Fun During Our Snowmageddon!

First thing in the morning they were both out playing.  Running, jumping and squealing around the yard.

Then while Clayton took a nap, we were out again playing.

This was the perfect place to dry our boots and gloves.

 

 Hot chocolate was a tasty way to warm up our insides.

Then it started to snow again......

 

 

 Time to go out and play again!

Snowball fight!!

 

 

They were back out again after dark.   I think they were in and out about 7 different times throughout the day.  And we got about 6 inches of snow, which is totally unheard of for this area. 

Everything was so beautiful with the snow, and we feel very thankful and blessed to have been able to enjoy  this rare storm.

 

 

But alas after our 6 inches of snow, the forecast turned to endless days of rain..... ok, not quit endless.
Our fun was about to be washed away.

Snowmageddon and Getting Aunt Di to the Airport

So the day came when Aunt Di had to return to the East; as in Ohio.   After hearing the weatherman mutter and sputter about the great white death that was to come we decided to leave early; that and we wanted to check out a little restaurant that served Bubble Tea.  We loaded up the Yukon and headed over the coastal mountains to the "weird" city of Portland.  Once we got into the city, it started to snow and traffic really began to slow down.   We found our Bubble Tea place and stopped to try it.   Interesting stuff!!

Then it was a mad rush, at a snail's pace to get Aunt Di to the airport. The snow kept falling and the traffic kept getting slower.  She did catch her Portland flight, only to miss her connecting flight...eventually she did make it back into Cincinnati.   We on the other hand spent a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes in the car.  Yes,  almost 11 hours in the car for a round-trip that usually takes about 4 hours.  We did stop at a doughnut shop and buy a dozen; everything goes better with a little sugar in your system!  Meanwhile, the snow kept falling.  Just before leaving the last of civilization we stopped at Little Caesars and bought supper;  munching and crunching and slipping and sliding toward home.


Here's a couple pictures of our adventurous travels. 

Meanwhile, the snow just kept falling.  We were all super glad to arrive home safe and sound! 

Wave Taunting ~ Wave Racing

One of our favorite things to do is go to the beach and hang out.  The coast is such a fun place to explore and investigate; no two visits are the same.  The calmness/turbulence of the water, direction of  the wind, position of the tide, roaring/quiet sound of the waves, condition of the sand, vessels on the water, shells, rocks and other "treasures" on the sand-it's always new, constantly changing. 

Our family has had many moments of great fun. Happy squeals and lots of giggles are heard while we are racing and taunting the waves.  We have also had our share of water filled boots and wet clothes when we underestimated the speed of a wave. 

 

These are a collection of photos from different trips to the beach.



Wave Racing is all about waiting, watching, listening, and waiting some more.  It's all about judging the speed and distance of the wave and learning that the ocean is never predictable. 

It's about watching the wave build, standing steady and still, anticipating, waiting until just the right moment.

 It's about knowing when to move and how fast.   It's about learning from your mistakes and not crying over wet clothes and sloshing boots.

 It's about trying it over and over again.

Sometimes it's about being rescued and carried.

 Wave Racing is a serious sport with a twist of excitement.  It's about the assessing the risk, knowing the danger* and taking a chance.    (*danger = water filled boots and soaked pants)

 

Wave Taunting is fun, enjoyable and entertaining. It happens when you race those waves with "attitude".  It's that "catch me if you can" mentality.  Wave taunting happens more on sunny days, when the breeze is warmer and the waves are calmer and the feet are bare.

"A trip to the beach can cure any bad mood"  unknown

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” – Jacques Yves Cousteau

 



“The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul.” – Wyland

Experiencing the Pacific

Of course multiple trips to the beach are in order.  This was Aunt Di's first time to the great Pacific.

Here she is doing a little writing in the sand.... all in another language.

 

 Oceanside Beach headed toward the tunnel.

 

 

Tunnel Beach

Another log rescue.  Attempting to put it back to sea. 

 Back through the tunnel to Oceanside Beach.

We've heard that Oceanside is a good beach to find agates, so we were on the lookout.  This one was found by Carson.  We gave it to Aunt Di.

 I found this one... it's a baby agate.

Then it was off to the Cape Meares Lighthouse.

 

Enjoying a sunset from Cape Meares.

 

 

We also took her to explore Bayocean.  I blogged about that here.

 

This is from the top of the dunes at Bayocean looking back toward Tillamook.

As we approached the beach we could see footprints in the wet sand and counted 17 roses strewn along the shoreline.  Sobering, thought-provoking, and fascinating- O how I wished to know the story behind these roses.

We collected shells and climbed around on drift wood and enjoyed the sunshine.

This is the Tillamook Bay, as seen from The Fish Peddler.

 

 

And then after two weeks of visiting it was time to take Aunt Di back to the airport and send her on her way.  The trip to and from Portland was certainly and adventure.  We discovered Bubble Tea,  she was almost late catching her flight, we spend a total of 10.45 hours in the car (it should have been a simple 4 hours).  She missed her connecting flight..... but that's all for another post.