Big city, seashore, The Fam, exploring

These next posts may be the most mixed up confusing/confused discombobulated ever, but I will just have to accept that there was soooo much going on involving soooo many people in soooo many locations that I have completely lost track of who, what, where and when.  I considered getting through it by writing that we did something with some people somewhere and we had fun, and then throwing in a bunch of pictures, but I couldn't quite make myself do it.

I will make a start back at Shannon & Jim's as we set out to pick up Sara at the Portland airport after she flew out from KC to join us.  We were accompanied by Shannon, and a darn good thing, too.  Once we were near the city, I had to hunker down in back and hum to myself to block out the constant freeway switches and the traffic.  It's all become a bit much for me, to put it mildly.  Perhaps if I were driving, my nerves would not become quite so agitated, but it's just not fun for me; give me the wide open spaces and the countryside any day.  No wonder people get nutty: we are not meant to exist in such congestion and freneticness, in my opinion.

But back at the beginning, our route took us along the fabulous Columbia River, where we marveled at all the unfamiliar sights and sounds.   There's nothing quite as intriguing to a desert rat as water, and we saw plenty of it!

Washington, too . . .

To add to the fun, we decided to ferry across to the other side.  Our incessant lollygagging caused us to miss the boat, literally, but we were fine with waiting for the next one.  It gave us time to savor the countryside and - always - to enjoy roadside blackberries.  They should be the designated Oregon state weed; they are considered such by many here, but we were ecstatic to pick and eat at every opportunity.

 

 

 

The ferry crossing was fun except that I was terrified we were going to drive off the front of it.  That dingbat woman just kept on motioning us forward until I was ready to jump for it, leaving Chris and Shannon to their fates.

This carving we spotted at a random place along the road precipitated a stop and walk back to admire it.  No sign, no indication of the artist, but it was cool to come upon.

 

 

Historic buildings are a Kelley clan must-see.  If we investigated all of them, we'd never get anywhere, so we don blinders to get us past some.  This one was pretty intiguing, though; it appeared to have been a barn in its first life and converted to other uses later. 

Both of my travel companions share my preferences, so we continued our sightseeing along the way.  One surprising wander was in the "city" of Prescott, a tiny burg populated by about a half a hundred folks.  Of course we were fascinated to find a Prescott that isn't our Arizona home.  

The town boasts a wonderful extensive beach along the Columbia River.  The residential area consists of a few roads that drift here and there through the trees and dead-end at the river bluffs.  As strangers, we were noticed when we tried out each lane.

This sign initially caught our attention, even more when we saw a flock of large white birds across the water.  Our attempts to get closer were in vain.  I was not sure what they were until I checked my photo later and discerned that it was pelicans resting on that island - no whistling swans that I could see.

 

 

 

 

By the time we reached Sauvie Island, it was disappointingly close to dusk.  It is the largest island on the Columbia, and sounds fascinating to explore.  Sauvie appears to be a large agricultural site, producing an abundance of berries in you-pick fields.  We drove alongside some beautiful fields and were amazed at rows of on-water houses - would be awesome to go there with the leisure to enjoy and explore.  I yearned for time and light for photography - it was awesome scenery!

 

We got her . . .

The airport traffic was next to insane; when we finally found the Alaska Airlines terminal, Shannon & I jumped out in the futile hope that Sara could snatch her bag, we could snatch Sara, and Chris could keep the truck idling at the curb waiting for us.  Unfortunately, a very insistent woman of unquestionable authority informed him that he must move.  Wait in the cell phone waiting area, she "suggested", not an option since I had killed my phone along the way showing Shannon all the cute things it would do.  Hers, too, was a goner, so I had only Chris' with which to track down Sara.  He must then, she insisted, go around again, a daunting proposition but one with which he had to comply.

Anyway, we got her and I have the photographs to prove it . . .

I never tire of photographing Shannon & Jim's home and property.  The thought of having this creek in my back yard is like something out of fantasyland, yet there they are in reality.

Marion & Em (Grandpa & Grandma) have their very own deck overlooking the water.  It was wonderful to see them again!

None of us want to be left out of any family and fun times, so Robbi and Brianna both arrived to join in whatever craziness could be conjured.  This photo was the first time I got the self timer right the first time!

Then ensued even more of perusing the contents of trunks and letters and albums.  Oh, the things we learned, some of which we could have done without. . .

 

Jim & Shannon are gracious hosts, also as fun as all get out . . . and then there's Brisket.

 

 

 

 

Pizookies . . .

. . . are a favored treat in their household.  It was all new to me, but I was more than willing to try it out, even though Aunt Rita seemed to be the only one who was served hers in a gravy boat - thanks, Bri!

The elk . . .

. . . wandered the neighborhood during our visit.  Everyone else who was watching them was in the safety of their cars, while I was out on foot snapping pics.  That buck gave me the stink-eye but evidently I wasn't important enough to be charged, thank goodness.

Remembering Darren . . .

 

What better time to bless our boy than when gathered with those we love and whom Darren loved and was loved by.  He often asked us to say "Hey!" to his cousins and siblings.  As our oldest, he had family memories that none of the others do.  It was a comfort to me that we shared those and sad that now I have lost that sharing.

We gathered as a group and offered a short blessing while scattering his ashes at that place where love abides.

 

Tuna . . .

 

So it turns out that battered and deep-fried tuna is a "thing".  Who knew!  Shannon toured us around Astoria a bit and introduced us to the Bow Picker, where you can purchase a half order or a whole order and that's it.  Well worth the wait in line!

 

 

The Pacific . . .

All well and good, but let's face it: that Pacific Ocean thing is the big draw for landlubbers such as us.  We have an endless fascination with all things beachy and salt water.

 

 

 

 

This avian flock caused us to get our feathers in a bunch.  Snowy plovers, said I and the Oregonians.  Spotted sandpipers, said the señor.  The result was that we didn't count them at all.  Dagnabit, I wanted to add those plovers to the trip list, but didn't get a good enough look to argue the point.

 I even went for a wade and came up with a crab!

 

 

Not quite the Wreck of the Hesperus . . .

The rusting hulk of the Peter Iredale lies listing on the beach where it ran aground in 1906.  After setting sail from Mexico, the four-masted sailing ship was no match for high seas in a squall that ended its run for the Columbia River four miles north when it was beached near Warrenton.  All sailors aboard on that night were rescued.

Plans to retrieve it and put it out to sea again were scrapped when it listed to starboard and settled into the sand.  Shannon remembers the wreck from years ago when its bones were still covered; that's what weather does, especially seaside.

 

Ecola . . .

A state park, Ecola boasts some truly breathtaking views from up top.  Some of the trails are closed off due to active landslides, but others remain open.  It provided a great background for posed shots that proved we were there.

Surely if we had worked at it a bit more, we could have added a passel more shore birds, but we were much too taken up with people instead.  Despite our relative inattention, we added to the trip list: pelagic cormorant, purple finch, osprey, brown pelican, Forster's tern and downy woodpecker.