container ships that ply its waters. Sea lions, salmon, and occasional pods of whales mix with other sea life, and seagulls, crows, and cormorants rule the sky.

The landscape changes constantly. Whether the mournful sound of a big ship’s foghorn, flotillas of Sunday fishermen stalking the salmon, loaded barges pulled by small tugs, or the wind-billowed mainsail of an individual sailboat, the view and its sounds capture my interest.

Earlier in the week, I had a phone call from a friend. During our conversation, he remarked, You sound so relaxed. You need to keep hold of that place.

I have no intention of letting it go. When we discover our heart’s place, we need to grab hold of it with both hands. Astoria and the Columbia River is my heart’s place.

For generations, my family lived on the seacoast of the Atlantic Ocean. I grew up on New Jersey’s Barnegat Bay and the sandy dunes of the Atlantic. After years of living in the rolling plains and mountains of the West, I hungered to return to the water. Moving to Astoria and the Columbia River was a homecoming.

Yet while the river’s appearance of serenity brings me a sense of comfort, I have also come to know her as a swashbuckling giant. I am a Libra, so I see that balancing act in myself.

Let me introduce you.

The Columbia