Wk 4 Summer in Bandon 2014: Wrap-Up!

FINAL WRAP-UP: Last Guests!

Friday, July 11
Dennis and Sally Arrive

     This will be fairly short and sweet!  No walk today, so no pictures!  Mom and I shopped locally, made stew, made apple crisp, and baked some cookies.  I cut out a couple of shirts to sew and we played games!  A VERY busy day!  
     Dennis and Sally Schirmer arrived around 6:30, having flown into Eugene from LAX, renting a car, and driving down to Bandon.  They come nearly every year around this time to celebrate their anniversary and touch base with Mom.  Dad married them here in the house 30 years ago.  Animated conversation for much of the evening!  
     When I headed downstairs to write herein, I got waylaid reading the Round Robin letters from my dad's seminary classmates.  About 10 graduates from 1944 SFTS kept these letters circulating for over 65 years!!  Mom has a file with everyone that they wrote, and it is a fairly concise history of the family, particularly my father's ministry and insights into his current work at the time.  Needless to say, I didn't get to the blog until Saturday!  

Saturday, July 12
Chores and Cinderella!
 

There are a few starfish!

Anenome!

   There is a full moon tonight, hence dramatic tides today.  A minus 1.8 low tide was scheduled for around 6:30am, so I headed down to the beach at that hour to check things out.  It wasn't windy, nor was it sunny.  A thick cloud covered the area, but not so much that you couldn't see rocks in the distance.  I walked out toward Face Rock further than I ever have before on a spit of sand that swung an arm from the north down.  I could walk around the back of the rock WEST of the tunnel rock.  A good low tide!    Since I had no devotion in mind for the next few days, I searched for letters, recorded those I saw, and then fed them into the anagram program on the phone.  From there I picked out a couple of words, searched scriptures that included that word.  So....for today the word is VOICE and the scripture is from Proverbs 3:6.  An interesting method to seek God's 'voice'!  

     Made a run to recycle, grocery store to return cans and bottles, and down to the Farmer's Market in Old Town this morning.  After lunch and a phone call with Rick, I started work on the two shirts I want to get sewn.  I nearly finished sewing the simpler of the two by dinnertime.  
     I was in charge of dinner: a chicken stir-fry.  Fairly tasty and I have plenty leftover for tomorrow!  Afterwards we all piled into Mom's car to head down to the Sprague Theater and a youth production of Cinderella.  It was very well done and enjoyable.  Kids ages 3 through high school involved, several music and dance numbers, including 4 little garden fairy ballet students (adorable!) 

You can barely see a clammer out on the spit of sand near Face Rock.  I walked out there!  

Sunday, July 13

Amazing Pentecost Quilt Banner

Worship and Return!
     We awoke to a very misty morning on the beach!  The air was heavy....I opted not to walk today, knowing I was going again in the morning, hopefully with Luke?!  Used the time to work on devotions instead.  

Eneas McLean on top!

     Off to church with Mom, Dennis and Sally.  John was preaching again and amazingly (No....just God at work!) delivered a sermon using the very words I was pondering for Monday morning.  I took one last picture of Bandon's Pentecost banner because I think it is so gorgeous, as well as pictures of The Wall of pastors to show Debbie and Shannon the photo of Eneas McLean at the very top!  Got a few last visits in with some people before heading off to the store to pick up a few groceries for tonight while Mom, Dennis and Sally were still chatting away!  (Dennis and Sally have no problem striking up a conversation with anyone and everyone and Mom is, well, Mom!)

Dad is on the wall, too!

     The sun partially broke through this afternoon, but we could tell it was still warm inland with our local weather!  Luke pulled in around 4pm, having left Rick to walk the last two miles!  (Rick loves to end his 10 hour drive with a walk down Beach Loop Drive from Old Town!)  Poor Luke....he hadn't slept at all on the drive over, having talked with Rick the whole way.  Mom and I then pumped him for mission trip information, he talked all through dinner, and finally got to go to bed!  He was one tired boy!  But the stories of the trip were wonderful!  
     
MONDAY, July 14
Low Tide and Labyrinths!

I thought this little starfish
was dancing!

     Luke and I headed down to the beach this morning around 7:30 - ready for a minus tide around 8am.  We ended up walking clear down past Coquille Point - the rocks were exposed all around the islands area and the seal rocks.  They were covered with hundreds of shore birds.  We didn't see any seals, but there was a warning sign on the sand asking people to stay clear.  I was amazed how far we could walk out along the edge of the rocks - places I have never been before!  In one area the rocks were alive with oversized pillbug like creatures - we later found they were a type of wood louse.  
   

Cute little wood louse!

 The highlight, however, was man-made!  A sand artist had been busy since early morning creating labyrinth patterns in the sand.  Very well done and a variety of patterns.  Luke and I walked a series of interlocking spirals...pretty cool.  I took the chance to pray all my ABC's!  

Luke walks the spiral labyrinth

Lazy morning of visiting, a few games.  Dennis and Sally headed down to the beach for a walk late morning, despite the growing north wind.  Around 3 Rick and I went down to the fish market and purchased some tuna - for our dinner and to put some in the freezer for Mom.  Dennis and Sally are taking Mom out to dinner tonight for THEIR anniversary.  Go figure!  Not too sure Mom wouldn't have been just as happy to stay home with us, but they wanted her to go along!      A good game of Quiddler after their return with Luke, Sally, Mom, and I.  Sally won by 2 points!!!  She did really well with her little magnifying glass, once she remembered to look and see the point values of various letters first!  
     Mostly a day of rest for all - Luke took another nap this afternoon. 

Table Rock and view north from Coquille Point at low tide

TUESDAY, July 15

     Moving into the last days of my summer Bandon posts!  By this time tomorrow I should be nearing Baker City and a return to the heat and dry air of a Baker summer.  I had better absorb just a little more of the coastal mist and moisture today!!  
     Today is my second Sourdough Pancake breakfast day!  Two batches, but this crew didn't consume quite as many as Karen's family!  Not sure why, there was only one person less here!  (Martin, just how many pancakes DID you eat??)   I made a batch of cinnamon rolls to restock the freezer from the leftover starter.  
     Windy!!  I had thought to get in a final beach walk, but not sure it is going to happen.  Busy getting dinner prep done, my scattered belongings consolidated to pack, and the final chores on the list for Mom.  (Rick and Luke got her car washed and waxed and I got the toenails cut one more time!)

So...this isn't the most flattering picture,
but the ice cream looks good!

     We opted to forgo lunch for a trip to the Cheese Factory and ice cream cones!  We all ordered just a child's size which was huge enough.  Rick finished some of mine....trying to be good!  Then we stopped at the Thrift Shop operated by the Youth Center...bargains!!  Books, jean shorts, a jacket and cards for Luke, 4 new wind flags, and a basket.  All for $12!!!  

Luke pulls the pork in his flower apron! 

     Luke is head chef tonight as he prepares pulled pork for dinner.  I made a tater salad, beet & chard greens, etc. for dinner.  Should be a winner.  Luke modeled nicely in Grandma's only apron.  Sure glad he doesn't suffer from a masculinity problem!  He looked so CUTE!  
     Mom and I wrapped up our Spite and Malice game with Mom the victor by ONE point, 143-142.  At least I can take solace in my Quiddler victories!