Showers, Rain, Drizzle, Cloudy with a Shower

Laura Domela — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 18:29:30 +0000

This is what our week sounds like, per Accuweather.

It rained most of the day yesterday, but we got a short break and braved our way to the beach for a walk. This is what our campsite area looked like when we left:

The beach was quiet and beautiful and we had a good walk.

There were all these weird finger-shaped (and sized) things that had washed up on the shore:

I got close and they were definitely organic (but no bones, so…not fingers).

My first thought was starfish legs, but upon closer inspection we decided they were probably small sea cucumbers.

However, once back at the Airstream (and internet) we discovered they were not in fact sea cucumbers, by pyrosomes. They are bioluminescent (when alive) and can get as large as 60 feet long. Each one is actually a colony of cloned creatures called “salps” about 1 cm long each, connected together by tissue to form what looks like a rubbery, plastic tube. Winter storms have caused many of them to wash ashore and they’re apparently all over the Oregon Coast right now. [Source]

Bird-shaped driftwood:

Same driftwood, different angle:

Not many people on the beach today:

Heading over the dunes and back to camp:

When we got back to camp, our moat had mostly disappeared, but I’m thinking we need some Xtratufs for the Airstream as well as the boat!

We went to dinner last night in Manzanita…a restaurant called Blackbird.

For starters we shared a radicchio caesar salad and some bacon-wrapped apricots (stuffed with goat cheese and marcona almond). Both starters were fantastic. For our main course we shared some Ricotta Gnocchi (with lamb bacon, shaved fennel, basil and tarragon pesto, maitake mushroom, parmesan), and a delicious prawn dish , but I don’t have all the ingredients for that one because it wasn’t on the online menu. I’m not sure which entree we liked the best. The portions were perfect, too…perfect enough that we got to share a chocolate pot du creme with sea salt on top for dessert.

It rained like crazy all night last night, and early this morning the wind really kicked up. We slept in a bit, made some late breakfast, and are having a lovely anniversary day at the coast.

We Took the Airstream to the Oregon Coast

Laura Domela — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 19:22:07 +0000

We’re at the Oregon Coast in the Airstream this week. (That shot above is looking back toward Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock.) Remember the Airstream? It’s been so long, but we seem to have retained the skills necessary for hooking the trailer to the truck for towing, running all our systems, and remembering where things are.

We got settled in our campsite yesterday afternoon (arrived around 4pm) and then got out our bikes for a nice bike ride. It was right around 60 degrees F and we rode for an hour or so (without jackets, even!) There’s a nice loop that takes you around the airport and out to the beach…

So pretty!

Last night it started raining and hasn’t quit since (it’s after noon on Monday now). Accuweather shows nothing but rain rain and more rain today (well, and also tomorrow, and maybe Wednesday too), and we’ve got a nice moat developing around the Airstream. Upside? We’re getting a ton of work done here.

Tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of the day we got married! On March 14, 1997, we drove downtown to pick up our judge, brought him back to our house, and got married in our living room in front of a fire, with our good friends Jake and Patti as official witnesses and Larra and Christy (daughters from Kevin’s previous marriage, then 8 and 10) as unofficial witnesses. We poured champagne, went to lunch downtown after delivering our judge back to his office, and then had a fantastic trip to Costa Rica. Seems like just yesterday, and seems like forever ago. Best 20 years ever!

The nice restaurant in town wasn’t open tomorrow, so we’re having dinner there tonight. Tomorrow I’ve got a massage scheduled, and if it stops raining, Kevin’s going to fly his new Mavic on the beach for some drone photos. I think we’ll cook dinner for ourselves and open a good bottle of champagne and maybe play some scrabble or something.

Manzanita – Riveted

Showers, Rain, Drizzle, Cloudy with a Shower

We Took the Airstream to the Oregon Coast