My love affair with the Oregon coast

Yes, it's true! I am having an unabashedly shameful affair with the Oregon coast. I simply cannot get enough of the wonder and beauty. . .

Case in point--early in March (during the Tsunami in Japan to be exact, although we didn't know about it at the time) a gal pal and I decided to make a get-away to the central Oregon coast.

Our trip started and ended with an all-out-gorge-fest at the Otis Cafe:

And then the gorging--got a bit out of hand:

Note that the brownies were 'evil'. . . but I must state for the record that evil never tasted so good!

Even frolicking on the beach late at night in the wind and rain is fun:

Beach combing brings it's inherent risks and surprise--I mean--just look at what can wash up out of the water:

  

It was easy to find the old 'Sea Hag':

Yep!  Right where I left her:

Meeting new friends is always fun:

And so is shopping for just the right beach look. . . 

It was hard to ride off into the sunset after such a great trip. . . but I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll be back. . . 

Do you hear what I hear?

We recently enjoyed some family bonding moments with our youngest grandson and found that he really loves to be 'outside'.

However his version of the word 'outside' left me puzzled as to what he is hearing (and learning) in the big world of adults that he lives with--namely his parents:

Correct me if I'm wrong--but as Ricky Ricardo would say to Lucy:  "Hey, daughter, and son-in-law! You've got some 'splaining' to do!"

Out of the mouth of babes comes the real story. . . excuse me while I go 'outside'. . . 

The crying game. . .

I was perusing through my daughter's blog when I came upon this adorable photo of my youngest grandson:

Apparently the 'kitty whisker' photo shoot was in total meltdown and he was getting pretty upset by the entire ordeal.

Which reminded me of a long ago photo shoot with his mommy (my dear daughter) and her major meltdown during her 'cute spring dress' photo shoot:

This was the time during the photo shoot where the dress was pulled off in disgust and her 'feelings' were visibly displayed.

Just so you know--there WAS a good shot:

Just as there was a good shot of my baby bunchkin grandson as well:

What struck me about that first photo of 'the blessed precious' was how much he looks like his parental unit.  It's like I'm having my baby girl all over again (just in male form now).  Well, what goes around comes around. . .so they say.  And I am pleased to know that the cuteness of crying by my daughter at a young age is manifesting itself in the next generation as well. . . 

You might have read this somewhere. . .

Portlandia, the new show that's making a huge hit (as well as making fun of where I live) is now showing off their newest, highly competitive sport:



I actually haven't seen it myself--but I read about it somewhere. . .

Oh, and here's another goody I found:

Winter Wonderland. . .

Last weekend my spousal unit took me to Odell Lake Lodge in Oregon for some winter adventures--which included snow-shoeing, skiing, and  just plain winter time fun.  It was amazingly beautiful and the conditions were fantastic to frolic in the snow. . .

After all the fun and frolic. . . it was sure nice to get back to the cozy lodge to warm up and hunker down until the next day's adventures.

It was also an opportunity for me to wear this 'must-have-winter-fashion' hat:

It's not every day that I get to sport a look like that. . . thanks, hubby!  That was some kinda fun!

I think I'll end with a proverbial long walk off a frozen pier shot. . . . . .

Drum roll please. . . .

My friend sent me think link in an e-mail, and all I got to say about it is:

"Dear Santa,

If I'm really really SUPER good this year--could you please wrap up this little guy and give him to me for Christmas?  Complete with drum set, of course."

This kid is FOUR YEARS old and absolutely amazing.  Note the expressions on his little cherub face--especially towards the end when he spots his parents.  Can they bottle this talent and sell it, cuz I'm buyin'!

Ya know, the Redwood forests in California have some really BIG trees

I have some friends who have been bugging me to post this trip we took together since LAST YEAR!

I mean, I don't know why they even bother with me. . . I'm soooo BAD at 'getting right on it'.  Good thing I don't work for the government. . . I mean, can you even imagine how long things would take?  Oh, wait?  Maybe they already DO have folks like me working for them. . . but I digress. . .

So this amazing trip to the 'land of the really big trees' happened the day after Thanksgiving last year.  (really NOT so long ago)  And I am going to be posting pictures of some. . . wait for it. . . really big trees!  And lush forests!  And beautiful coastlines!

It really was FABULOUS. . . cold, a bit rainy at times. . . but very beautiful.

We visited Brookings, and Bandon Oregon--Crescent City, and some of the Redwood National Forests in California--and on the way back, Oregon Caves National Monument.

And Hey!  It wasn't just the TREES that were impressive and oh, so large--but everything seemed to be bigger.  First off. . . did I mention there were really BIG trees?

 And really big, lush forests?

 Not only were the trees big. . . but so were the mushrooms:

 And the slugs:

 And the eagle made of out recycled trash washed up on the beach:

 And the cute white sea lion cub we spotted:

 Yep!  Everything was bigger and better!

 Except, perhaps, the place we stayed.  Not everything was 'all there' if you catch my drift:

Because instead of getting a sauna and jacuzzi (as was promised)  We ended up with only Auna and Cuzzi--who were quite plain and overly cranky.

We also had a very heated debate about whether the wooden carving in the lobby was a mountain lion or a bear:

We finally gave up the debate and just decided that it was a bearcat--because it seemed to have the face of a bear and the tail of a mountain lion.  We figured that since the owners scrimped on the actual 'auna' and 'cuzzi'--perhaps they saved money by having two wood carvings made into one confusing animal. . . Our friend whom we will dub 'Duane' promptly decided to decorate it for the upcoming holiday:

And then he and his wife decided to celebrate by attempting to fit into the 'cuzzi':

After getting a local wrecking crew to extract them from the hot tub, we managed to wend our way back to home and hearth just in time to stop at an amazing evening garden light show.  (hubby will have to remind me exactly where we were as my mind has gone fuzzy remembering the horrifying 'cuzzi' experience)  

The evening was magical with the gardens all decked out in all kinds of holiday lights--and even the visitor center (which was the old caretaker's home) was all done up for the holidays:

After seeing the beautiful redwoods, I discovered bigger is better and even though I could have killed one of the members of our lively party for playing bagpipe music for several hours on the car ride back home. . . I'm fully recovered and none too worse for the wear.  (Though I wonder if the nightmares and the ringing in my ears will ever go away?)

GOOD TIMES!