Road Side Attraction

Driving through Tillamook yesterday evening we came across a state trooper with his flashing lights on. We couldn't figure out who he pulled over until we looked past him to the field usually reserved for dairy cows.

There in the field was an entire herd of elk grazing away apparently unaware they were in cow territory and on private land. The elk were quite beautiful and many had impressive racks of antlers. I am not sure how they got past the fence or their plan to get out again--they didn't seem concerned and neither did the cows.

The trooper seemed to be the most concerned about keeping the local citizens from "tagging" the elk as it is hunting season.

Football and Drunken Sailors

What do these two things have in common you might ask? Neah-Kah-Nie High School--home of the Pirates--hosted a Friday night football game last week. We couldn't resist joining in and watching the home team.

The evening was warm as the players took the field. The pep band struck up a tune to cheer them on and the rally girls furiously shook their pom poms and danced...it was a familiar melody. Suddenly we realized the words to the song were..."What'll we do with the drunken sailor....what'll we do with the drunken sailor...early in the morning." We laughed until we cried but nobody else in the stands seemed to think it odd these young women were motivating their team with the drunken sailor song.

I guess when you are a Fighting Pirate, disposing of a Drunken Sailor is part of the game and well worth cheering about!

Local Wildlife Report

Lots of activity happening here at Saltair Station. Let's look at the highights...

Bears - Black bears have been sighted in several coastal communities including ours. Apparently the berry season wasn't very good this year, so they have come down from the Coast Range to see if there is anything better to eat in town. They aren't aggressive like some other bears, just hungry. Sad to say, we know of at least one who was "removed from the situation."

Deer - Hunting season is upon us so the local deer have also moved in town for the duration. You can see them morning, noon and night roaming the streets--the Saltair Street Gang. They have decided the plants in front of the boat house are yummy and are willing to fight Bob for them. One of the locals says they are bedding down in his backyard at night. I am personally glad they are in town out of danger.

Dragonflies - This past week, the dragonflies have been amazing. There are always 15-20 within sight at any given time both scurrying about and sunning themselves on the rocks. They are so graceful and confident!

Humans - With the tourists pretty much gone, the locals are enjoying their best kept secret--September weather. It was 82 degrees yesterday and no wind. They are soaking up the sun, enjoying the quiet and spirits are high.

Ocean in the Air

We were sitting outside by the campfire enjoying the full moon the other night. It was a still, magical night. And there was also something curious happening. The scent of salt air was as strong as if we were sitting right on the beach. The sound of the ocean was as loud as if we were on the beach. You could hear each wave distinctly crashing instead of the usual dull roaring sound we hear from a few blocks away.


Earlier in the day I overheard a couple of "locals" talking about how unusually strong the salt air smelled. While I agreed, I didn't think much about it then. My new husband--who loves to confidently explain things he isn't really all that sure about--tells me it was caused by an onshore breeze. Although there was no breeze.


Curious and wonderful--the mystery remains! Perhaps it was the full Harvest Moon.

The Fruit of Our Labor

We are spending our honeymoon here at Saltair Station. And as usual, the September weather has been beautiful. Of course, everything is beautiful when you are in love!

We are enjoying the garden's first year of growth. My Dad taught me that gardens take years to grow and fully mature. Patience is the name of the game. When we started in March this was just a vacant lot filled with weeds. So this first year, my goal was to define the "bones" of the garden and do some basic planting. I also scattered wildflower seeds to fill up a flower bed I didn't take on this year. But they came up and are quite sweet.

The groom is soaking up the sun in the background and this year's effort has really paid off!

Love...True Love!

We exchanged our vows on the beach at the same spot Bob asked me to marry him. Perfect!

Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer

Summertime at the beach transports us to a different world. A world where kids play games with only their imaginations, shovels and sand...couples wander along the shore hand in hand... grandparents spoil the kids with huge ice cream cones eaten together in the sunshine...teenagers meeting for the first time around a bonfire...dogs chase sticks into the waves. Even if this world only lasts for an hour, a day or a week, it builds memories that last a lifetime.

This magical world comes to an end each year on Labor Day. We sit at the cafe, drink coffee and watch the town empty out. The locals call it "watching the circus parade" and--based on the variety of rigs driving down Highway 101--they have a point. But Labor Day always seems a little melancholy to me as the cars go by with children looking out the back windows saying their goodbyes to summer. Saltair Station feels empty too as the houses are closed up for the season and the laughing voices up and down the main street dwindle.

But the magic never leaves, it simply awaits their return and for their children and someday their children's children. Because this is a place where sharing simple pleasures with those we love never grows old.