Week 1 Summertime in Bandon 2014

Enroute
Wednesday, June 18
Baker City to Bandon, 480 miles

Beargrass and fire trees near Santiam

     Rick and I left Baker City at 6:15am to travel across the middle of the state to Bandon.  It was raining and wet when we left, after a good soaking rainfall all night long.  A fairly routine trip with the weather improving by John Day.  Blue skies over the Cascades!  It was interesting to see how much undergrowth has come back after the fires over Santiam.  Saw fields of lupine, paintbrush and beargrass.  Early stop in Prineville for breakfast/lunch at Subway at 10am.  Gas in Redmond.   

Three Fingered Jack in the mist.

     Arrived in Bandon around 4:15, having dropped Rick off at the docks to walk the rest of the way.  (He wasn't in trouble...just wanted to stretch his legs after the 10 hour drive!)  Good evening getting caught up and rewarded with our first sunset for the visit!  

Sunset #1 from Mom's porch in Bandon

Thursday, June 19
Flowers!

A few of the finished planters of flowers. 

     Today's task was to purchase and plant flowers for Mom's front porch, as well as weed out the two flower beds in front of the house.  I don't mind the weeding at all, until I get down to where rogue blackberries keep popping up in the middle of things.  I had to go back in and find a sturdier pair of gloves!  

Crow has fish in beak!

     Otherwise we potted two new rhodedendrons (one of Mom's had died over the winter), geraniums, snapdragons, marigolds, and petunias.  While I was weeding, a seagull flew over and dropped about 14 tiny little silver fish, one of which hit my head!!  I thought the bird had pooped on me until I saw the fish! Sabra was over at the moment and the three of us sat and laughed as three crows then moved in to fight over the fish.  One dominant crow was rather pushy at stealing them!  

I moved all the fish together for the picture. 

     Taco salad for dinner ....we have an abundance of lettuce greens!!!   After dinner I decided it was time to feel a little sand on my feet, so I took off for the beach.  It was high tide so I knew I wouldn't get too far past the end of Face Rock point.  

Heading down the stairway. 

     Took a few pictures heading down the stairwell and through the dark shadows of the pathway amid the willows and gorse just so you could see what it looks like.  The dune grass has grown up so much in the past few years that it is a jungle along the little 'creek' (no water flows here anymore) and out to the sand.

 The walkway is great and then it disintegrates at the gulley.  
     Absolutely beautiful down on the beach.  A very light breeze and sunshine.  I had on a sweatshirt and shorts.  Took some pictures, but mostly started looking for letters....evidence of God's writing in the seaweed, shells, feathers, etc.  Kinda fun.  

End of the pathway

Getting through the last stretch to the beach
is a little tough.  You can see the path opening
in the middle.  Mom's house on top. 

More dunes have formed on the beach this year. 

I love the Bandon beach rocks!  Looking south from Face Rock area. 

 Reflection of rocks on wet sand

Bandon Sunset Night #2

FRIDAY, June 20  
Shopping Run!

     Major accomplishment for today....Rick got the screen door fixed while Mom and I made a 're-stocking' run to Coos Bay.  Had hoped to combine this with an eye doctor appointment, but she wasn't able to get in until August.  (She kinda delayed making the appointment....:(  )    We hit Wal-Mart, Bi-Mart, Dollar Tree and Fred Meyers!  I picked up a little at each but mostly helped Mom find and make decisions on what she needed.  We didn't get back until 1:45 and hadn't stopped for lunch, so we were hungry!  
     Afternoon included a series of texts back and forth with Luke and updates on the progress of the divestment issue before General Assembly.  He has done a good job getting me posted on issues! 

Grove #15 Serigraphy by KBL

     Salmon for dinner - a treat!  Then Rick and I drove down to Bandon's equivalent of the monthly Art & Wine Walk:  Alive After Five!  Various shops open with discounts, the art galleries, and wine tasting at many.  You could buy your glass at the museum and take it around.  We just got a map and visited a couple of galleries.  (Purchased a new wind flag for the front of the house!)  I really liked the serigraphs of a Montana artist - Kathy Bonnema Leslie.  Since I didn't take ANY pictures today, I'll include a couple examples of her work!  

Three Spring Aspens
by KBL

Flower we saw down in Old Towne

     Finished off the evening with a visit to the Crow'snest Lounge overlooking the boat basin and wine and beer.  Nice little place with a cozy 'Cheers' feel to it.  They don't cheat you on the wine pouring either!  We walked back to the car parked at the museum just as the sun was finishing setting.  (No picture tonight!)  



SATURDAY, June 21
Preparing for Guests!

What is it?  

     Not much to report on today, except Mom and I went to the store in the morning for all that we forgot up in Coos Bay, made cookies, enchiladas for Sat night, etc.  Then I took about an hour-half walk on the beach looking for 'letters' created naturally.  Saw a very interesting jelly like creature - about 10 of them along the tide line.  

Zebra mussel patterns

     Pat and John arrived around 5:30 and we had a delightful evening of reminiscing, laughing, and telling stories!  Pat is now 77 and John 79.  They are staying at an RV park down off 101 for the two nights.  

The first of my 'God-texts'!

Sunset Day 4 Bandon

SUNDAY, June 22 
Cousins and Bro! 

Deep in conversation with Pat and John Nelson

     Morning of church (Men's Sunday) and a quick exit to be back at the house with lunch ready for Pat and John.  After walk on the beach with Pat (John came down just as we were coming up!), we finished up the dinner preparations for a Malayan dinner.  Got the phone call from Mac that he would arrive around 6:30 and he was right on the dot!  Another good evening of sharing (Mac had to explain the Equestrian Vaulting finals he had watched and Pat and John told of the Labrador Retriever Championships over in Roseburg!) 

Velellas near Face Rock point. 

     When Pat and I came up from the beach we went straight to Google to find out what the sailboat jellies were on the beach.  Because today there were hundreds, maybe thousands of them, especially in one little cove area!  We discovered they are velella - a type of small  jellyfish that float on the surface of the ocean feeding on plankton.  When they wash up they die and distintegrate.  They have no means of mobility, only the wind blowing their little 'sail'.  Fascinating. 

Pat, Mom, John

Ging, Mom Mac, Mac, Pat:  Three cousins with Matriarch Mom!

Bandon Sunset Day 5

MONDAY, June 23

Beds and Lights!

    Today was a work day....of sorts!  We didn't get moving too quickly after breakfast, rather sitting and visiting.  Mom's back was bothering her some, so we tried to curtail her activity.  Ha!  She had to be right in there!  :)  Rick and Mac tackled the job of checking out the bed 'creaks'.  They ended up reinforcing the frame slats during which I got all the sheets washed so the mattress was flipped, the bed changed, and hopefully some of the kinks worked out.  Mac might bring down a good mattress he has if it doesn't sell.  

     I got a t-shirt tie dyed for Tommy or Tucker (I had one, needed another) and a sympathy card off to the Williams.  That took care of a couple items on MY list!  We went to 'quickly' switch the bulb in the bookcase light and that ended up a new ballast which was NOT easy for Mac to install.  But as a part of those trips into town, Mac got his shoe fixed at the cobbler's (well, the cobbler was gone so Mac fixed it himself for free with their tools.)  A visit to Cranberry Sweets for Mac to pick up goodies for Diane, grocery and post office.  A typical day of errands!  

     Dinner tonight was LEFTOVERS!!  We had enchiladas and Malayan to consume to clear out the fridge so we could even SEE what was in there!  Games later - we played Quiddler.  I won, but only because Mac got stuck two rounds in a row with big cards to eat.  MANY words were accepted between the Webster's Unabridged and my phone Scrabble app!  

 The whole sky lit up tonight at sunset! 

TUESDAY, June 24
BOARDS & BRAKES

Mom wanted me to try on
her wedding veil - all is being
donated to the local theater

Rick paints a very smelly dry-rot fungicide.

     Another beautiful morning on the beach!  But we should enjoy today because a storm is coming!  We mostly tackled a few more jobs from the list today, weeding, going through the trunk (wedding dress!), etc.  Rick got Mom's car in for the oil change and brake check (all is fine!) and then washed and waxed.  After lunch Rick got ahold of a contractor to check the boards on the south side (no use painting rotten wood later in the summer!).  Well, he came immediately and that job evolved into a mess!!  Not only the siding boards were punk, but the plywood underneath!  The worker will come back later, but in the meantime, Rick and Mac pulled everything off under the south windows, scraped off the rotten plywood, applied a dry-rot fungicide, and visqueened over it.  Naturally, after a week of no storms, rain is predicted for tomorrow!  

Mac serves up strawberry pie!

     Mac was making dinner tonight!  He spent the morning shopping and making his strawberry pie!  We had salmon, corn on the cob, red potatoes, sourdough bread, tossed salad, and pie!  Wow!  

Jelly 'blobs' on the beach

     I took a walk mid afternoon and because of the pending storm - no wind!  I walked south for the first time this visit - down to the state park where we often have beach suppers.  The beach today was filled with jelly 'blobs' and I still found some of the velellas....in more of a rotting condition.  There weren't alot of people on the beach and the fog was beginning to drift in.  I found several more letters in the sand after singing, "Now I've prayed my ABC's, show me God your words to me!"   I wanted to write FAITH (from the morning's devotion) and looked for F's.  I found three of them!!!  

FORGIVE God text

Seagulls on the rocks near the creek
outlet

     I am going to extend past a week here until Friday or Saturday when Mac leaves, Tom and Heather arrive and we have a natural 'break' in the visit!!  

WEDNESDAY, June 25
Anniversary Get-Away to Gold Beach

     A lazy morning as the rain first 'mists' and then falls!  Rick and Mac are at a stand-still on the south wall, although after a morning of conversation, they finally run out to the lumber yard to pick up wood before Rick and I leave.  Now Mac can at least get stuff cut and ready for Thursday's installation. Our biggest success of the morning was the purchase of 'bumpers' for the corners of the kitchen cupboard (for 30 years people have been killing their heads on those corners....most recently Mac the other night!)  We found some child safety products that would work!  
     Rick and I take off around 2pm for the hour drive down to Gold Beach.  It is a good thing we have driven the route before and weren't counting on vistas and new views!  Most of the time I couldn't see the ocean, and sometimes could barely see the edge of the trees as the cloud mist was so thick.  In and out of rain.  Everything sure looked green! 
     We find Azalea Lodge toward the south end of Gold Beach, get settled, and then take off to walk around.  It is just a very light rain, so no problem.....

Back at our room....time to peel off the wet clothes!

     One of the old elementary schools has been converted into the GoldCenter...art gallery, shops, fitness & dance studio, offices, etc.  The artwork was interesting and we learned the term giclee - a digital printing method for large size artwork.  Very high quality. 
     We mostly poked into the shops along 101.  Gold Beach doesn't really have the 'Old Towne' feel of Bandon as everything is located on the main highway.  But we found a myrtlewood shop and picked up a wedding gift.  Eventually we ended up at the Rogue River bridge area and the Jerry's Mailboat trip cluster of gift shop, museum, and restaurants.  When we came out of the museum, the rain had definitely picked up and we now had a good walk INTO the rain to walk back.  We got WET!!  

Elegant dining....hey it WAS good!

     We decided that our 'standard' dinner out sounded good, and once we got warm and dry we didn't want to head out again.  So....a stop at Ray's enroute back to the motel for dinner.  I won't say it was cheaper than a meal out, but we have 'left-overs' and we thoroughly enjoyed our elegant dining!  Paperbag made into tablecloth, washcloth napkins, plastic water glass wine goblets, a loaf of sourdough bread, two types of gourmet cheese (Kerrygold from Ireland and gouda), fake crab, sliced apple, and dark chocolate M&Ms for dessert!  WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK FOR????
     Azalea Lodge is old.  The walls are very thin and it is hard to find an outlet.  But the ceiling is wood, the walls are NOT white (a pale sea green), and everything is spotless clean.  Good enough!   It works!  Our 31st anniversary is actually in two weeks....Hawaii was our 'high class' celebration!  
     

THURSDAY, June 26
Back to Bandon, South Wall work
     Rain, rain!  A nice lazy morning, however!  We skip over to the office to grab a cup of coffee and breakfast.  Nothing much to cheer about, but Rick gets an English muffin and I make a little instant oatmeal.  I also cut up the peach I bought.  

The dredge ploughs the channel.

     We thought about a walk on the beach this morning, but it is blustery with a good south wind.  Not too appealing!  So we drive out to Oceanside Drive which runs between 101, the airport, and the ocean.  Out to the jetty where we see the dredge working to keep the port entry clear.  We stop to pick up some tuna from the fish market and then head north back up to Bandon!  Through rain around Humbug Mt, and find some sunshine in Bandon!  
     

Rick and Mac work on wall.

With the cleared skies and a relative reprieve, Rick and Mac tackle the wall after lunch.  It takes ALL afternoon to apply the patch, then the plywood board, layers of felt roofing material, caulk, more caulk (5 tubes in all!), and then the siding boards.  They ended up with a quality job, or as Mac said, "The rest of the house may leak, but this section of wall is TIGHT!"  While it didn't rain, the south wind was brutal in which to work.  

Beautiful final work - ready for paint! 

     I broiled our chicken in the oven to relieve Rick of the BBQ job outside and made fried potatoes for dinner.  Mac had made another strawberry pie in the morning.  We took two pieces over to Sabra and Mark after dinner!  
           


FRIDAY, June 27
Goodbye to Mac!

After breakfast pose before Mac leaves

     A leisurely breakfast as Mac didn't seem to be in a hurry to hit the road! It was nice!  He left to head back up to Allyn by 9:30 or so, with intended stops to pick up a few items along the way.  (Called at 8:30p to say he had arrived!) 
     Mom and I drove down to the store, bank, and hardware store to pick up items for dinner and a new showerhead for the guest bathroom.  Then after lunch I spent several hours down in the basement working on the t-shirt dresses I want to try out.  I thought they came out pretty well!  It was raining at the point when I considered a walk on the beach, so I just kept sewing!  

     After dinner the rain had stopped so I did get down to the beach then.  I found a few more letters ....only missing an N, a Q, and a Z.  Not bad!  I found the N and Z the other day, but they were backwards and I couldn't get my photo programs to flip them!  I'll keep looking! (Found a spot on my phone camera where I can do it!)   ..... The beach was messy.  The high tide line was covered with the velella in various stages of rot (skeletons to freshly washed up), lots of seaweed 'bubbles', pieces of succulent plants from rocks, etc.  I walked south down to the river, but because I had my shoes on I didn't cross today.  Not the best walking, but not terrible either.  Hope to head down in the morning at low tide.  
     Game of Quiddler with Mom tonight....probably my BEST score ever at 352!!!  Mom had a noble comeback to 220 after a HORRIBLE start!  Hopefully this will atone for my dismal showing in Spite and Malice!  
     This will wrap up my Week 1-Plus Post.  Tomorrow new guests arrive.  I have the sheets all changed, the rugs shaken, floor swept, and hopefully all ready for Heather, Tom, and little Matty!