Happy Day Before Easter

JC, Taz and I went for a nice beach walk yesterday. As usual, Ona beach had changed dramatically. The sand had returned in most places, covering the bed rock and ancient tree roots that the winter storms had exposed on our last visit.

Taz was happy to get out, he was high-stepping all the way through the park, over the Beaver Creek bridge and onto the beach. There were some agate hunters and a few other dog walkers, but not many people for a Saturday morning.

We came across the old redwood stump that has been slowly working its way north with the winter high tides and the south winds. I first came across it 20 years ago about 8 miles south on Tillicum beach where we used to live. It already had countless slabs sawed off of it for coffee tables, and who knows what. Rick and I borrowed a chain saw and cut a gun stock sized slab from it for a gun that I never built. I finally traded it to someone for something, but for the life of me I can't remember who it was or what I traded for. As it works its way up the beach it gets smaller, slab by slab, but it still is impressive. It was high centered on a lava rock outcropping and looked for all the world like a wrecked sailing ship.

There was a weathered sandstone rock face that looked like it had Egyptian hieroglyphics on it, (at least to my imagination,) and we picked up some small agates here and there. There was a good surf and the waves were banging the rocks pretty hard, but we had a hard time getting a picture of it. The four mile walk pooped all three of us out and Taz slept on my coat all the way back to Waldport.

Time keeps on flying, flying...

We celebrated another Saint Patrick's Day pigging out on Carol's delicious corned beef and cabbage, along with some wine and beer. Afterwards, when J.C. And Kelly were leaving, J.C. Said, “That was great Carol, much better than we had last year at the Salty Dawg!” Carol and I both agreed.

Later, while I was thinking about it, I realized that last year we had spent St. Patties Day the same way as this year; at our house. It was two years ago that we had gone to the Dawg for dinner. It made me realize how fast time flies when you're getting old. An entire year had tried to slip from our memories! It seems as though it's only been a few months ago since J.C. Moved here from Las Vegas, towing his little Honda behind a huge U-haul truck, but it's actually been over four years now.

I can remember being a kid in High School, sitting in my last class of the day, watching the wall clock that hung next to the picture of George Washington above the teacher's desk. I swear, a week goes by faster now than it took that damn clock to tick off the last five minutes of the school day.

It seems that I no longer have time to do much, even though I'm not working, don't have any kids to tend to, or any responsibilities to speak of. It's just that time goes by so much faster now! In fact it whizzes by in such a blur that I have a hell of a time remembering what day of the week it is. The other day while I was writing out a check, I had to ask the clerk what the date was, and she replied, “The 16^th.”
“Umm,” I stuttered, “What month?” ...I had the year aced, though.

Carol came up with the analogy of a spool of thread; When you first start pulling the thread, the spool turns slowly. The more you pull off, the faster the spool turns and when you get close to the end it's really cranking. Maybe that's the way time works.

I'm published!

Several months ago I submitted a story to Paddling.net, a kayaking web site that I visit almost every day to read the articles and find out what's new in the sport. I'd forgotten about it until this morning when they emailed me that they'd published my article! They even had their artist draw a picture of me...kind of a younger version of me... with more hair... and without my stash and goatee... Otherwise, a good likeness.

Here's the description of the article and a link to the story:

MisAdventures - Self-Launch!

Never under estimate the advantage of having a boating buddy. This month's MisAdventures story describes the ordeal of trying to do things alone, and the benefit of a caring paddling partner - even if they are three times larger than you. Enjoy a extra-sized laugh in this funny reader submitted article.

Chewy's Dreams

Most of the entries I've made to this blog have been about our puppy, Taz. Since he's so active and full of energy, it's easy to forget about Chewy, our 14 year old Lhasa Apso.

In his old age Chewy is content to spend most of his time sleeping, barking in a falsetto voice with his stubby little legs twitching in his doggy dreams. I've often wondered what he dreams about so I made a few pictures of some possibilities.

Wiley E. and family?

Last night around 11:30 the coyotes started singing. They were so loud I was sure that they were in the back yard, and of course, Taz freaked out. He started barking and growling, shivering and shaking, finally climbing on top of me, woofing and twitching about every minute or so until about midnight when we all finally got back to sleep.

This morning around 9 o'clock I was standing in the back doorway when a police car came up the highway with it's siren wailing. Coyotes started howling, yipping and singing from at least two different spots in the forested area behind the yard. Carol and I both were surprised at how close they were. We've had them come through here before, maybe we'd hear them howling every couple of months or so, but these guys seem to have moved in.

I had turned the electric fence off about a month ago, since the bears are hibernating and Taz won't go near it after he got zapped, whether it's off or on. I'm afraid Taz would be a temptation no self respecting coyote could pass up, so I turned it back on.

Brush Pile

Boy Howdy!

We finally got a break in the stormy weather, and it sure feels good!

Monday we had our weekly barbecue outside for the first time in a long time. Kelly grilled steaks and it was actually comfortable sitting out on JC's deck, until the sun got behind the old growth fir and hemlock trees on the south side of his house.

Yesterday Carol and I got some yard work done, trying to clean up the mess the winter storms left behind. It's kind of cloudy this morning but the forecast looks good through the weekend. Maybe now we can accomplish some of the outside projects that have been on hold because of the crappy weather. We have a huge amount of fallen tree limbs and knocked down bushes to cut up and burn. It should make a heck of a bonfire!

Carol finally licked the bad cold she's been fighting for two weeks, (with the help of an expensive prescription - seven pills for $97.00!) She started back on duty this morning at 6 and popped a call at 7:15 and another around 10. Then she went down to the fire station to work out on their exercise equipment; I think she's feeling better!

Sunny Day!

What's that bright light? Up there in the sky! Ow! it hurts my eyes!

The sun actually came out this morning, so JC, Taz and I went for a long overdue beach walk.

As usual, Ona beach has changed completely from the last time we were there, the high surf has uncovered some prehistoric tree stumps along with an ancient peat bog. They've been preserved by being buried in the sand and are thousands of years old, the result of a massive earthquake and tsunami, which dropped an entire forest into the surf and then covered it over.

The sand at the north end of the beach was all gone exposing the bedrock and several agate beds. I forgot my camera but JC took some nice pictures of Taz and I. Taz seemed to enjoy getting out as much as we did, I'm sure he gets cabin fever too.

Carol and I went over to JC's this afternoon to get copies of the pics he took and have a few glasses of wine. It's already clouding over for the next storm system to come through, but it sure was a great morning!

Taz's First Snow

This morning when Taz and I went out for our morning constitutional, we were greeted by an inch of fresh snowfall. The same thought occurred to both of us as we stepped out onto the clean, white lawn. Let's write our names in the snow! Unfortunately I hadn't taken my daily Saw Palmetto pill yet, so I could only manage my initials.

Taz needs writing and spelling lessons but he certainly wrote for a while, possibly his name, address, phone number and zip code. He's got to learn how to spread his writing out though, so it's more readable.

At first he wasn't too sure about that cold white stuff on the ground, but when he realized it was fun to play in, he spent the rest of the morning either running and playing outside or begging to go back out for some more.

Carol's been sick with a bad cold and is just now starting to recover. She's been pretty much down and out for 3 days, coughing, with a headache, sore throat and dizziness. So far I'm OK, but I usually get any bug that comes anywhere near me, so I'm just waiting for it to hit.

The Barclay Baths

The other day we were reminiscing about the stained glass window and marble coffee tables we had that came from the the depths of Larimer street in the 1960's. It was along time ago and it took us a while to remember the details, but here is the story.

Cold enough to freeze the eyeballs off a brass frog!

Compared to most places we haven't had it too bad, but it still has been one of the coldest winters I can remember on the coast. This morning it's 29 degrees, which is the coldest it's been all winter; the problem is that it's been in the mid 30's almost every night for months, and the days have been cold even if the sun does peek out, which has been seldom. It's just been downright uncomfortable unless you're standing in front of the fireplace.
We've been lighting a fire every morning and keeping it going most of the day. We're going through the woodpile way too fast and we'll have to buy some more wood if we can find anyone to get it from.
I sure hope we have an early spring.