Catching Up Once Again......

We just got back last night from five fun-filled days helping my sister and brother-in-law celebrate their 50th anniversary and visiting with family and friends as well.  No pictures though until we figure out how to get them off our phone as DH forgot his "real" camera. We also got to visit our niece's new yarn shop called Harriet and Alice.  That was fun, too, and yes, I gave into temptation.  Meanwhile, here are some photos from our family gathering at Cannon Beach, OR, as promised.

We ate together the first night at Mo's which is a fun place just across from the Tolovana Inn where we all stayed.

The cousins had fun playing together and watching the rabbits that hide on the grounds.

The tide was so low the first day that it was possible to get to the back side of Haystack Rock.

We were very glad to see that starfish have made a recovery from the virus that plagued them for the past several years!

We all had fun strolling the beaches especially since the tide was exceptionally low during our time together.

I even managed a photo of our photographer-in-chief.

All of the kids added to the family reunion tablecloth.  We were sad that our son couldn't make the gathering, but he was immersed in an intensive Chinese class at UW. 

On the last night we watched the grandkids so their parents could enjoy a meal out together.

And I also finished a few projects after we got home.  The socks are two of five "pre-orders" from the grand kids. Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Monday, Monday.........

My good Intentions to fill you in on our Cannon Beach gathering just have to wait until next time because I want to share our eclipse experience.  Coincidentally, that event fell upon our 52nd anniversary!  We spent a delightful weekend in Portland, and then headed to McMinnville, which was on the very edge of totality. Because we took a back route, the traffic was tolerable, and we found a relatively empty parking lot adjacent to McDonalds. There the fun began.

We parked in front of a bakery that was closed until noon.  Next door was a guitar shop whose owner was all prepared for the eclipse!  We walked around and chatted with other folks also.

Dick got this photo by putting his eclipse glasses in front of the camera's viewfinder. Totality lasted only 45 seconds, and he took another photo without the "filter".

It became dark enough to cause the parking lot lights to turn on, and it was noticeably chillier.  Lots of folks from the various businesses came outside to watch, too.

We had a long drive home and didn't stick around very long after totality.  Our route home took us past the town of Scapoose and this interesting historical marker.

So that was our fun weekend away.  I will try to get the Cannon Beach post up soon, but right now I need to go make supper.  Have a great evening!

It's Been Too Long!

Just this morning I received an email from Kathyb asking whether I was OK.  Well, yes, I am; July was an absolutely crazy busy month and the first part of August has been interesting also.  It'll take a while to catch up, but I sure will try.

One Sunday early in the month we attended a picnic with members of the New Hope Revival church that meets at our church. The weather was perfect, and we all had fun.

Not long afterwards we had a fun visit with Nancy and Bill Liggett.  Nancy and I taught in adjoining classrooms in California a long time ago, and we've been friends ever since. Her husband Bill has just published a book called Watermelon Snow which takes place on the Blue Glacier on Washington's Olympic Peninsula.  It's a fun read, and we helped him with a book talk at our local library.

Then most of our family gathered at Cannon Beach, OR, for five days of fun, but I'll have to post more about that later.

Right after we got home from Cannon Beach my sister and brother-in-law arrived.  They were traveling with another couple by train from San Francisco. Notice how blue the skies are!

Here's how the skies looked soon after they left!  The temperatures soared and the wind shifted and the whole area experienced smoke from wildfires in British Columbia. Finally that cleared up on Saturday when the offshore wind returned and it finally rained a bit for the first time since June 17!

And I just now realized that I forgot to send my July finishes to Kris Meares.  The purse is a finally completed UFO, and the other is a dishcloth.  I can never keep the last corner from looking wonky; any ideas on how to prevent that?  (More photos later, I promise!)