Look Very Carefully

I went for a walk on Sunday because I felt that, with the weather becoming more and more like Winter, there may not be many more day to just walk around town. The sun was shining but it

was still plenty cold. It had rained while the sun shone and I saw a rainbow. I snapped a picutre of the rainbow above the town, all the while knowing that I could hear geese still flying south on the return trip. When I looked at the rainbow photo on the computer screen I realize I had caught several flocks of geese as well. If you double click on the photo you will see them in the sky.

I realized on my walk that this town take Halloween very serioously. The decorations are wonderful and I took some picutres to share.. I only hope I have enough candy to go around,since I think there will be many ghosts & goblins at my door. I hope you enjoy these pictures. I will leet you know what transpires tomorrow.

The Return Trip & Almost Halloween

On a bright, warm day last Spring Mike & I spent the day in my back yard listening to and watching V after V of geese flying North for the season. It was a never-ceasing flight and we felt awed and delighted to be able to observe this migration. Today I was rewarded with the return trip! I awoke hearing the honking of the geese, and it never ceased all day. In fact, it continues now at nearly midnight. I feel as if I have been invited into the lives of these geese. I wonder if, today, I saw some of the same birds we saw last Spring. I tried, several times, to take photos of the flocks, but they are flying very high in this first part of their journey. I could hear them clearly, but when I looked up, they were just tiny, tiny dots in the sky. Last Spring, by the time they had flown this far, they were much lower. I imagine, when they are closer to their winter home in the South, they will be lower again. What a miracle of nature this is. Because I live so very close to the Columbia River I am able to observe this phenomena. The photo that I include here is inadequate, but, if you double click and enlarge it, you can see the "dots" of the birds.

You may recall that I wrote of planting a rose that was Mike's mother's. I call it Kate's Rose and I have placed it near my back fence. A picture here reveals that
it appears to be repeating history in climbing my fence. It has even grown through the crack in my fence and has insinuated itself into my neighbor's yard. I hope this invasion is well received. From what I can see of that yard, they may appreciate some blooms as they don't appear to pay great attention their yard. I hope it brings them pleasure.

My little town seems to celebrate holidays with great enthusiasm. Most folks have Halloween decorations in their yards and some are quite amusing. I stopped and snapped photos of some inflatable decorations on my own 4th street this evening. This are puffed up and lively all day and into the evening. However, when I drive to work early in the AM, they are deflated and rather sad. Tonight they were full and lively and I have included mt pictures of them here. From this, I am deducing that I will have "Trick-or-Treaters" and have laid in a supply of candy.

On my patio I have a "baby" of Mike's large Maple tree. It is showing me Fall Colors now. The leaves have turned red and, I'm sure, will soon drop. But right now it is very pretty and a miniature of our entire area. I love the seasons here and the changes in the weather.

Today I picked some almost-ripe tomatos, pulled up my hot chilis to hang in my shop and pulled some radishes. I still have cuccumbers and carrots that are growing and some lettuce as well. But the night temperatures are close to freezing now and it wont be long before the veggies are done for the year.

My roses are still blooming and I purchased some 'mums to supplement the fading Asters in the front yard. I chose to mow the lawns today, while there was no rain, but tomorrow I need to plant those 'mums, finish my yard work and plant the bulbs to bloom in the Spring.
Have a Happy Holloween and a good Autumn.

Beautiful Falls and Fall

When we returned from Kahneeta after Labor Day and it rained for two weeks, we congratulated ourselves on beating the odds and having good weather for our annual vacation in the heat. Then we had an Indian Summer with warm (even hot!) days in the sun. But, being Oregon, the rain returned and we said, "Oh, see, the weather has turned, it is Fall." The beautiful red and orange leaves bore us out and we prepared for the "wet" season. But Saturday and Sunday at the coast we were rewarded with two more gorgeous days once again. What beautiful weather we had!! We ate breakfast on the porch and shed our jackets in the sun. I ran with my running buddy, Riley, and he headed straight for the waterfall to drink as soon as we hit the yard. Mike suggested, on Saturday, that we should try to find the remote and beautiful waterfall he and Jeremy had re-found (after 15 years) in August. We drove out to Highway 53 and through the gates opened for hunting season. After many "left-turn" detours without success, we decided we needed more direction from Jeremy. We tried again on Sunday (no left turns necessary) and were successful. Peter and Kathleen followed us, but bailed out barely short of the goal. Something about a gas gauge! Right!!! The reward was great, even though I thought once (and maybe twice) before I followed Mike down the hidden rope and then a slippery slope with Vine Maple hand holds, to where we could see, hear and feel the falls. I have included photos here of the waterfall as well as of some of the beautiful fall foliage we enjoyed. This lovely waterfall is in a sort of slot canyon on the Grassy Lake Creek that flows from the coast range down towards Hwy 53 and Nehalem. There is a hidden rope in the trees off the side road leading to an old quarry. I would have never seen the rope but for Mike's sharp eyes. The first part is steep but entirely possible with the rope. The rest is less steep, but one can easily grab the Vine Maples and the Deer Fern to steady the descent. Unfortunately, at this time of year, the large boulders surrounding the falls are slick with wet moss and cannot be negotiated to reach the rocky beach below. But the falls were large and vigorous due to the recent rains and very, very beautiful!
On the way back we discovered springs trickeling from banks and some lovely fall foliage. All in all, it was a fine day and we hope to return to the falls when the rocks are not so slippery and we can explore more of the little, narrow canyon. We'd also like to see if Peter can go the route and actually see this beautiful, hidden treasure.

A New Workbench!

One of the things I liked most about my little house the very first time I saw it, just a year ago last week, was that it had a little shop with a rudimentary work bench. I have never actually had my own "shop" and I was very much looking forward to setting it up. However, when I moved I had to use that area, along with my carport, to store things I hadn't had time to go through. At last, at the end of this summer I was able to sort through most of my stored boxes. I was also able to apply some snowroof (thick, white goo) to my shop roof and stop the leak that was so persistant everytime it rained. After getting rid of and rearranging a lot of "stuff", (read junk) I was able to address the actual bench. It was AWFUL! There were three parts to it, none of which matched, were the same level or were anywhere near even remotely clean. I measured, planned, talked to Mike about what to get and went looking for counter tops........ without success. So, we settled on 3/4" AC plywood ripped to 25" X 97". I did manage to purchase a 4X8 sheet of white pegboard. I should have gotten two sheets. Now I will need to wait for a time that it isn't raining to bring home the other one in my truck.

After cajoling Patrick and Anna to spend the night with Riley, Mike came here this weekend to help-like I really did much! We found the appropriate plywood, finish nails and moulding right here in St. Helens. The sun shone most of the afternoon while we set up sawhorses in my driveway to cut plywood and the pegboard. I actaully got to try out my jigsaw for the first time to cut the hole in the pegboard for the electric outlet. It's a good thing for that experience because I'll need to do it myself for the end wall where I want more pegboard.

I think the whole project just turned out beautifully!!! I just love it and can hardly wait to get more hooks and put my little hand tools up where I can use them. I already have my yard tools on the opposite wall where the window is. I'll probably need a heater to be out there this winter, but it will still be fun. I have a whole new list of "I wants" to deal with, but it's so much fun just anticipating and collecting those things. Mike left me some polyurethane to put on the bench after I sand it......that means I'll get to use my new sander too! But then, perhaps I need a shop-vac to clean up from sanding. Hmmmmm!! Or shall I say $$$$$$$?

The weather has changed. It is truly Fall now. My yard still looks good but I imagine it will "go to sleep" for the season soon. I still have fall flowers and roses and my tomatos are struggling to ripen, but I suspect that, before long, I will need to bring them indoors to hang for the last ones to ripen. I have lettuce, several more cucumbers and many chilis. The cucumbers I share with the folks at work and the chilis will last by drying them in my shop, as I am my remaining Walla Walla onions. The lettuce will be salad, as it was last night for our dinner. I have fed my lawns the "fall weed and feed" thing and mowed again this weekend. But at 4:30 this afternoon it was 47 degrees so I don't imagine I will mow too many more times this year. As the days grow shorter I am planning a which room I will paint next and other inside, winter projects. Seasons are such a good thing. They allow us to vary our lives according to the calendar and always look forward to the next one. As Mike is fond of quoting, "If winter comes can spring be far behind?"

October is Here

A lot has happened since the Race For the Cure!

Cheri has opened her Tavern that has replaced the Cannon Beach Cookie Company. So now it is "Eat More Cookies and Drink More Beer." The wood work in the tavern is outstanding, thanks to Mike & Jeremy Capper and Peter. The tables, the bar and the other wood is just beautiful! This will be THE local hang-out for sure. There is a photo to document this.
I have a new running buddy. His name is Riley. He has reddish hair and is always up for a run. He is part Chow and part Shephard and part ???. But he is a love (insatiable really) and a great running partner. I have included photos of him as well.
Last Sunday Debbie came down to the coast. It seems as if we only walk on the beach when Debbie (and family) arrive, but this time we had Debbie to ourselves and it was very cool. We marched up a long way on the beach, talking all the time. Eventually, we turned around and walked back...with a tail wind... and BBQ'd our dinner on Capper Mountain.

The sunsets were beautiful this weekend. When we returned from our Kahneeta vacation we thought summer was done. But we have been rewarded with two more weeks of Indian Summer and it is great! I am sure that Fall will prevail and the rains will come, but, for now, I still have tomatos and cucumbers ripening in my garden and lettuce ready to eat. My radishes are almost ready an the carrots are looking good.

We (Eric and I) are deciding whether to run the Hood to Coast or the Rainier to the Pacific Relay next year. Eric has volunteered to be the "bad guy" if I will be the "figure-head" captain. That works for me and we will most likely run the HTC again. We'll see. Hopefully, most of my core team will join us again in Four Decades Running.