Sunday, September 30, 2012

Beach Time Oregon Style

Well, the annual BFF get away has come and gone.  This year my friends and I decided to go to the Oregon Coast instead of to our ranch.  I was feeling the need for change ... not to mention the need for cooler temperatures.  So, we rented a lovely house in Depoe Bay, Oregon and headed out.  This photo is the view back toward some of the homes in the town from our rental.



We were lucky enough to get some of the better Fall weather that the coast has to offer.  It was mostly sunny with the exception of one day where a fog bank rolled in mid day.  It was windy, which is typical for the Oregon coast but the early mornings and the evenings were calm and lovely.  The path up the hill from our rental took us to some rocky bluffs with spectacular ocean views.  We climbed all over those rocks.  Not bad for 'old broads.'




My friend, Eleanor, has always been a bit of a daredevil so, of course, she had to go all the way to the edge.  I think it may be a metaphor for the way she has lived her life.




The above picture looks calm enough right?  So, I took myself on over to where she was and looked down.  Good lord!  This is what was directly below us.  Not for the faint of heart.  I hightailed myself back to safer ground right after taking this picture.  The coastline of Oregon is both spectacular and rugged.




Safely back at our rental house, this is the view we had from our balcony while sharing appetizers and wine.  We raised a glass to the various folks walking the path up to the rocks.




We spent one entire day in the Nye Beach area of Newport ... a short fifteen mile drive south of Depoe Bay.  This is the public beach access directly below the cutest little street of shops and restaurants and very near the original old hotel for the area.




Here are my two besties ... trying to look relaxed while the wind was whipping and it had gotten cold.




We also took in the casino one evening which is in Lincoln City, about twelve miles north of Depoe Bay and we enjoyed great seafood at some local places but, the main event was the catching up time.  We laughed until we cried and one particular incident we refer to as the 'it was all good until the cops showed up' incident.  Sounds risky, huh?  Actually, some sheriff's deputy patrolling the neighborhood at 4 a.m. decided it would be thoughtful to pound on our door to let me know my parking lights were on.  I guess he didn't think that it might be rather scary for us ... not to mention totally interrupting a great night's sleep.  Ah well, we survived.

The long and the short of it is this ... there is nothing like time with lifelong friends.  We try to be consistent with our get togethers as we do not live in the same towns and life gets in the way a lot.  But, we know that you can never take the time you have with friends and loved ones for granted so we plan these yearly trips and we always, always have a blast.  Here's to this year and to next year.




Friday, September 7, 2012

Is It Fall?

Well, this summer really flew on by ... not that the summer-like weather is done.  It is 90 something outside here in western Oregon at the moment.  But, it is September.  The kids are back in school, football has started and,  people are doing their fall projects and decorating.  The craft store is abuzz I tell you.  I am on that bandwagon myself ... more or less.  I have put some fall decorations up but, I draw the line at Halloween-specific just yet.  I'm staying with the harvest motif until October.

I have been scurrying to finish a lot of summer projects that need good weather to work in.  I'm starting to feel the pressure that some things may not get done this year ... again.  Oh well, let it go.  I have accomplished quite a bit, pictures have been taken and when the final tweaks have been made, I'll do some project posts.  Still, when it is this hot outside, its hard to find the energy bursts needed for some things.  I do know that I'm tired of watering ... and dust.  I am definitely tired of dust.  Living in a farm belt, I can't keep ahead of it.  A nice little soaking rain to lay it all down would be nice.  Then, we could get back to our Indian Summer.

I cannot believe that a week of September is already gone.  I have a lot left on my summer 'to do' list.  I want to make a road trip or two before the snow flies ... important because I don't drive the mountain passes here in Oregon when the snow is on.  I do have a beach trip planned for late September with my lifelong best friends.  We do love our gal weekends.  Now that my daughter lives out of state, I also want to head her way for a little visit.  Another friend is talking November for a trip.  And, there are college football home games to attend, which pretty much knocks a hole in any weekend.

Labor Day weekend was spent with part of the family at our ranch in southern Oregon with a little side trip to beautiful Crater Lake.  It was not our first time there, of course, but it never ceases to take ones breath away.



Then it was back to the ranch for some quiet pursuits, relaxing, fishing, reading, wining and dining.  The sunset was spectacular followed by an astounding 'blue' moon.


So, summer has gone and it is fall ... isn't it?  But, there is still some beautiful weather to enjoy, projects to be done, and fun to be had.  Hope you all are having a wonderful end of summer transition.