Sacagawea Slept Here!!!

It's been a long time since Lewis and Clark set foot here and there are very few remnants left of their presence.  Yesterday, we toured downtown Seaside looking for presents of the gifty kind for the Chance granddaughter, then continued a short distance North to check out where Sacagawea slept.

We parked at one end of Broadway Street, walking across the finger of saltwater that recedes to mud when the tide goes out, and admired the beautiful flower baskets hanging around town.  It's rather early and many businesses are closed.  One sign said they opened at 11ish!!!

The carousel is still here, inside a huge building surrounded by small shops with mostly trinkets and T-shirt gifts.  Be sure to check out the Man Cave store, the 50's Diner and the Candy Store with all kinds of sweets you can't find anywhere else.

These hydrangeas caught my eye immediately.  They are called City Line, the Mars variety.  I call them GORGEOUS!!

At the end of Broadway is the turnaround at the beach where the kite festival is held every year.

This is what it looked like in the 30's and 40's.  Not much difference except the Aquarium has moved down the street to the left and hotels have taken it's place.

This statue of Lewis and Clark has been added to the center ......

along with loads of beautiful landscaping!!

As we turned the corner and headed back East toward the car, our favorite restaurant is just a few steps from the turnaround.  Tsunami Sandwich Company has GREAT sandwiches!!!

After putting away the gifties and making a quick puppy-check, we headed north to the site of Fort Clatsop.  This is where Lewis and Clark spent the winter on the coast after arriving at the mouth of the Columbia River and being stuck at Dismal Nitch in a bad storm.  The original fort was built on the ground, and between the rain and fog, began to rot almost as fast as it was built.  Within a couple years after they left, minus some of the materials the Indians borrowed, the land was homesteaded, the fort burned and the entire forest chopped down to make way for fields. 

The Historical Society finally took control and talked the National Park Service into rescuing the site, whereupon they built a replica of the fort from drawings Clark had made on the cover of one of his journals.  

There are several gentlemen here, dressed in the digs of the day who can answer any questions you might have, as well as tell stories about the Corps of Discovery.

In 2005, a small ember from one of the fireplaces made it's way into the floor and overnight, the entire fort burned to the ground.  The Historical Society, along with many volunteers, completely rebuilt the fort you see today.  It's a GREAT site with history oozing out of every corner and is definitely a must-see!!!

Sacagawea slept here ... well actually in the room next door ... with her translator husband and her baby boy.  You can walk in her steps down to the ocean where they first landed their canoes.  At almost the exact place we were flying kites in Seaside, they set up a salt station, boiling saltwater until they collected enough to make the return trip home.

You can even take your picture with Sacagawea standing right beside you.  Remember I said this area was deforested by the original homesteader??  All the trees you see here were replanted by the Forest Service, returning the area back to its original state.

There's a nice visitor's center with a large map showing the entire trip of the Corps of discovery, along with small replicas of the three forts they built along the way.  Your National Park Pass will get you in free.

It's raining hard this morning as I write this blog, but there are two Farmers/Craft Markets this weekend we want to see.   First will be Ilwaco Washington, and on Sunday, the HUGE one in Astoria, just a few short miles North of us, so NO kite flying for a few days.   You are probably tired of hearing about kites anyway!!!  Now if I can just find an umbrella so I can stay dry!!

Getting Mail On The Road .....

I never realized it was such a problem to get mail on the road.  Not that it's actually been a problem, but more of a nuisance!!  My permanent address is at a UPS store so I don't have to worry about someone stealing my mail or paying someone to pick it up at my house.  That part has worked out well ... except when I'm home, I have to make the 5 mile trip at least once a week.

Being on the road is another story.  My escrow papers had to be sent by UPS for tracking purposes, and since I couldn't find a store here in Seaside, I had them mailed to Warrenton, a 20 minute trip down the road.  I was looking at another 20 minute trip ... and time out from my "busy" schedule of kite flying, to get the papers returned.

I looked for a drop box in Seaside, but finding none, headed to the Pendleton Outlet Store ... and what should I find directly across the street in the alley, but a UPS store.  Tiny, but a UPS store nonetheless.  YAY!!!  Not only did I get the papers sent off, but I can have my mail delivered to them, all of four blocks from where I'm staying!!

I imagine over time, I will know where every UPS store is along the coast, as well as the best places to eat and where to get fuel.  Now if I can just remember them all!!!!

Once that was accomplished, I hung up my $50 shirt that I paid $16 for, worked on the loom and played with the puppies.  Finally at 2:30 I headed to the beach with Nick and Terry for another Revolution kite flying lesson.  I need LOTS of them!!!

I definitely think it would help if we had a little more wind because even my super ultra light kite kept falling out of the sky.  There's supposed to be a storm coming in during the next couple of days ... not that I want to be out there with a kite when there's lightning around ... but maybe that will shake things up a little!!

After a couple hours, I was pretty tired since I had walked the 400 yards to the beach in very deep sand TWICE when I dropped my kite handle and didn't realize it.  I was almost too tired for the GREAT barbecued chicken Dan cooked!!

Me thinks today will be a rest day in preparation for expected winds of OVER 10 mph because 5 mph just isn't cutting it!!!

Shopping, Kites and STEAK!!!

You might not think those three things go together well, but they made for a great day yesterday!!  Patty Chance and I took off early to check out the Outlets, heading directly for the "Kitchen" store.  It's funny how I never think I need anything until I get inside and walk around a little!!  With a mini stir fry pan, a pan for biscuits and some miscellaneous magnets, we decided it was better to leave while we still had some cash in our pockets.

There are some "different" enterprises here ... we made a quick stop at the Nature Store, where we found loads of rocks, animal skulls and hot wheels(?).  Seems he buys collections of anything!!  From there we stopped in at Lyles Garden Center for some gravel, only to find lion head bunnies.

Probably not the type of creatures you would expect in a garden center, but they had rats ... this one is HUGE, about 8 inches around and sleeping in his hamster wheel ... ringneck parakeets, cockatiels and some really weird leaf-looking critters.  I didn't purchase anything here ... that's a good thing, right????

Star Furniture company was just around the corner from Bank Of America where I went to get the rest of my notarized signatures for FREE!!  What a nice owner .... who specializes in "beachy" stuff for your home, like this crazy chair covered in seashell material!!  My house is a little too Cowboy for these, but they sure were "purdy"!!

Back in the sale area, I found this great little wood bench/table for a price I couldn't refuse.  It's a perfect fit for my motorhome ... or my house for that matter!!

After lunch, we fed our new kite addiction by taking to the beach with Terry and Nick.  The wind was iffy ... in fact, I couldn't really tell which way it was coming from.  Dan got his snapshot up immediately and skimmed our heads as we tried to get ours aloft.  Nick took the time to show me all about my new Revolution Vented kite and gave me lots of great tips before setting his up.  

I didn't get very far however, since my vented kite is made for strong wind.  What little we had, died down considerably.  Although I could get it up in the sky, it immediately fell to the ground.  Instead of getting terribly frustrated, I just put it away.  There will always be another windy day!!  Terry flew her non-vented Revolution and did an amazing job, as did Nick, but the wind just wasn't there, so we called it a day.

There was just enough time to hit the Northwest Winds Kite Store before dinner, and lucky for me, I got a parking spot right at the door.  That's a feat in itself during summer vacation time!!  I talked to Ted the Manager for some time about the different kites, what wind they can fly in and why.  Who knew there was so much to learn about kites??  As a kid, I couldn't get ANY kite to fly, so this has become a real challenge for me!!

About that time, who should walk in the door but Nick and Terry!!  No surprise there!!!  We're all stuck like glue to THIS new adventure!!  We learned all about kite frames, wind and line extensions from an enthusiastic Ted before I walked out with a Super Ultralite Revolution.  I now own THREE and can fly in ANY wind conditions ... or maybe it's CRASH in any wind conditions!!  

While at the counter, I also asked about any handheld wind meters ... and sure enough, right there was the WeatherFlow.  Just download the app to your I-Phone, plug it in and it will give you accurate wind directions and readings.  How cool is THAT???  Yup ... it came home with me!!  Before Terry and Nick left, he had traded his as yet unused Revolution for a much prettier red and black model.

Back at the rig, I was just in time to stick my piece of corn on the BBQ as Dan finished up the steaks. Patty rounded out the meal with salad and a squash medley ... she's such a GREAT chef!!  It was just another amazing day on the Oregon Coast!!!

World Problems NOT Solved!!

It was mostly a stay-at-home day yesterday.  Nick and Terry Russell were moving up from Whalers Rest to the same park we are at, so we scouted out some sites for them.  As usual, the people who said they were leaving at 11:00 (perfect timing) pulled in front of my rig at 9:30 to hook up.  By 10:30 I was parked in their space, keeping an eye on one other.  In case you were wondering, the Ranger said you can stand or park in a site, but if someone wants it, you have to give it up.

No histrionics this time, and Nick pulled in at noon, able to chose the best site based on satellite reception.  In the meantime, Patty and Dan went to Warrenton to visit friends while I located the local UPS office to pick up escrow papers on the ranch.

I thought I would just sign them in front of the UPS notary and ship them off, but I was mistaken.  Have you ever gone through those packages of paper???  Yikes!!  I finally decided this was going to take a day or two to process and headed home.  The BIG question involves giving the State of California and the Feds their money UP FRONT!!!  Since this has been a rental for years, depreciated here and there, involves several step-up's in value and other craziness, I finally threw up my hands and called my accountant.

Long story short, I'm going to be out $60,000 in taxes!!!  HOLY CRIMINY BATMAN!!!  Here my family worked all their lives and paid thousands upon thousands for property taxes, scrimped and saved every penny in order to be able to keep the ranch ... and just when we are going to sell and hopefully live off the profits, they take ONE THIRD out of our pocket!!!  That's our good old government for you ... take from those who work hard and pay their taxes, to give to those who refuse to work, live on WELFARE and pay NO TAXES!!!

It's a good thing Nick and Terry stopped in and asked me to dinner ... I was just about to explode trying to navigate the pile of paperwork!!  On our way out, Patty and Dan drove in, so we all hot-footed it to El Trio Loco (formerly Mariachis) for some great Mexican food.

We certainly tried to solve the world's problems for the next two hours, but didn't even come close!!  I still owe $60,000, but with great company and a little good food, I was feeling better, kinda sorta ... okay, actually I was really depressed over the whole situation!!

Today we plan to hit the outlet stores, then the beach for some kite flying!!  Come on out ... the weather is FINE!!!

Exploding Pepsi Cans!!!

Life's an adventure, especially in a rolling house and you never know what's going to happen!!  We packed up early leaving Whalers Rest Thousand Trails Park outside of Newport Oregon, not getting far at all when Dan called me on the radio.  "I've got an air pressure alarm!!!"  To stop or not to stop ... that is the question ... when sometimes it's not real, just a change in pressure.  

Good thing Dan stopped THIS time, because one tire was down to 60 pounds.  I would usually wait for them while they get it fixed, but with the popular Seaside park, early arrival is necessary to get an RV site, where we plan to stay for two weeks.  I went left, they went right!!  Turns out it was a loose valve they forgot to tighten when he got new tires a few weeks ago.

Heavy fog dogged me the entire trip, requiring windshield wipers most of the way.  I had a couple of great pictures ..... of water on the window.

The higher up the more fog I encountered.  It was no problem driving however, since I got in behind two guys who thought the speed limit was 40 instead of 55.  Try as I might, I couldn't get around them!!

 Right on the ocean here and the only view is of more fog!!

Finally, coming into Garibaldi, I could see a little blue sky in the distance.  It's still a beautiful drive, even if you are going REALLY slow (still behind the slow drivers)!!

This is going to be me when they take my drivers license away!!  She was speeding right along beside the highway, definitely on a mission!!!  Don't honk when you see me, I'm liable to run off the sidewalk!!

When I got to Seaside Thousand Trails, there were only three spots available on the North side.  I parked in one, then stood in the middle of the other close one, putting on an Oscar performance.  Phone to my ear, arms waiving in the sky, I fended off a fifth wheel trailer that was looking for a site.  He parked in the row behind us in the third spot.  Patty and Dan were only about 20 minutes behind me and are now parked two doors down.   

Of course the first order of business was a trip to the beach ... not to play in the sand, but to have a Tsunami Pastrami at the Tsunami Sandwich Company, half a block from the beach.  BEST sandwich ever and so big that Patty and I shared one and it was STILL too much!!! 

With food under our belts, we watched the crowd for a few minutes before returning to the rigs.  Kite flying and window shopping will happen another day.

Back at the Chance coach, we were greeted by Miss Snoopy keeping an eye out for strangers.  Missy usually sits here, so we were surprised to see THIS baby.  Patty says they have boxing matches occasionally, but for the most part, get along just fine.

What about the exploding pepsi you ask???  You can imagine the mess, right???  When I got home, after weaving a little, I thought a nice icy cold pepsi would be yummy.  I opened the fridge, then opened the bottom drawer (four inches deep, across the entire width of the fridge) to behold a can that had exploded, spraying pepsi all over everything.  Yup it was a BIG mess.  An hour later I finally got it all cleaned up, as well as all the stuff that was in the drawer.  I'm just glad it wasn't in the TOP part of the fridge!!

It's nice to be settled in for this next stage of the summer.  It's somewhere in the 70's, warmer than Newport with no breeze here at all.  I sure hope it kicks up on the beach a little so I can get to flying.  That new kite is burning a hole in my pocket!!!

How Many Kites Is Enough??

The answer depends on how much you like kite flying ... and I definitely DO!!!  Patty, Dan and I went out for an hour or so yesterday morning, flying our Snapshots since the wind was pretty strong.  We are starting to do tricks ... sliding from side to side, turning circles, stalling and touching down then taking off.  When I did crash, I was able to get it flying again by myself, saving Miss Patty many steps.

Soooooo  ...  my number of kites increased by one today.  Having left my Revolution 1.5 kite at home (forgotten by the back door) and hearing how much Terry and Nick enjoyed their lesson the other day, I called around looking for the kite that was recommended to them.  They had one at Seaside, but  told me to check Lincoln City instead.  I called in the morning to place my order, figuring I would meet Nick and Terry at the store ... fairly sure they were headed in the same direction I was.    

See the gray stripes on the wings?  Those are actually mesh panels that let air flow through the kite, making it much easier to fly in the high winds along the coast. 

I waited to pick it up as long as possible, but just couldn't stand it any more.  About that time, I got a call from Nick that he was looking at my kite in the store!!!  Needless to say, the three of us are now proud owners of new Revolution 1.5 vented kites.

The Russell's definitely have more kite time, having flown their other Revolutions with major success.  Since we are all going to Seaside, maybe we can get in some flying time where I can watch them soar through the skies and gather knowledge through osmosis!!  I can't wait to get it in the air.  It's definitely an addiction, this kite flying!!

On the home front, meet Missy Chance ... she posed for a couple of pictures the other morning ... a sweetheart, as long as you don't try to pick her up.  That's not her favorite activity ...

but she is happy to roll over on her back and let you rub her tummy!!!  She's most affectionate, except when Jessie stops by for a visit, which causes her tail to whip around pretty dramatically.

Patty and I hit the Antique store under Big 5 in Newport where I found these great boots for her.  They will add an additional three inches to her height but she was having none of it!!  Attractive, don't you think?

There's lot of cool stuff in this store including this device to make cannon balls.  You can find ANYTHING here, including rattlesnake eggs.  Check them out on the front counter!!

There are Cow Tales too ... but don't bother with this one.  For 50 cents, I tried it ... caramel apple ... it's nasty!!!  Yes it kind of looks like a cows tale ... I think it tastes like one too!!

This was Cooper last night, with me right behind him.   Wayyyyy too many 5:00 mornings!!  

We're heading North again today to another Thousand Trails park where we will stay for two weeks ... hopefully kite flying every day!!

What A GREAT Farmers Market!!!

First off, thank you for all the comments about yesterday's blog.  I originally wrote it as a frustrated person who follows the rules ... than changed it up to be more tongue in cheek, which doesn't exactly translate over the internet so well.  Being a rule follower, it's difficult to watch everyone around you BREAK all the rules with no consequences ... but that's just how I was raised.  By the end of the piece, I was laughing at all the crazy weekend campers.  I have realized there definitely is a difference between RV'ers and "Campers" ... but as Dan Chance said ... live and let live ... they'll be gone Sunday morning!!

While Dan headed North to Garibaldi/Wheeler area to ride a train into the forest (something they only do four times a year), Patty and I hustled off to the Farmers Market in Newport ... and a GREAT one it was.  There were lots of fruit stands, bakery items, flowers and crafty things.

I think it took us over two hours to check out every table.  There were lots of big sweet juicy blueberries but the marionberries and blackberries were sold out in the first ten minutes.

I actually saw a couple of chefs buying up huge baskets of fresh vegetables for their restaurants.  This was the biggest seller, having a VERY long line and THREE cash registers trying to keep up with the sales.  Heirloom tomatoes went faster than they could keep the table stocked, followed closely by bunches of baby carrots and green beans.

Only one stand actually had bouquets of flowers for sale ... the other tables had the entire PLANT for sale!!  There were food items also ... grilled cheese on homemade sourdough and crepes filled with strawberries and cream cheese whipped cream!!  Life is good in Oregon!!

Once stocked up on heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes, baby squash, basil and purple potatoes, we headed back home, with a short stop at the beach.  I had seen several cars parked on the side of the road and wondered what they knew that we didn't.  Time to stop and check it out.  A very short easy walk brought us to this magnificent, quiet beach without a single person in sight.

THIS is my kind of beach!!  Perfect for kite flying ... but on this day, Patty and I scrounged around looking for driftwood treasures, which had been few and far between up to this point.

WOW!!! An entire treasure pile just waiting for us to attack!!  With several not-so-perfect pieces in hand, we took our vegetables and treasures back to the rigs.  

When Dan returned (after a two hour drive to get there the train ride was cancelled due to fires) we met friends Barbara and Tom Westerfield and Terry and Nick Russell at Kam Meng for the last supper as the Westerfields will continue further south today.  It seems Terry and Nick had a great kite flying day with a gentlemen who not only can fly Revolutions, but is a great teacher.  I'm hoping some of that will rub off on me!!!

Back at home, I played with the puppies for a bit.  This picture totally depicts what Cooper is all about ...  THE BALL GAME!!!  He's totally fixated and has me trained very well to retrieve it when he can't, by barking loud and long!!   The light bulb finally went on for me (after five years) ... if I put the balls away, there's no ear splitting bark, followed by me saying BE QUIET!!!  I'm going to put my plan into action today and see how it goes!!!

I'm also hoping to get in some kite flying.  I've been watching lots of videos online and have some new things to try!!  It's all in the subtle movement of your hands ... not the wild arm waving I've been doing!!!  It should be a fun, sun filled, gorgeous blue sky day on the Oregon Coast.

New RV Camping Tips To Share!!!

I'm rethinking my strategy regarding my Thousand Trails membership after this week.  I've picked up lots of tips from watching other campers.  Obviously they know MUCH more about this outdoor thing than I do.  I'm sure you will agree once I share these tidbits with you, that we should all jump on the bandwagon and take advantage!!  That's what life's about, right?  Taking advantage????

More and more sites are paid for yearly by people who find it a cheaper alternative for storing their fifth wheel trailer and boat.  At approximately $300 a month, it's a deal for them.  Who cares if there aren't any spaces left for people that actually USE their coaches to travel and see the world.  They don't really need to see this area anyway.  What a novel idea ... rent a storage space in a campground!!

You can pay dues of $400 for a single area membership, then around $280 a month for a permanent site to park your new (or really old) house, including an 18' wide deck and a 30 x 30 square foot yard.  That's certainly the cheapest mobile home park rent I've ever seen.   More of us should take advantage!!  Maybe instead of moving to Arizona, I should sell my house and move into a Thousand Trails Park.  It doesn't get much cheaper than that!!  Oh I may have to pay a little electricity, but everything else is free ... sewer, garbage, water!!  What a deal!!!!!

Here's another tip ... wash all your laundry in "their" machines (no maintenance or high cost of a washer) and hang your underwear outside for all the world to see, instead of paying a few quarters for the dryer.  I bet you thought there was a rule against laundry lines!!  There is, that's a fact .. but it just says you can't string lines up to trees.  No matter that it's 68 degrees out and foggy every morning ... in about four days maybe they will be dry.

And don't worry about taking up someone's tent camping spot ... those tent campers can just go somewhere else.  They put those blue Tent Camping Only signs up for fun!!

If you DO get a permanent site, feel free to decorate it any way you want.  The more oyster shells you can pack around the edges the better.  Throw in some strings of green Christmas lights, some yard art and a few buckets of driftwood to make it look homey.  To make it even better, set up a television in a big plastic storage unit so you can sit and watch TV all day under your umbrella.  Who cares if it's too loud ... this is YOUR space and you can do what you want!!!  THEY may have rules to follow, but they don't apply to you if you have a year-round site!!

Here's another tip.  Don't worry about being careful of that sewer hose.  If it breaks or the fittings come apart, just let it run all over the ground.  It won't bother anyone.  If someone does notify the Ranger, all they will do is spread this white stuff ... caustic lime I think ... all over the ground for the next guy to deal with.  

Here's another fun tip.  If you bring your dog with you and would rather not have it in the house, just tie it outside.  It will be fine, trust me, even if it tips over the water, you'll be home eventually.  If it barks all day long, making all the other dogs in the park bark, that's okay too.  No one comes here for peace and quiet anyway, so let it howl!!! 

While you're at it, bring everything including the kitchen sink.  You can fill your site up with enough stuff to sink a battleship .. tables, barbecues, bicycles, toys, surf boards, strings of water hoses, chairs and even your own huge fire pit.  Who cares if there's not enough room to park your vehicle once everything is unloaded.  It's even more fun if you disconnect the muffler so it's really LOUD!!  It sounds so cool when it reverberates through the trees!!

You can also ignore all the signs around the park ... not just the tent camping ones.  That dumb sign about scooping up your dogs land mines??  Ignore it completely!!  So what if it's right next to YOUR trailer ... just walk past it, take your dog up to the tent camping area and let it do it's business.  No one goes up there anyway, right??  Besides, it's funny when someone steps in it!!  Worst case, the neighbors will call a Ranger, who will drive all the way up there with a shovel and remove it for you, so why bother???

Another thing about these parks ... you can bring your kids and let them scream, yell, and talk back with no repercussions whatsoever.  Got five grandkids??  Bring them along.  The roads are more than wide enough to play ball.  Even if the ball hits someone else's house, who cares?  If they own a motorhome that big, they surely have enough money pay for that dent repair!!

The thing is, you and your family can be just as inconsiderate and rude as you want and no one will care.  Maybe the other campers won't like it, but that's just too bad for them.  Sound like a good strategy??  I see it more and more every day and think I must be missing out on something!!  Surely there's a school on how to be a BAD CAMPER and OBNOXIOUS NEIGHBOR.  Where do I sign up!!!

Oh My Aching Wallet!!!

You thought I was going to say BACK, right??  Well you are right ... but my wallet took the first big hit yesterday!!  In the really old days when I was married, my father-in-law was a commercial fisherman who knew everyone on the docks.  Because of that, he would bring home a whole skipjack tuna and say "can this"!!  It's a really greasy, messy job which starts in the shower for easy cleanup.

Once in the can (or mason jar in my case), it is pressure cooked for something like 90 minutes, making the entire house smell like stinky fish!!  The end results were always amazing however ... the best tuna sandwiches you ever ate.

When I saw canned albacore at Pacific Seafood, I couldn't pass it up.  At $5.95 for a 7.5 ounce can, it's on the pricey side, but definitely worth the taste.  Don't go overboard here however, because tuna has been found to be high in mercury and not suggested for women who are pregnant.  I'm pretty sure that won't be a problem for me ..... but I still wouldn't eat an entire can at once!!

With a case in my car, my wallet was considerably lighter, but it was going to get even worse.  Cooper seems to be doing so well on the Royal Canine easily digestible dog food, that I called a local Vet to see if I could find some more to mix with his dry food.  Bang!!!  There went another $66 for two cases.  By now my wallet is crying, so I went back to the rig, gathered up my kites and headed to the beach.  When you're flying, you can't think about anything else!!

At first, I didn't think there was enough wind, but after easily setting up, it was up in the air whining as it screamed across the sky when the wind picked up.  TOO MUCH FUN!!!  I flew for about 40 minutes when Nick and Terry showed up to give it a shot!

As the afternoon went on, the wind got stronger and stronger.  Pretty soon my kite was dragging me all around the beach as I pulled with all I had to keep from going flying myself.  When it finally hit the dirt, I had a terrible time getting it back up.  It kept flipping over and wouldn't right itself for takeoff.  

About that time, Barbara and Tom showed up to watch the show.  Barbara said it looked like I really knew what I was doing ... but really, I was flailing my arms just trying to stay alive in the game.  With my shoes totally full of sand, my arms about to fall off and tangled lines, I finally set it down and gave up.

Little did I know, Nick and Terry were having their own problems with tangled lines from too much wind!!  This can be a GREAT FUN sport, but you just need to know when to call it a day!!

Knowing the crowds that can accumulate around the best restaurants, we made a beeline for Nana's Irish Pub in Nye Beach.  You can't miss it ... they have a big courtyard with outside seating.  Having been blown to bits on the beach, we chose to sit inside.  

Great food here ... things like Scotch Eggs, Cottage Pie, Chicken Pot Pie and Soda Bread.  They also have the traditional cheeseburgers if Irish isn't your bag.  My cottage pie was delicious with a capital D and so huge, I took more than half of it home.

Patty and Dan, having just returned from a whale watching trip in Depoe Bay said it was great fun and yes, they DID see whales!!  We laughed and told stories for an hour before settling up and heading home.  FYI -- they automatically add on a 20% tip here.

At 5:00 am, I was really wishing I was still asleep, but the aching shoulders from kite flying got the best of me.  Not only does my wallet ache, but my body isn't too happy either.  Might as well get up and get going ... my first stop being Advil.  Take three ... they're small!!!