the calm before... posted by Melissa

Our first full day : sunshine and low tide

much to be seen

in Cannon Beach

 



it's alive!




California Mussels, Thatched Barnacles...



...and Leaf Barnacles



Gulls and...



...a Sooty Oystercatcher



the ocean's artwork



anemone



a colony of aggregating anemones



orange Ochre Sea Star



purple Ochre Sea Stars

 

"Terrible Tilly"





he didn't think I was taking enough pictures...heh!



my favorite beachcomber



Tillamook Lighthouse



If you missed the first two vacation posts they can be found :

here & here

 

One (or two) more to go!

Hope you're enjoying the pictures -

Melissa

The Latest Chapter by Kelli

Here I be...  at my new job!  with a featured guest at Wild Fibers in Mount
Vernon WA.   Where I am working now.
Let me introduce you to Alana Dakos from Never Not Knitting!  Hopefully you know her
from one of her books Coastal Knits, or Botanical Knits, and other patterns
and pod-cast.
My new workplace brought her to our area to teach a couple classes, she is lovely.




And I want you to see who else I met~
The Spincycle Yarn ladies!!! Dyed In The Wool!
Umm yes, it was a spendy day!




That's Simone Barry on the left, she's the designer with a new book out
In The Woods, featuring Spincycle Yarns.
I forgot the gal in the middle name ~ and Kate is on the right.
They are wonderful gals who live creatively up north from me.


I am so fortunate to be re-employed so quickly.
Thank all of you for your kind words and well wishes.
I don't think my job will be this exciting most the time but
we'll see.

I'm also test knitting samples for Plucky Yarns and that's a ride of it's own!
I'm planning on posting more about that after the release their spring
collection!

~~~Happy spring~~~

Kelli

a room with a view - posted by Melissa

sitting on our deck - that's Haystack Rock - incredible view!

Stephanie Inn's main hotel

the Carriage House to the right - we stayed in this outbuilding

our deck & Haystack Rock

have I mentioned we could see Haystack Rock???

our front room

lush extravagance



best sunset photo taken with Jason's iphone

Part II : Our Destination

 

We arrived in Cannon Beach, Oregon a few hours before sunset.  Time enough to check in, get our bearings and soak in this amazing view before dark.  We stayed at the Stephanie Inn, which was quite a splurge for us but we were long overdue for a few days away and some badly needed downtime.  This place knocked our socks off.  They cater to your every need.  The extras that were included in our stay very much offset the price of the room.  We were treated to a lavish breakfast buffet every morning (I can't even tell you how good the food was!).  There were daily fresh baked goods in the lobby and hot coffee and delicious teas 24 hours a day.  They even delivered a plate of fresh cookies and chocolates to our room every night.  You could also partake in a wine/beer/appetizer get-together before dinner, as well as a nightcap before bed if the mood suited you (we skipped the socializing)...all for the price of admission.  The people were all very nice and extremely hospitable.  You could have your car washed, join the daily yoga classes at the local studio, take a class every day at lunch from the resident chef, and if you wanted to leave your car at the hotel, they had a Mercedes SUV to shuttle you anywhere you wanted to go.  Ridiculously extravagant.

 

And very much out of our comfort zone.  Lots of bells and whistles but we felt out of place.  We're used to camping when we go on vacation so this just felt weird (nice, but weird).  Next time we go, we're choosing a spot that will let us bring Dozer.  A bit more lowbrow, shall we say?  We missed the pup.  He should have been frolicking in the sand every day.

 

That's it for today.  More to come...
teaser: low tide and tide pools!

Melissa

 

here's a link for the Stephanie Inn if you want to dream :)













Dismal Nitch - posted by Melissa

 



 

Too many vacation photos for one post so they'll come in fits and starts.  We stopped here, at Dismal Nitch along the Columbia River, just before crossing the bridge into Astoria, Oregon.  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves but if you're interested in history, here's a wonderful link that details the Lewis and Clark expedition in regards to their stay here, with excerpts from William Clark's journal in his own words.  We lingered here for quite a while, imagining what it must have been like, to know you are so close to your journey's end yet with the realization that you may perish before you reach your destination.

 

More another day.

Melissa