Permission to Come Aboard

It is time once again for the annual Pirate Festival. Last year, you may recall I was very disappointed because I didn't actually see any pirates at the Pirate Festival just cheesy rides, kettle corn and vendor booths.

So it is with high hopes that I set sail for "downtown" to see if I can spot any buccaneers and report back to you. I am hoping since we now have a town shipwreck, The Emily G Reed, the pirates will be more likely to show up in search of booty and Pronto Pups.

Opening to Beauty

When I purchased the tight, white peony buds at the Farmer's Market, I had no idea their opening would be so stunning. A dramatic and elegant transformation occurred overnight.

Flowers, like hearts, must be open to share their beauty.

Mother Nature's Lace

This hydrangea bloom is still quite eye-catching even after surviving a long winter of gale force winds and relentless, salty rain. It brings to mind antique lace woven for the wedding of a fairy princess. Perhaps, Mother Nature herself has designed it for a special friend.

Working On Coastal Time

One of the peculiarities of living in a small town is the limited access to supplies. This coastal town has no gas station, no hardware store, no plant nursery and no appliance store. We do our best to plan ahead and be prepared.

Problem: to complete any decent plumbing or electrical project, Bob requires 1-3 trips to the store for parts and tools which entails a 20 mile drive in either direction. It's not his fault, it is a man thing.

Saturday morning, he was patiently installing the new porch lights I couldn't live without when it became time for a visit to the store. We decided to make it an outing, because the weather was sunny and unseasonably warm. We drove two towns north to Nehalem and the closest hardware store.

On the way back, we stopped for lunch in Wheeler at a restaurant with rustic outdoor seating overlooking the river. The well-worn docks were deserted except for a few crab pots and a "Seagull Security" guard. The seagull kept a keen eye trained on those crab pots for over an hour from his station atop the piling. Finally, sensing there was no immediate danger of theft, he sat down and basked in the sun along with the rest of us.

Chutney???

That's what the sign says, "chutney." The town convenience store sells beer, ice, hot dogs, marshmallows and all the things you need for a picnic on the beach. They even rent movies for those frequent rainy days. The fresh vegetables are hit and miss and I haven't tried the meat. Scouring the shelves, however, chutney was nowhere to be found.

Every time we drive by, I wonder what the grocer who ordered this sign was thinking, "Lets see, I can only list three items...hmmm. Wait, I've got it. Oh this will really draw a crowd, the tourists will definitely stop for chutney!"

Not To Be Outdone

The evergreen trees also flaunt their beauty each spring
with a most delicious shade of green!

Open Bar

Nedonna Beach, Oregon has a lot of driftwood. Seriously, it has a sea of sun bleached, saltwater soaked wood. The trail to the ocean from the parking lot leads you through a small portion seen here.

While some are content to sit upon a dry piece to watch the water, other project-minded visitors feel compelled to build things.






So as you wander down the beach you see all types of amazing structures. Some are clearly meant for blocking the wind and others appear to be forts. Ahhh, to be a child again working alongside my buddies building strongholds to defend the beach from marauding pirates!


This structure overlooking the ocean has been here for years. It is not a fort, but instead is a bar. Yes, that's right a working bar. Seen here in winter, you can make out the basic outline. Come summer, it receives repairs from winter storm damage and is outfitted with a bar sign, flags, drink menu and all the accoutrements necessary to serve up Salty Dogs (the drink, not the locals). We have never been able to figure out which family or group is responsible for this annual event, but we applaud their efforts and the creative use of nature's flotsam and jetsam.

Our mission this summer is to capture the bar open for business on film and report back to you, little drink umbrellas and all!