Labor Day Madness!!

Unfortunately it's the last holiday of the summer and the weekenders are out in droves.  Lord let your patience shine down on me!!!   That's a pretty tall order, I know but I'm going to need all the help I can get!!

Friday started off on a bad note ... poor Cooper got sick and sat on the couch shivering for almost two hours.  I kept him next to me until he finally fell asleep, but then I was stuck.  Another hour went by and he seemed to feel better, so I headed out for a quick trip to Tu-Tu-Tu, a kitchen store in Nye Beach.

I'm pretty sure this little store has every single type of kitchen item you could possibly want.  I LOVE this store!!  I keep thinking if I get enough recipe books and gizmos, that POOF!!  I'll become a good cook!!  With this book at least I'll be eating HALF as much dessert!!

The ice cream scoop is more for scones and cupcakes, the gorgeous turquoise blue dish towel just because it was pretty and the bamboo cutting board to replace the plastic ones I need to throw away.  

When I returned home, Cooper was feeling MUCH better ... good enough to play the ball game anyway.  Since it was still pretty quiet in the neighborhood, I made a batch of blueberry scones with another new recipe.  Not as good as the first batch, but yummy none the less.

That's when the crazies started to arrive.  The first guy parked in overflow, or at least tried to park.  It took him five tries before his rig was somewhat in the space.  If you need a short course on parking, read Nick Russell's blog, it's a good one.  Then the guy immediately hooked up his generator.  Why not park in one of the spaces below that has power?  I figure it's because he doesn't want to be too close to noisy neighbors, but he certainly doesn't mind bothering anyone with HIS noise!!

He then hooked up a 150' water hose to fill his tank and a 150' electrical cord.  That made me happy, since I figured he wouldn't have need for the generator.  Next this group below of screaming, yelling adults showed up to camp where there is no tent camping.  To make it even worse, one older kid was running around naked (hence the half kid in the picture I photoshopped) and the other in just diapers.

They promptly unplugged the neighbors power cord and plugged in their own.  Little do they know that they have set up camp in the doggy potty area.  Everyone, including me, has used this area for their dogs, as evidenced by the white doggy bag dispenser on the pole.  Maybe they think those baggies are for them.  

Good news however!!  Someone pulled in directly next to the generator guy blocking most of THAT noise.  At 9:45 last night, people were still arriving, driving around and around looking for places to park when there were none.  I think Thousand Trails is pretty good at overbooking.

Today is the Newport Farmers Market which I will attend bright and early.  Hopefully I can find enough stuff to cook, keeping me busy for the next three days.  I'll just pull my shades down and turn the TV UP!!   If everyone prays for wind, I might even spend most of my time at the beach!!!

It's A Guessing Game!!

Do you know where I'm standing in this picture??  Just north of a HUGE rain storm dumping lots of water on my rig!!  Actually, it's Yaquina Head, before the lighthouse which stands on the North side of Newport.  As you enter the park, turn left towards the Quarry, drive down to the bottom and park and you'll have access to the tide pools below.

I checked the tide tables and discovered it was now or never.  It was only going to be low on this day, so off I traipsed down to the sand.  I bet you can guess what THIS is!!  Lucky for me I spotted this spout immediately.  That meant climbing to the top of the rocks and holding on with my toes while I took these pictures.

There were no tails this time ... but this is the biggest whale I've EVER seen!!  It lounged around taking breaths every few minutes, then slid back beneath the water.

Can you guess how many pictures I took??  If you said over 100, you were right.  It's a good thing I wasn't shooting film!!

I wish I could have put something in the image to show you the size.  Immense is probably a good word!!  This is the biggest whale I've ever seen, at least bigger than my RV!

The storm still threatening, I headed back to the tide pools to see what I could find.  Did I get arrested for taking stuff from the beach??  

No ... at this beach you can touch anything, as long as you don't hurt it and you can take all the driftwood home that you can stuff in your pockets.  There were a lot of small unique pieces here.

What do you think this is??  No clue??  Me either, but it's attached to all the rocks in the tide pools.  It's a sea grass, kelpy kind of thing. 

Everyone knows what this is ... anemone.  There were many on the beach, but most were closed due to lack of water.  This one was still underwater in a small pool.  You can touch them ... they're kind of soft and slimy and will retract their arms.  

Can you guess where I am here??  Most people who have been through Newport, have stopped at South Beach Fish Market.  If not, you are missing out on some of the best fish and chips on the coast.

I stopped for lunch early to beat the crowds, but since school has started, most of the crowds are gone.  This is my favorite $14.75 halibut and chips!!  YUM YUM!!  

The rain has finally gone and the wind is coming up .... any ideas what I'm doing here??  Three guesses!!!  Ah, you looked at the next picture.  Yes, this is the same beach we were kite flying on several weeks ago.  The big difference is the level of the water has risen well over 100 feet, leaving little room for flying.

As you can see by the junky stuff in front of my kite, the tide now rises all the way to the back of the beach.  I set up in very little wind, making adjustments until I finally got it in the air.  At about 4 mph, I couldn't try many tricks, but flew until the water was a few feet behind me.

Two new huge logs were deposited on the beach in the big wind storm last week.  I wish I had been here for some pictures!!!

That's my kite bag, just to show how big THIS log is!!  It's almost up against the bank, and as I played with my kite the water came right up to it.  Not wanting to get slimed, I put everything away.  The water is covered with foam and junk from the wind storms, leaving mucky stuff all over the beach.

Do you know what this is??  It's the elusive black and gray shoefish with it's big gaping mouth.  Watch out for the spike underneath ... it's a killer!!  Ever wonder how a single shoefish landed on the beach??  

Last question of the day.  What do you think this gentleman is doing??  RIGHT!!  He's walking all the way down the hill to the lodge (and up the opposite hill) in the middle of the road!!  If you are going to take your life in your hands, you should definitely wear your hearing aid so you can hear cars behind you.    

He was huffing and puffing, so I offered him a ride to the top.  He declined .... said he was getting his exercise for the day.  Good for him!!!  But does he get run over??

It's The Little Things!!

I've seen lots of this over the last several days ... fog, rain and dark clouds.  It was sprinkling again yesterday morning as I packed the rig and hooked up the jeep to the coyote choir singing in the background.

For some reason, I was extremely nervous this trip.  It didn't have to do with driving (that doesn't bother me at all any more) but finding a site at Newport Thousand Trails.  It's always been a throw of the dice in this popular park, whether you will find a site and if you will have the company of television due to the trees.  The trip is a beautiful one, but I almost forgot to take pictures.

Driving through the mountains, all I could think of was backing in to a site with no help.  Maybe THAT was why I was so nervous.  Being so distracted made the trip go pretty fast.  I was in Lincoln City before I knew it!!

Most of the highway from Tillamook is inland, giving you no clue as to the beauty beyond the beach.    Since the weather was rather rainy, the surf was full of white water and big waves.

I finally arrived at Thousand Trails and parked on the road side while I checked in.  If you plan on parking on the North side, that trip through the gate and around the corner, only to exit the park, is a killer one.  VERY tight corners were not a good thing as nervous as I was.

I surprised myself as I raced from the keypad, jumped in the rig and hit the airbrake in time to drive through the gate without hitting anything, or having the gate arm hit me.  Whew!!  That's one down, now to park.  I unhooked down at the lodge and drove the rig to look on the East side where the ranger said there was a couple of open spots.

I guess open is a relative term ... they were clear back in the bushes so far I couldn't even SEE them!! I did find one site available with a nice large tree to back around.  Amazingly, even though my heart was in my throat, I backed in like a pro on the first shot and didn't hit anything!!!  Okay, I was kind of crooked, but off the road, so I didn't care.  I tried the satellite dish right off the bat.  NO DEAL!!  It just whirled around in circles.  Oh well, I guess I can live without TV for a couple of weeks.  My nerves are at an all time high at this point, as I tell myself to just RELAX!!!

When I went to get the car down at the lodge, I decided to drive to the other side where we stayed before.  There was actually one good empty site.  As I continued on around, I saw a gentleman at the very top pull through site, hooking up his car.  OH MY GOSH!!!  I hit the brakes and jumped out of the car as he started laughing.  He knew exactly what I was about, as did his lovely wife who came out to chat!!

As he pulled out, I pulled my car in, then hiked back to get my rig.  It was a quick park and unpack, as I danced around being thankful like you cannot imagine.  It just goes to show that it's the little things that can totally change your day and make you happy!!!  Like a great parking space with television access and full hookups with NO neighbors.  Yes it's a toxic dump from the guy whose sewer line broke when we were here a month ago ... but I don't care!!!  I've got a box full of rubber gloves and a bottle of bleach!!  Let the good times roll!!!!

Beauty and the Beasts!!

Here's a place I bet you haven't visited ... Hidden Acres Greenhouse.  Talk about beauty ... you're sure to find it here!  Located just South of Tillamook on So. Prairie Road, it's a great place to walk around, enjoy the beautiful flowers and have lunch!!  Yes, LUNCH (or brunch) at your local nursery!

It was pretty hard not to buy a couple of the hanging baskets in the greenhouse.  These are some happy flowers!!  Inside to the right is a small gift shop restaurant, where you can get some great sandwiches and salads at reasonable prices, or just a cup of coffee and enjoy the greenery.  

There were so many new flowers that I've never seen before.  Even though practically hurricane winds came through here the day before, everything was gorgeous and well taken care of.

Here's a great idea for that old tree stump that will cost you a fortune to take out.  Surround it with trees and hang birdhouses on the old limbs.  Add a couple of bird feeders and you have a perfect backyard attraction!!

The restaurant is small, but they have excellent reviews and cozy sitting areas.  If you want to eat outside, here's a great spot.  If you REALLY like your table, you can even buy the furniture!!

Amazing colors grow in Oregon with all the rain that's come down over the last two days.  It's still raining in spite of the weatherman's prediction.  Its definitely been a beast the last couple of days, and threatens to continue today as I head further south to Newport.

Despite my black thumb, hope springs eternal, as I adopted this little violet for my kitchen counter.  In the really old days, I used to grow these by the dozen, along with Christmas cactus.  Since the barrel cactus I purchased last January is still alive (and thriving to my amazement), this little sister will keep it company.

In the afternoon, upon invitation from a group of Escapees met on Facebook and here in the RV park, I returned to the Fish Peddler in Bay City for another shot at their clam chowder.  Here's a tip for you ... on Tuesdays they have senior day and you get a discount!!  My huge salad and soup was only $10.

Looks yummy, right?  It was beyond good.  Trouble was, it tasted so delicious last time that I ordered a BOWL.  Trust me on this one, order the CUP.  This bowl of soup is a least four cups big ... much more than I could possibly eat.

Here's the group ... Mike, Tara, Me, Jim on the left and Joann, Fritz, Ken, Shirley and Georgia on the right.  Least I hope I got that right!!  It's amazing how quickly you can make friends in the RV world. Here's what's funny ... Ken and his wife Shirley and Fritz with his wife Joann, were all at the balloon festival in Albuquerque at the same time I was.  Not only that, but they were parked just down from me, in the same group of Boomers.  Weird I didn't recognize them, or vice versa!!

After a great late lunch, I came home to begin packing for my next move and to work on knitting with beads.  It's coming along .......

Up early as usual on a move day, the beasts were out in full force.  As soon as I walked out the door, the coyotes were howling at the moon.  It sounds like a pretty big pack, which doesn't surprise me since there is a large free range chicken farm close by.  I imagine there will be chicken for dinner or rather breakfast!!!  I'll catch up with you later in Newport!!

Oysters in Bay City!!

The early bird gets the worm, and this guy was out hunting  EARLY!!   At first I thought it was a robin, but on further inspection, it's not.  Just a fat, happy camper snatching up worms from the rain!!  By the way, I DID go to the Farmers Market in Tillamook last Saturday.  I was the only one there.  Apparently they cancelled it due to the weather and forgot to email me.

 Unlike the birds, Cooper just wanted to sleep in ... unusual for him.

Number one on the list for the day was to hit the Fish Peddler restaurant at Pacific Oyster Company in Bay City.  It's not really easy to see ... just look for this trailer at the entrance, and drive out on the wharf past the blue building.

Rather nondescript, you'd never know that the best clam chowder on the Oregon coast is made here.  Even if you don't want to eat lunch, it's a neat place to learn about oysters.  The plywood repair is from Saturday's accident where a car went through the window.  Don't worry about the looks of the building, there really is a restaurant and fish market inside.

I think it only fair to state right up front that I have only eaten one oyster in my life, and I will never eat another as long as I live.  That one was from a restaurant in Crescent City ... and it was rotten, spoiled, gross, nasty, yucky!!!  Yes, one bad apple DOES ruin the barrel!!

If YOU like them however, this is the place to come.  They grow their own in the bay, then load them into boxes that are eventually dumped in the stainless steel trough.  All of this is visible through the glass windows in the back portion of the restaurant.  

These workers shuck the oysters into cans with their tag on them.  Every time the full can is dumped, the tag is scanned.  They are paid about three cents each for every oyster they shuck.  It's a dirty job that should have been a show on Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe!!

From the cleaning station, they go through the washer into the canning side.  Here they are sorted and packed in one pound jars or 20 pound containers.  Employees are very friendly ... wave and say hello!!  If you want to see the entire process, there is a tape playing on the television on the back wall describing everything.  It's pretty interesting to watch.

Since oysters aren't on my list of edible things, I had a shrimp po boy sandwich that was twice as big as I could eat.  The fries were yummy and their tartar sauce delicious!!  The best news was that at 11:30, I was the only one in the restaurant.  School must be back in session!!

On the way to Garibaldi, I stopped in at the viewpoint, which doesn't really have much of a view.  

There were some friendly fishermen out in the bay however.  I didn't see them catch anything but a beer, which I assume is why they seemed to be having a good time.  They gave me a nice BIG wave!!

My third stop was the Myrtlewood Factory in Garibaldi.  This may not be the best place to purchase myrtlewood products, but they had a couple of things I was looking for, including a nice french rolling pin and a wooden spoon to replace the one I caught on fire.  

They also had this unique jewelry box, perfect to leave on my bathroom counter to catch all the new necklaces I've found.  It's pretty unique the way the three drawers pull out.  Oh, the fire??  Yeah, I left my wooden spoon a little too close to the flame on my stove.  A quick dunking in a coffee cup put it out.  It's always an adventure in MY kitchen!!

You know I would never go to Pacific Oyster without getting some of the clam chowder to go.  It's just as good as I remember, including the smoky bacon they use.  In case you were wondering, I tend to use paper bowls and plates exclusively.  After all, I have to do the laundry, clean the rig, take out the garbage, cook and feed the dogs.  I don't want to do the dishes too!!!  The clam chowder was mouth watering and delicious!!

Bad news about the beaded scarf I'm knitting.  I guess the lady who said she would teach me, didn't really know what she was doing.  ALL the beads have to be strung on the yarn FIRST.  I had to rip out the entire thing and start over, with different beads, since she didn't have any more of the color I was using.  Seems I need TWO boxes instead of one.  Pretty disappointing.  After three hours, I'm almost back to where I was.  

Remember that step brother of my friend that I met here at the Elks Park?  He knocked on my door last night and invited me to lunch (along with his wife and several Escapees) at the Fish Peddler today!!  YAY!!  I get to have another bowl of clam chowder before leaving tomorrow morning!!  I'd love to spend a few more days here, but I'm missing kite flying.  I'm hoping the beaches in Newport will have nice winds waiting for me.