FRIDAY AT LAST!

For all of you waiting anxiously for the weekend and have fabulous plans to fulfill and fun to be had.....wait no longer!! Here it is, just as promised! I had been thinking about what photo to post here tonight and then received an email from the Sierra Club asking me if they might use another of my photos for their The Daily Ray. From my point of view that was pretty much a 'no-brainer'. This is the photo they chose.......I took it last night just before we went to dinner. The fog ('mist' always sounds sooo much better, doesn't it?) was playing tag with the shoreline and I thought the light here was interesting. Can you see the teeney little people in about the middle of the photo? There are three of them.....2 adults and a child. It shows the scale of the rocks and water. Funny how none of us usually feel so insignificant......at least I don't. Course, I don't feel short either and most people might think I am. We all have our 'illusions of grandeur", hmmmm?

Everyday I'm getting more and more caught up from last weekend's party. A lot of leftovers which are finding their way into either the freezer or garbage. The cookies are the hardest for me......I do love my sweets. Well, today I finally got rid of all the various sweets and cookies around the house. Then started my routine of daily walking again to try and exercise them off. So, now you know exactly HOW I got rid of those cookies!

Norm called me into the back today and said to bring my camera........this lily below is the result. It's beautiful, huh?? While I was down there I noticed all the hollyhocks are blooming beautifully, too. I'll show them off in the next few days.

OK.......now everyone go out and make good use of this weekend!! Be safe and have fun.

NORM'S ACTUAL BIRTHDAY

We just came back from a great dinner at Bandon Bill's at the Inn at Face Rock on the Bandon Beach Loop. Norm had a steak.......way more than he could finish but delicious none the less. I had prawns with risotto...........Oh, Yum!! Apparently they've changed their chef(s) and menu and I'd been hearing how wonderful it was now from a number of people. I hadn't been there for dinner since Christophe had it back many years ago. This was very good and they had a great menu. Since they had a full house, I'd suggest reservations.

This first photo was taken at one of the way stations along Beach Loop. The light was hitting just that one streak towards the horizon which made it interesting along with the more colorful foreground. Then this second photo I think I'd call 'Face In The Mist'. The fog was really rolling in and of course, the large rock in the background in Face Rock, for those that don't live around here. Oops.......I see I got the two photos out of order to what I wrote. Well, since I'm on the run, I think you can figure it out, huh?

We now have a movie Norm wants to watch so I'm on my way to the TV. Netflick review tomorrow!

Have a terrific Friday, all. And an even better weekend!!

BACK TO THE BEACHES

I thought maybe I would leave the party for awhile.......I know I have more photos to show you later......but for now, let's take a break. And today was a break. I stayed around the house and tended to a sore back that the fog in the morning didn't help along much. I think I even heard some thunder off in the distance but I'm not sure. I'll have to ask my neighbor whose poor dog Maxx is always alert to the sound of 'the dreaded thunder'.....You'll find him in the closet, poor guy. I read that we even had a little earthquake this morning. A 5.5-er and off the coast around Winchester Bay. I didn't feel anything myself.

So these photos were from about a month or so ago when I went to Battle Rock with friend, Karen. I might have mentioned in a previous posting how surprised I was at the number of rocks that are now exposed.......course these were taken at a minus-tide. Can you spot the starfish on the lower exposed rocks? This one, below, I processed in black and white for a little change. I love color, but there are times when the black and white give the image a certain strengh that's missed with the distraction of color.

I was supposed to go over to a friend's and give her some Therapeutic Touch for her back and other bumps and bruises she suffered in a bad fall.......unfortunately I was taking care of my own. And I missed seeing Carrie Grant's new photo studio. She is very busy setting up her tent for the county fair. I think she's set up to take photos at the fair. She posted on Facebook that she also had over 2,000 lollypops to wrap up along with her card. So if any of you find yourself at the fair, be sure to stop by and give her a "Howdy". Her new business just seems to be growing up leaps and bounds and we're all hoping this will be another Port Orford success story.

Have a great day!

MY OWN GUARDIAN ANGEL

Guard me from what, you ask?? Well, maybe a strait jacket, for one! I had started to write out all that she did from weeks before to beyond the party, but I think I might have embarressed her and that I don't want to do. Just let me say that she was incredible in the support and help that she gave so willingly. Completely beyond what I think I've ever had given to me before. I'm still astounded by it. I honestly don't have enough words to express my gratitude and praise for this very special lady and someone who I'm so blessed to have as a friend. Thank you so very much, Nancy! Well, here in this photo is Nancy and Pat Stannard. I love this photo of them. You can tell they hold each other in warm friendship, can't you? Pat is another sweetheart that I've been lucky to have in my life now also. She's a fantastic photographer and we've had a couple of very fun adventures traveling some backroads without a GPS. Did you know that Pat actually enjoys getting lost and discovering new territory? And that was one of our little outings. And it was fun, which surprised me who wants to plan for every possible event that might happen......but rarely does!

And this is my favorite shot of Nancy. Always smiling, always has a ready laugh and ability to put everything into the proper perspective of importance. Another day of writing this blog and recognizing .......Lucky me.

HERE'S THE BIRTHDAY GUY!

You've met him before but get reacquainted with Norm celebrating his #80 birthday. Mr. Blue Eyes, of my own for 37 great years. I'm the one who received the gift!! His actual birthday is in a couple more days but he had an unexpected but welcome gift from friend and neighbor, Gary Anderson. Gary arrived with a heavy load of crabs, fully cooked and ready to eat!! and saying
"Happy Birthday, Norm"! The crabs are getting a little scarce right now so it was even more precious. Norm really felt so pleased to be remembered in this unexpected and gracious way. He specifically wanted me to acknowledge Gary's generosity and Norm's high regard for him. OK.........on to some of the lighter elements of Saturday's party......... These two beautiful are Kylie on the right.......our great granddaughter and up and coming beauty........and Emily on the left, our great niece and also one who will give her father many a sleepless night in just a few more years. The girls are so photogenic and compliment each other so well for the camera. Both are at that age that enjoy practicing "The Pose". Truly a wonder to watch!!

This is Madeleine.......she has the grace of a young Grace Kelly. Tall and willowy with classic features, a warm smile and warm eyes and extreme intelligence. Beautiful inside and out.

Oh, Ben!!! He is so loveable!! Look at the twinkle in those eyes......I understand that there are many a girl that has a crush on this little Romeo. I think I'm one of them!! He's so fun and sends me very awesome emails!

I love all the people, young and not-so much, on this page. All so special and leaving enormous tracks on my life's pathway. Like I started this page saying......I'm the one receiving the Gifts!!

Lucky me.

A GREAT 80TH FOR MY OTHER HALF!

It's been a busy week and weekend. I have a lot of editing to do but that can wait for another day or so. I don't know if it's going to show up or not, but as I type this, the print is blue and underlined..........don't know how that happened.
Anyway.....yesterday was spent celebrating my husband, Norm's 80th birthday with a party with many of his friends and family here to help him acknowledge how beautifully and lovingly he has touched so many lives. We had a local singer and guitar player who is also a terrific guy, Steve Montana (not to be confused with the 49er quarterback). The weather was absolutely perfect! It has been windy with a little chill to the air, but Saturday couldn't have been nicer! After the eating of more food than anyone could possibly put away (well, except maybe for Nick!), and after the

cake received it's due, those left sat around and watched a surprise for Norm from his sister-in-law, Pam, and niece, Lauren and their respective families. It was a wonderful tribute and had a good many laughs included, some really good music as well as bringing a little dampness to more than one eye. I'll undoubtedly be telling more about the gathering as the days go along, and my energy picks back up.

In the meantime, enjoy these photos of some beautiful flowers. This first is of an orchid that was given me by a friend............Isn't it wonderful?? I'm hoping that I found a spot for it where it's happy. It looks good, huh? Fingers crossed!




This second one is a little bouquet I put together using some Queen Anne's Lace from the backyard. I don't think it really shows here how very large this blossom was. It was between 4"-5" wide!! Probably due to all the winter rain we had.........and had..........and had!! The beautiful Polio Rose that was blooming so profusly a few weeks ago, has slowed up now, but I did manage to get one more little cluster of them. They are the white flowers here.

And lastly, these are some colorful, cheerful nasturtiums that my friend, Nancy brought over to use as eatable color and decorative touchs to the various food dishes at the party. More about the incredible support and help I received that was well beyond what I'd ever have expected, at a later date...

So........I'm now wishing you all a great week....full of new adventures and friendly people who make you feel good!! Norm and I certainly have an abundance of that in our lives!

MEET TIM!

If you haven't yet been into Tim Belmont's hair salon, plus, you're cheating yourself of a rare treat. Tim's salon's name is Jeffrey's and is located in a grand old building in Langlois right on Hwy 101. Inside it's as much a boutique as a hair salon......lovely jewelry, purses, scarves, cute little feminine this n' thats. In the same building is Michelle's tanning salon and Tim's daughter, Maria's, massage. It has a wonderful and warm feel to it ............... charming, just like Tim. Pictures of Lucille Ball you'll see here and there, along with flowers, hats, etc. etc. etc. So, even if you aren't needing a new hair style, it's really worth a look to just poke your head in and look around.

Too bad I wasn't paying close attention when I took this shot of Tim........the reflection on his glasses is distracting, but...........maybe you can look beyond it..................try!

Hey!! Tomorrow is Friday and I know everyone has great plans for a wonderful summer weekend of fun. So, smile as beautifully as Tim is here and pass on the happy feeling!

WHISTLING GALLERY

Here are a couple more photos from the new gallery on route to Bandon. This first is more of the stained glass......again I remind you that these are priced very reasonably. Think early Christmas shopping........

The second photo is of some of the lovely flowering baskets she has here and there. They all seem to reflect the colorful and eclectic art objects inside........

Night before last Norm and I watched the Netflick movie, Wolfman. Awful! The acting, especially by Anthony Hopkins was pathetic which surprised me very much. He sounded like he was just reading a script and was bored to death. Benetio del Torro wasn't much better.
Tonight we'll be watching Shutter Island and Netflick audiences rate that at about 4 stars so I'm hoping for a better movie time.

My sister and nephew will be rolling into Port Orford tomorrow evening. I can hardly believe that it's been over a year since I've seen them both! We talk on the phone usually once a week so maybe that's why it doesn't seem so long. More family coming in Friday. It's going to be wonderful to see them all!! A great weekend coming up! Hope yours is too!!

GETTING READY FOR MID-WEEK

This is one of the photos I took while up in Coos Bay last week. It was the day of drifting fog and gave the harbor a more muted look. I like the way it turned out.

Today was spent getting ready for Norm's birthday party, as the rest of the week will also. I'm still not quite sure how many are coming, but there won't be a lack........that I know for sure.
Got word today that our first granddaughter is able to make it. It's quite a distance for her and it's been many years since we've seen Steph.........We're so happy about it! She was a beautiful child and has grown into a beautiful lady. A wife and mother now. My gosh!! How did THAT happen? The years really just fly by so quickly.

Picked a great big bunch of basil leaves today for pesto making! Yum!! I won't go into all the rest that got accomplished........and what didn't.....
Actually, it's time to close down this day and hope for a Wonderful Wednesday!! Let your smiles be wide and happy!

MEET THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

I mentioned this new art gallery last week and this seemed a good way to start off the week....by exploring a little more of the Vickie's new business. Flowers are planted and the doors have been opened. When we stopped by today Vickie said that the open house of last Friday brought tons of people and the weekend was very good also. One of the side features of Whistling Gallery is a table with various art supplies for the youngest of the budding artists among us....children. A table had been set up but not too many supplies yet. We needed to make a stop in Coos Bay at WalMart and Norm found a number of coloring books with crayons that he wanted to get for the gallery. So, while Norm presented his contribution to Vickie, I went around and took some shots.....some of which you're seeing here. The first is obviously the sign on Hwy 101, so you'll recognize it when you see it. The second is the gallery itself.....again, pretty obvious. The third is one of many new pieces of stained glass. This blue one I thought was the most beautiful but there were many others......and all very affordable. I'll run a few more photos that I took in another day or so.

This week is going to be a pretty busy one for me, so if I should sound a little scattered it's probably because I am!! But, I'll do my best to make sense......8-D) Then again, doesn't everyone enjoy a puzzle now and again??

Enjoy a warm and sunny Tuesday!! It's going to be a good day!

AS PROMISED

Here is the same scene as one of yesterdays postings. If you look at in it's larger format you can see all the birds on the top of the rocks......especially the two on the left.

And an exterminator and picker-upper of dead critters is coming out this afternoon to rid of us our unwelcome guest who had the poor manners to die under the house. Since it's last minute and sort of a rush job they won't have the chemicals to de-odorize the area but will at least pick
up the
stinky and take it away. I might have been wrong about it being a mouse......Norm seems to think it's something larger.....The de-odorizing might not happen until tomorrow or early next week, but maybe the removal will solve the problem. Fingers crossed (over my nose)

I'm going out to hear a photography lecture this afternoon so I'm writing this post early......I need to get underway........So. Everyone have a fabulous weekend!

FOG OR SUN....YOUR CHOICE

Today was a funny day, weather wise. It started out beautiful, then as we got closer to Coos Bay, the fog started coming in. There were pockets of it here and there and it would drift in and away. The first photo here is of the bird rocks (I think that's what they're called) surrounded by the 'mists'. I enjoy the mysterious quality that fog gives to rocks and the sea.....it softens them. Rounds them off a little so the sharp and rugged edges aren't as apparent. Tomorrow I'll put another photo of these same rocks but they have been edited more and are clearer to see and have more color. You can see hundreds of birds on the tops.....can't really make them out well except for the obvious gulls, but you know they're there.

This second photo was taken as we drove over the Bandon bridge. There's the fog offshore waiting to come in. I love the grasses of the salt marsh, though. And since we were driving, the grasses aren't real sharp but the wind was blowing them anyway and it gives, at least to my eye, an impressionist sort of soft look. Which I like.

Wow! Have you south coast Oregonians noticed the traffic lately and how heavy it is?? It's been quite a number of years that I think I've seen this much. Good for our local economy though, if not a little frustrating to my own private driver. We generally turn off and take the back way into Coos Bay via Seven Devils Road. But then you run into the bikers (not literally, please!). But this is what the summers bring us and we'd better be happy about it.

Here comes Friday!! Get ready for the weekend........you get to do whatever you want to do......"Yeah, right!!" I know that's what some of you are saying. At least it's usually a break in routine, huh?

Have a great day........maybe treat yourself to an ice cream?? Oh, wait.....that's for me.........

REVISITNG THE BEACH

We spent the day with a lot of time-eating errands in Bandon. This afternoon was a weekly (almost) group I meet with so no time to take new photos.... I've raided my photo files for a couple I took down at Battle Rock. This first one of the starfish is just like it came out of the camera......no editing. It looks like it's been decorated with tiny little beads, huh?

On the way back from Bandon I stopped off at the new Whistler Art Gallery. It's owner, a lovely young woman by the name of Vickie, was out in front planting some flowers. Usually the shop doesn't open until noon on Wednesdays, but she came over and happily let us in and look around. The gallery itself is a well lite and welcoming place. All manner of art is tastfully placed around and on walls. There are paintings....mostly watercolors, jewelry, some photos, glasswork, carved wood and much more. Her grand opening will be Friday evening with an open house between the hours of 'I forget" and 8pm. I'm occupied on Friday night and was thinking if the open house might not be included but I don't think the time is going to work. Then on Saturday, Vickie will be hosting the first of many once a month artists fair. There is a large mowed field between the front of the gallery and Hwy 101. This is where the art vendors can set up their tables or tents or whatever they're going to use. This art fair will continue until the weather doesn't permit......probably into October, I'd guess. Vickie has all the exuberance of one who is seeing her dream finally being fulfilled and has the type of joy all over her face of a Mama flushing with pride over her newborn. I hope her gallery is a success........stop in and take a look when you drive by.

OK.....the next photo is another of the beach down at Battle Rock. You can see the starfish clinging to the rocks if you look closely.

Now everyone go have a great day!! Thank happy thoughts!

MORE DECK BLOOMS

This foxglove is about 5' tall. It's a wild one that is growing under, up and through the deck. I like the way the late afternoon sun is outlining the little bells. It's even fuller today and reaching for the sun.

This second shot is some of our petunias. I love the purple and white because of the luscious fragrance that they have......especially in late afternoon.

Speaking of fragrances......we've been trying to track down that terrible dead mouse smell. We tore the room apart and looked at every possible and impossible place a mouse might have curled up and died. We both now think that it might be coming from a vent screen that is on the outside of the house that might lead to the forced air heating vent in the particular smelly room. Does anyone else have this problem from time to time? If so, what did you do about it?

Today is one of those days that there just doesn't seem to be much to write about. So....I'll wish you all a happy Wednesday, knowing that you've once again made it to mid-week and closer to a fun-filled weekend.

MELLOW YELLOW MONDAY

I haven't had time lately to get 'out and about' to take photos so I'll post some recent ones from around the house. This first one is part of an incredible group of these lilies that multiply every year. I guess this fall I really need to dig and divide them up. It's only for about a couple of months that they look good, but it's spectacular when they're in bloom. Plus a lovely fragrance. I like the angle here against the blue sky. And as you'll see in the next shot, Willie the cat was delighted that I was down on her level crawling around trying to work at composition. The one here where Willie is smelling the flowers was not the way I had planned to compose this shot. But nosey Willie just had to sniff around to see what I found so interesting.....And it turned out to be her!

Today was a neat day. We had Norm's cousin and his wife who we hadn't seen in years come by for a visit. It was really nice to see them again. Great people and the visit was far too short. We took them (well....that's not quite right.....there was the scramble over the bill and we lost) Let me restate that.......We TRIED to take them to lunch at Griff's. The food was good and the view was great. The wind was a little over-kill on Mother Nature's part, but at least the sun was shinning!

I thought I had smelled something earlier today and now it's even stronger......I think a mouse up and died somewhere under the house or near the heating vent or something. Now I know where the expression "I smell a rat!" came from. Norm said his knees won't take climbing under the house and that maybe mine would. That called for one big "HA!" That was not in our marriage certificate and it's doubtful that if it had been that I'd be married now. No way am I crawling into some dark, creepy, crawly place looking for a mouse.....dead or alive. I can't believe a foul thought like that even entered his mind!! He's do better thinking about 'French toast' (those of you who read my blog last week will understand that one.)

Have a good Tuesday and appreciate the smell of good clean air!