Rembolds on the Road: July 2014

Monday, July 14, 2014

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!

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Week 3 Summer in Bandon 2014: Wadzinskis Plus

SUNDAY, July 6
The Wadzinski's Arrive!

Liz and her crew left today around 1:30, after Grandma could proudly introduce her newest great-grands to the congregation and a quick bite of lunch! Then it was time to kick into high gear and prepare for the arrival later in the afternoon of Karen and Tom, plus their three boys. Beds changed, sheets washed, floors vacuumed, etc. It really didn't take that long, except for waiting for the washing machine and dryer to process the 4 loads of laundry!! (We had to completely strip the downstairs bed so a little extra to wash!)
It was a beautiful afternoon and I was going to take a walk, but by the time I talked with Rick and talked with Luke, it was too late. Today Luke and the PYGS were flying to LA for the start of their mission trip in Hollywood. Unfortunately, the plane sprung a leak, and they couldn't get re-scheduled until 7:45 PM - a major difference from their original 9AM flight!! I finally got a text from Luke at 9:45 saying they were boarding the plane in Oakland bound for LA - at last!
Karen and Tom arrived at 5:15pm. The lasagna wasn't done....again! I should make a note NEVER to cook it from a frozen state as it does NOT cook even within an hour of the stated cook time for frozen! Or...perhaps part of it is the sad state of Mom's oven. We think the thermostat may be a little off. But....the boys were itching to get down to the beach anyway, so we took a half hour detour while the lasagna got a little warmer! The sunshine of afternoon switched to a bank of fog around 3pm which was weird. We couldn't even see any of the rocks at one point! On the beach we looked east and saw plenty of blue sky, but not right along the shoreline!
Good dinner of conversation, a game of Sequence for Tom and the boys, and a relatively early bedtime (not midnight tonight for me! Hurray!) Wish I could say I took some pictures, but I haven't yet!! Tomorrow!!

MONDAY, July 7
Beach, Tie Dye, and Crabbing!

Tom is ready to head
to the beach!

Wow! We packed alot into today! The boys had been promised beach time, so Tom took them down this morning while Mom, Karen and I ran into town for a little grocery shopping, check out the Creamery, and pick up some t-shirts to tie dye. We finally located some shirts (not easy in Bandon!), got some salmon and sole for dinner (courtesy of Wadzinski's!), asked a few crabbing questions, etc.

Wadzinski family on the beach!

James explores the anenomes.

After lunch it was low tide so we headed down to the beach to check things out. This was NOT a great day or a particularly low tide! The north wind was blowing fiercely so the sand was biting, there wasn't much of excitement on the beach (the velellas have stopped coming), and we couldn't walk around Tunnel Rock (we could walk inside it however!) We found some anenomes, but no starfish. Got a good Wadzinski family picture.

James made a rainbow shirt.

Mid afternoon was tie dye time! I found a white shirt that I could use for a sample, and the boys went to it! They are excited to see their 'results'. I was very impressed with the care each took to apply the dye, including James at age 4 1/2. We'll wash them out after lunch tomorrow and get a modeling picture!

Martin applies the dye.

Early dinner and boy was it a great one! Salmon and sole (the latter particularly for Luke and James), coucous, string beans, salad, and bread. It was a group effort! Tom cooked the salmon on the grill, Karen prepared the sole and coucous, I did the salad, and James and Mom fixed the green beans. Mom also made some brownies for dessert while we were down on the beach earlier.

James helps Mom Mac
prepare the beans.

We ate the dinner early so we could be down at the docks shortly after 6 as the high tide was rolling in. Martin and Luke were our 'official' crabbers, as under 14 doesn't need a shellfish license. Martin wasn't really that interested, but Luke was the most animated I've ever seen him. He really enjoyed it. Did all the tossing of the rings, pulling them back up, and eventually we even got a picture with him holding the crab. (Karen has that in her

Luke tosses in a ring.

phone....it might be posted later!) Luke can identify males and females and in general, thoroughly seemed to enjoy himself! James enjoyed wearing the huge thick gloves. Martin was cold I think! We ended up skunked, but we did pull up enough to measure (the closest we had to success was a male that missed by 1/4"!) and practice holding on to. I got pinched pretty good on my middle finger left hand - still can't figure out how that crab got her pincher turned around that far! We are going to head back down in the morning with the crab pot and leave it out for awhile during the day. We have plenty of bait left for it.

Luke models by the crab near
the crabbing dock; Martin and
James were in the car!

Boys played hard down on the beach before dinner and were bushed when we got home. Early to bed. Karen, Mom, Tom and I stayed up for awhile looking at photo albums, etc.

TUESDAY, July 8
Old Town Plus Crab Pot

Crab pot is almost bigger than Luke!

So....up early to head straight down to Old Town with Luke and put the crab pot into the water down at the dock. We put both fish and chicken into it. A guy we met walking in told us the crabbing was great - 'pulling the pot up every 15 minutes!' Luke wanted to pull it up once before we headed back for breakfast, so we walked down around the boat basin briefly to kill a little time. The result was two crabs, both female, one of which was almost a keeper.

Boys all help rinse out their own shirts on the back lawn.

Sourdough pancakes and blackberry syrup for breakfast! I cooked up two batches of pancakes and they ALL disappeared! Mom Mac made bacon to go along with and everyone seemed to enjoy. After breakfast Luke, Mom, and I headed back down to the docks, dropping Mom off at the church. Luke and I were skunked!! Disappointed and needing to kill a little time before picking Mom back up, we drove out to the jetty to look around. When we got back to the house, Luke thought surely it was time to rinse out yesterday's tie dye projects. So we did! With great success!
Boys played down on the beach the rest of the morning. I used up the remaining sourdough starter on a batch of bread. After lunch it was time to hit Old Town (and check the pot again!) We parked near the dock. The water was quite rough as Luke, Tom, and I went out to pull up the pot. We got soaked with the waves crashing over the edge of the dock! And alas, just one keeper crab....female! :( No crab to eat tonight,but it was fun to get the equipment out and Luke certainly enjoyed it.)

Selfie at
Cranberry Sweets:
skinny mirror!

Time to sample our way through Cranberry Sweets and the Creamery. Karen had promised the boys ice cream, so we bought the 'child size' - oh my goodness! HUGE portions!! For $1.75 and a waffle cone. The portions for the double were sinful - nearly a half gallon I swear! Next time I will order a child size in a bowl with an extra bowl and share it!

This was CHILD size!!!

Tom headed home with the boys while Karen and I walked up to the Wool Company Store near the 101 corner, then back down to the dock parking. We stopped for beans on the way home to finish off our dinner menu. Got home to find that Mom had made cookies....again! (In addition to tonight's meat loaf!) I made fried red potatoes. Fresh bread, jello salad as well as tossed, plus fresh green beans. A regal meal!
Evening of good conversation, picture viewing, and reminiscing. The boys maximized their beach time today in spite of 20-30mph winds and cool temps.

Modeling our new shirts before dinner

Parting shot of Mom and the Wadzinskis!

WEDNESDAY, July 9
(HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, RICK!)
Goodbye Wadzinskis.....Pause!!
A busy morning as Karen and crew pack up, the boys head back to the beach after breakfast, and we scan the house several times to make sure everything that needs to go is in the rental car! A bit tearful goodbye for Karen (those Walker genes - wish I could say I was totally dry eyed!) She said Mom brought her dad back to life for her - 'they talk the same, same mannerisms, everything, Ginger!' This visit really meant alot to her I think. We sure enjoyed it! By 10 am they were on their way north, heading to Portland and tomorrows flight back to the East coast.
And then....Mom and I kinda crashed....moderately. I took the time to catch up on my journal book, writing and pasting in pictures. After lunch (and a card game - we hadn't played in over a week!!!), Mom drove down for a haircut appointment that proved to be tomorrow instead of today. (Oops!) So, she called to change it to 10am and we will stop there enroute to Coos Bay tomorrow.

View south from Coquille Point

My beach anniversary card for Rick

Nice walk on the beach this afternoon - clear down to the big turn on the road and then around Coquille Point where I dropped down to the beach to walk the shoreline back to the house. The skies cleared today and the ocean was a beautiful blue. Poor Karen - the skies fogged over two hours before she arrived and cleared as she was leaving this morning! :(
We got all the laundry down, downstairs beds changed, fresh towels out. Just need to make the upstairs guest beds and we will be ready for our Friday night arrivals.
Dinner of leftover meat loaf and a huge salad! I talked with Rick tonight and he sent me pictures of the hike we took "together" today! Plus the fish we will enjoy later this month!!
Early to bed!!!!!

THURSDAY, July 10
Coos Bay Shopping Run!

Near Devil's Kitchen

Well, I wish I could say I have tons of exciting things to write for today, but......no. We went to Coos Bay to do some major shopping. Eight stops including a haircut for Mom as we left Bandon and Sizzler for lunch: Dollar Tree, Carpet place, Wal-Mart, Bi-Mart, Freddies and Joanne's fabrics. Mom picked up a new mattress topper for her bed and lots of groceries, some of them items she didn't really need to restock (plenty of JELLO around here!)
Once we got back I head down for a walk on the beach - going south to the Devil's Kitchen wayside where I swung up to Beach Loop and a walk on the road back up to the house. I was looking for letters most of the way - both beach and flora style! I decided that God has poor handwriting along the woodlands....much harder to find defined letters!
Good conversations with Marg and Liz tonight and early to bed!

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Wk 2 Summertime in Bandon: Taylors & Simmons!

SATURDAY, June 28
Taylors Arrive!!

This morning is the lowest tide possible while I am in Bandon and the hour is accommodating at 7:30 am!!! I was going to head down a little earlier, but it was drizzling and didn't look very inviting. I'm glad I went!! I was able to walk around the ocean side of Tunnel Rock and find STAR FISH and ANENOMES!!! It made me feel better to know that they hadn't ALL disappeared! The sun looked like it would break through the clouds at one point, but when I turned to head back south to the house, I discovered the sun had disappeared and the mist was from the south! Yes, I once again got wet!! Oh well!

Our morning is then spent lazily playing a few games as we assemble a menu and shopping list and then grocery shopping while Rick repaired a leak in the front gutter. We also installed a handtowel rack in the guest bathroom. Ready for Tom and Heather and Matty to arrive!!

Uncle Rick spends some time with Matty

WOW! That must have been a whirlwind time because it is now Tuesday morning and I have just remembered my blog was forgotten! What focus is given to a little man 4 1/2 months old!! :)

Grandma Mac with one of her new great-grandsons!

Tom is a pretty proud papa!

The Taylor crew arrived around 3:45, Matty having slept much of the trip. He is a good little traveler according to Tom. We circled around the star of the show in the living room until dinner time, visiting and getting acquainted with the newest Taylor.

Lasagna dinner and a little time for Rick to play with Matt - and finish getting Rick ready to leave in the morning. We took a short walk on the beach to introduce Matt to the ocean, but he fell asleep by the time we hit the bottom of the stairway!

I tried a new setting on the phone for Saturday's sunset so I
could capture ALL the sky!

SUNDAY, June 29 - MONDAY, June 30

Tom and Matty

Two days spent with church, walks on the beach, playing games, etc!! Tom and Heather took Matt down to the beach on Sunday afternoon, but the wind was so strong and the tide high that it wasn't a very pleasant walk (they went south first and walked into the wind coming back - ugh!) Matty enjoyed baths in the kitchen sink, and Monday when he did get his toes in the ocean, he was so laid back. No cry, just a .... what are you doing to me? look.

We played Heather's family game, Kings in the Corners, which was fun. This is NOT my trip to do well in games other than Quiddler! Mom has been winning everything!

Tom and Matty reading a book.

Tom and Heather went to Old Town on Monday and clam chowder at lunch on the docks. Heather thought the ice cream cones at the creamery were wonderful! HUGE scoops she says!

Grandma Mac gets another chuckle.

Mom and I picked up peaches and made the pie recipe Mac used with peaches instead of strawberries. It didn't set up quite as well, but it sure tasted good!!

Matty just chillin' in Grandpa's
big chair.

Random pictures from the past two days:

Sunday night sunset from lower lawn.

That sun is really bright, Mom!

Tom gets Matty's feet wet in the Pacific!

Posing on the beach!

Mom and our peach pie

Matty gets to dance on the table!

Sunset Monday night

TUESDAY, July 1

Matty ready to play on the beach!

Well, I wish I could say we were highly productive today, but Tom and Heather really just wanted a day to RELAX!! Matty did get the chance to play in the water again AND play in the warm sand. He was rather ambivalent at this point. :) We watched the USA World Cup soccer game, I got most of my Christmas gift bags for the nativity sets made, and we played Quiddler again! (A come from behind victory for Ginger!)

Velella MESS piling up!

Coquille River lighthouse from jetty road

I did take an extended walk late afternoon as part of my Weight Watcher check-in. I drove down to Coquille Point, walked around the point and up the beach to the jetty, down to Old Town, and back up to the Senior Center at the park for WW. Talked to Rick on the phone from Old Town up to WW! The beach was beautiful - warm and not much wind. Many people out enjoying the good weather - LOTS of tourists! The beach was messy - still alot of velellas along the high tide lines - piling up in places.
My weigh in was not particularly good, so I came home and made another salad! (No jello for me!) Time to get this in line!

WEDNESDAY, July 2

Taylors and Mom Mac - obligatory departure photo!!

Transition day!

Tom and Heather and Matty left this morning around 9am, after the obligatory picture in front of the fireplace! Matty was in very good humor this morning! Hopefully that will hold for a good drive over to Roseburg and then home.

"Maid's Quarters" all ready to go! Love it!

Spent about an hour changing beds, washing sheets, etc. Got the basement cleaned up and ready to go, including making up my room in the study and sweeping out the shop for Liz and Dave. I even put a mint on each pillow....for the classy motel effect!
Visited with Liz to confirm arrival times and Marg called Mom at the same time to check in after their trip to Russia. Susie came to clean the house this morning which saved us a little vaccuming, dusting, etc. I did ask Susie about the shower and she said Mom's showers were the easiest she has to clean, so I will wax them both this afternoon perhaps after she has cleaned them! Apparently the wax helps alot....in fact, Susie wanted to know about it to recommend to others!

Seals on the rocks

After lunch I headed down to the beach so I could get around the point before high tide rolled in. It was a breezy northwind again and not nearly as warm as yesterday, but a good walk. I prayed my ABC's on the way down, found several additional letters, including the ones I hoped for to complete my devotion for the day! Beautiful waves, gulls, and I even saw a few seals sunning themselves on the rocks by Coquille Point. Mostly was overwhelmed by the velella debris - what a mess and they are still washing in with every high tide!

Helping Susie scrub a spot on the kitchen floor!
Mom took a picture with a phone!

Mom and I realized while eating dinner (and playing a game of Spite and Malice!) that this is probably the first time that we have been at the Bandon house - just the two of us - EVER! Always before Rick has been here, or my dad, or the boys with me, etc. It seemed almost QUIET this afternoon and evening - the calm before the storm!
So we took advantage and played some Spite and Malice (I actually closed the gap up to just a 2 point difference!), a round of Kings in the Corner (dismal showing on my part!), and finally finished off the evening with Quiddler, at which I finally championed! Whew! Downstairs now in my little room watching the crescent moon sink into the ocean. Awesome. G'night.

Tonight's sunset redeemed the skies from last night's dismal showing!

Thursday, July 3
Lull Between the Storms....

Mom Mac and Tyler

Basically today was fairly lazy until 6:15 when Liz and company arrived! Mom made cookies this morning and after lunch I tried out Sullie's gluten free PB cookies with nutella. I only sampled a half, but it was pretty good! We went grocery shopping to stock up the larder, but not knowing what Liz was bringing, we'll have to go back! I made another big salad!

Finally! At the beach!

Walk on the beach to guarantee Mom would take a nap and she conked out! Big game news is that I overtook Mom today in Spite & Malice, which is amazing considering I was once 30 points behind!

Tucker carries a velella on
his sand shovel back to the sea

Liz, Dave, Doug, Tommy, and Tucker arrived at 6:15ish and we had just barely finished dinner when Gretchen, Shawn, and Tyler pulled in. We scrambled to give them a little food too! Tommy mostly just wanted to go to the beach, so we took them down for a short play after dinner. Tucker had seen my pictures of the velellas and he wanted to put them back into the water! Just like the starfish story of saving one or two!

Tucker and his
little bro' Tyler

An early bedtime as everyone was beat...Doug and Tommy's plane was delayed and they didn't get in to Portland until 3am last night! Agh!

Friday, July 4
Independence Day Fun!

Tiedye patriots!

Everyone was up and moving faster than anticipated this morning. I enjoyed the luxury of waking up to a brightly lit room and reading for a half hour! While the status of the study 'bed' is questionable (the foam is basically shot I think!), the view out the window more than makes up for it! Everyone grabbed whatever breakfast they wanted and around 9, Mom and I headed downtown to stake out a spot along 101 for the parade. We got our 7 chairs lined up, figuring the boys could sit on the curb.

Gretchen & Tyler (with Tucker photobombing!)

The rest of the crew arrived sooner than expected which meant for a bit of a wait. Tucker, Shawn, Liz and I played tag on the grass behind us. I figured I got a pretty good workout! Tommy is still adjusting to the new situation and the long flight across country. He just wanted to cuddle with his daddy. I was hoping for a picture of all four of us, but had to settle for just Tucker, Tyler and I in our patriotic tie dye shirts!

Gretchen, Mom Mac, and Liz

A good parade and the boys made a pretty good 'haul' in candy! Tommy got into the spirit of the parade once he figured out what was happening! I managed to mess up my camera, so I don't have many picture of the parade and activities in the park. We went to the park for hamburger lunch, courtesy of the Lions Club, a visit to the craft show in The Barn (I bought a baby gift for Andrea Conklin and Gretchen got Tyler a cute camo hat!) The boys played on the equipment in the playground and took a turn in the bouncy house!

Mom Mac with Tyler

Back to the house for naps! Everyone (although Doug said Tommy never really went to sleep!) I took advantage and cuddled up in my scenic room and actually just read a novel! Wow! Very nice! We made spaghetti for dinner and then a visit to the beach for Gretchen, Liz, Doug, Tucker, Tommy and I. We walked, much to the boys chagrine! But I managed to lure them along with a treasure hunt for shells and feathers, the excitement of stirring up the seaweed to unlesh a hoard of sand fleas, and then a wild game of 'stomp my snake' with a 16' long piece of kelp! FUN! We promised the boys some prolonged sandcastle building beach time tomorrow during low tide!

Gretch helps cook the spaghetti!

Drove down to the church and parked to walk out to the old hospital grounds and the overlook across the river channel to the lighthouse. They fire off the fireworks from the north side of the river. But we got there about an hour early. Lots of local fireworks being shot off. Tommy didn't like the noise and went to sleep in Doug's arms long before the real thing started. We had a nice chat with a couple from Santa Fe (and originally near Cleveland, OH) who are renting the flattop white house just below us! But....the show was worth the wait, and I should text Luke and tell him I appreciated the flashlight app on my phone

Tommy, Liz, and Tucker play in the surf

because we used it to get Grandma Mac back across the rough ground and to the car in the dark!

A good day!!

Tucker borrowed my snake for a turn!

Tyler gives Grandma Liz the eye....Yes, he did get sunburned today!

All set up for the fireworks!

Sunset today is over the south jetty area - tide is still close to high!

SATURDAY, July 5
Farmer's Market and Beach Time!! Sparklers!
Today was a gorgeous summer day at the beach with gentle breezes, temps in the mid 60's, and a low tide around noon. Clear blue skies! We got up leisurely enjoying cinnamon rolls and fresh cantaloupe. The guys took the boys to the Cheese Factory while the gals went to the Farmer's Market, the grocery store, The Creamery and the Quilt Shop! Fun morning picking up a few items and checking out the crafts at the market. Liz had a credit at the quilt shop so we picked up a couple of patterns and some fabric (Liz, not me! I cannot BUY fabric!)
After lunch Liz and I headed down to the beach with Tucker and Tommy. Doug joined us for a short while and then went to do some school work. We built a castle, used our snake for a moat creature (perfect size!), and the boys got soaked in the ocean waves! Tommy just laid down on his belly, and Tucker was trying to put his head into the water upsidedown! Quiet time when we got back! In the meantime, Gretchen and Grandma Mac went down to the dog show. Gretchen had a friend who was showing her malamute. They had fun.
Sparklers after dinner and then a game of dominoes to close out the night. I talked with both Luke and Rick during the evening also. I'll share most of the day with pictures....

Tucker and Shawn sample Face Rock Creamery ice cream!

Liz joins Tommy and Doug at the Creamery.

Grandma Liz and her grandsons play with 'The Snake".

Doug helps Tommy and Tucker with the castle.

Tucker and Liz get the castle blocks just right.

Tucker defends his castle!

Tommy just enjoyed the beach!

Completed sandcastle. The Snake just fit into the moat circle.

Silly Tucker....getting a fine view!

Dave explains the safety necessary for sparklers.

Tucker shows off his sparkler.

The Sparkler Gallery! Tommy wasn't too sure about them.

Tommy finally gets into the show.....

Cheesy grin from Tucker!

Tommy wanted to dump the bucket of water....so we let him!

Doug and his nephew Tyler. Nice Tie-dye, Ty!

SUNDAY, July 6
Departure day for the Simmons clan

So....this wild party ended after church today, as the two cars of Simmons/Walkers headed north to Portland area. But we had to kick into high gear to get the house ready for Karen and Tom and boys! But before everyone left, we did get some group pictures!! Mandatory!!