Random Pictures

Pulled these beauties out of the oven about 15 minutes ago - Pecan Sticky Buns - YUM!!!

In the winter I rarely check on the koi, so it was reassuring to count 13 fish the other day. They're all still healthy!

For anyone who has had to navigate our "driveway" the past several months, you will be glad to know that it now resembles a real driveway much more closely, thanks to three days work by two men on three large, noisy machines. Now the driveway feels like a highway! Quite a relief.

A recent sunrise down the valley.
My favorite - a crescent moon.

I think it may be time to post pictures of the very start of the year's baby plants - they are beginning to sprout! What fun!

Spring's A-Comin'!

Yes, ladies and gents, the signs are everywhere. Lambs are already born, calving has begun. Daffodil buds grow fat along with camellia buds and leaf buds on the big leaf maple. And the real clincher? Seeds have been ordered! (Seeds amaze me. How does a 5 foot tall tomato plant come out of that little brown thing?) Anyway, tables, flats and potting trays, seed starting soil and the mat heater are being assembled in the new craft/sewing/seed starting room. We'll begin the step of faith probably this weekend, carefully placing seeds into special soil, watering just so, heating from the bottom. Life changes, centered around caring for baby plants for months to come. It's so exciting!!!

Sunrise Over the Hill

Todd alerted me to this a little while ago. I braved the icy porch, again in my robe and tennies, 'cause these pictures needed to be taken. Sometimes looking at beauty makes a big difference to me. I hope you enjoy them.

This is the stairway Todd made to go up to the next level where the office is.

And the sky was blue today! After a few days of clouds, I so welcome blue sky. I love how the trees are all misty with fog and they're backlit with the sunrise.

And, while you didn't ask for them...

...I thought you might enjoy these pictures of the blowing sand. Can you tell the lighter layer above the darker sand?

What, more?

Well, I took a lot of sand pictures this time!

A baby jelly. Cool how the shadow has a clear place where the light shows right through.

Isn't this one amazing? It looks like ceiling tiles or something.

More Beach Pictures, as Requested

What? I told you I wore my slippers!

I took this picture for Eric, as I remember his fondness for small pieces of driftwood, but sand patterns also show.
Sun reflection close to the water.

This pattern I had never seen before. It was totally dry, and looked like very heavy-weight sandpaper.

More Bandon Beach Pictures

The wind was whipping on the beach, sand was flying by, and our friend who was raised in Hawaii was not amused by her first experience with the temperatures at the beach on this side of the Pacific Ocean. We found a spot out of the wind behind this huge rock, and set up our folding chairs. I donated a down jacket and fleece blanket to the cause of keeping her from hypothermia, to join her gloves, hat, two shirts and a sweatshirt. She still froze.

We settled into our protected spot, but you know - we just couldn't see the waves very well.
Priscilla was the first one to make a break for the ocean. She was soon far away and down by the waves and rocks. I think she is happiest right there. Michelle eventually unbent her frozen self out of her chair and joined us by the water for some rock-hounding.
I am endlessly fascinated by patterns in the sand created by water and wind. I took many more pictures than these ten, several of other interesting patterns, but those will only be posted by request. I don't want to bore you.

A friendly passer-by took this nice picture of us friends as we (reluctantly) left the beach and headed back home. What a nice break.

I didn't mention the shopping. It was a particularly profitable shopping day. Took my mind riiiight off my troubles. I mean responsibilities.

Pictures from Bandon Today

It was fabulous and sunny at the coast today. Here are some photos to share the beauty as best I can. Of course, it would have been better, and a lot more fun, if you had been here with us!

Way down the beach you can see another huge rock in the hazy distance.

The sky, the water, the rocks. It was...magic. (What movie?)
With the reflection it was majesty and beauty times two. If you click on this picture to enlarge it, you will see that the crest of the wave is being blown back beautifully!

This little wave chased Priscilla and me about 50 feet in as the tide advanced! It was hard to run in my slippers, more like a fast shuffle - yes, I was wearing my bedroom slippers. Long story which you will not read here. Or anywhere. Priscilla was laughing so hard she started coughing and could hardly run!

Work and Play

My hat is off to working women. I was a working woman for a long time, and I remember how exhausting it was to come home and face a home, a husband and children who all needed my energy and attention. Our business is pretty busy right now, and when it wasn't, several months ago, we had to lay off our oh-so-capable part-time employee. So now that it is again, I am spending several hours every day in the office.

I'm not complaining, mind you. I'm so thankful for the work and okay with this situation. I'm just tired. Now that I'm more used to keeping the house in some semblance of order, I really want to hang onto that and not go back to the stress of an unkept house. So I have been doing housework and cooking/baking in the mornings, then heading up to the office for several hours, then home to complete undone tasks.

And I have help! At least with cooking, and periodically cleaning the kitchen. Still tired.

Any-hoo...

A friend from church invited Priscilla and me to spend this Friday night at a nice hotel in Bandon with her, and Saturday puttering around the beach and shops. What a concept - rest, relax, stop thinking about the next task? I am sort of wondering what it will feel like, honestly!

I have a feeling photographs will be taken. I'll share when I get back, k?

Beautiful Morning

It was pretty enough this morning to get me outside in my robe and old tennie runners to take some photos. Thank goodness for privacy on the mountain! It was pretty chilly (33 degrees) but well worth the brisk-ness to be under this perfect sky. Here I faced east and south, and if you click on it to enlarge the picture, four contrails are visible.

Here I was looking west and north. It was like a river of fog down there.

So much for the transport to outdoor bliss - it was time to get the boys up and ready for school!