I Am At The Beach!

THE room I have here is very large for one person. (Please note: The photo at the left does not depict the motel. Keep reading.) There is a fold-out couch and king-size bed. Three pillows plus my dependable one from home. Gas fireplace. Windows all around. (No ocean view, but I do overlook the courtyard on one side and the next door pub's back yard, which like everything in Cannon Beach is planted with the most wonderful, gigantic flowers. (The calla lilies are in bloom: can you hear the Katharine Hepburn in my voice?) The most wonderful smells come from the pub. Not beer, but garlicky, oniony somethings frying in a pan.
It was pure glorious May sunshine for the trip over, which was nice for driving the rough roads that have just been patched and cleaned up (a bit) since the horrible, awful, ghastly winter snowstorms. When I arrived the coastline was overcast - not unusual at all - and around 6 p.m. the "mist" began.
There is a television and DVD player here, with free movies in the lobby to pick up, but so far I've avoided that flickering box and devoted my time to tea and finishing "Eat, Pray, Love." It was an OK book. I'm going down to the car soon to find "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress." I think it might be more my speed than following someone from continent to continent as they search for their next boyfriend. (I'm being really mean. Gilbert's descriptions of Balinese ceremonies and way of life were great. Her description of the Yogic path was terrific! "We have failed to recognize our deeper divine character. ... Yoga is the effort to experience one's divinity personally and then to hold on to that experience forever." However, I do think the book could have been shorter.)
Well, on to other things: I brought all of my art journaling supplies with me but didn't anticipate such a long haul from the car to the second story room I have. Not much table space and I wonder if the maids will "report" me tomorrow when they find the area covered with newspaper and gesso drying? Oh, well, I paid good money for the room and I'll be careful.
And regarding the photo above: When I left home I stopped on the journey (actually turned around and went back!) to take a picture of a truly majestic leaning barn amidst a field of red clover. However, the cord to get that photo onto this computer from my camera does not work, so you will have to make do with Carl Sandburg's cousin's nephew's barn - femminismo

PHOTO: Old barn on Charlie Kran's farm, a cousin of the poet Carl Sandburg. Taken by photographer Allan Grant, February 1953, in Galesburg, Illinois. Published in Life magazine.

Take the Weather up to 80 F - add humidity.

YUCK! It is muggy out and we are having our second thunderstorm this summer. Big fat drops fell on the skylight in the kitchen and gave us some hope of a cooldown, but that stopped almost as soon as it had started. (Yesterday was much hotter ... above 90. Today was only about 84.)
It was cooler after the slight rain though and I went out in the garden and found these lilies blooms had formed ... and soon will open.
Check out the sky in the bar on the left-hand side of my blog. It's small, but will give you an idea of our gray rumbling skies.
Yesterday we went to a family get together and the people who hosted also had a horse stable - a large one. The two granddaughters fed alfalfa goodies to the animals. There were miniature horses, too.
Zoe tried to make her hand as flat as possible so Carrot would eat the snack and not her fingers. But each time the horse nibbled and caused the goodie to fall, and Zoe shrieked. Eventually, Uncle Joe fed the horse.
Cassie petted the miniature horses and fed one of them a snack. All of the animals were very well behaved and we found a great barn cat living the life of royalty.
Grandchildren are surely the best invention ever. I know there are those of you out there who know what I'm talking about.
We worked in the yard today and got the potting table moved farther to the back so we don't have to look at the mess of potting soil and containers. I have wanted to do that for forever!
Then we went to a family birthday party and enjoyed cake and ice cream. Grandchildren were there, again, so the day was perfect.
As we drove home, we caught a red light right at the barn on Jackson Road. I have always wanted to take a photo of this barn, but I was in a cake and ice cream-induced coma. As I came to realize we were sitting right beside it, I barely had time to get the camera out and turn it on - and the window unrolled - before the light turned green.
A car was in back of us and the Mister had to get going. Here, though, is the photo of the barn. I haven't balanced the lighting in Photoshop, so perhaps it could be better. I just know the barn and farm will be gone someday - replaced by condominiums and concrete - but now I have a photo.
Today I thought about my unfinished projects and wondered when I will ever find time to do them. At the birthday party today three of us talked about jobs we had when we were younger. I get as sick of hearing it as I get sick of saying it, but where did the time go? If you could tell a young person one thing - or two things - on how to make their life experience richer (experience-wise) and better (living-wise) what would you tell them?
Mine's an old admonition: Get an education. The other is, keep a diary of every single day of your life. Write down at least one thing.
This blog is part of my determination to start on that second suggestion. Although you will not hear from me every day, I will be wishing I were here - femminismo