March 31

 March Photo a Day.  March 31.  Photographer's Choice.

I've been going through all the photos saved on my computer for the past twenty years.  Randomly, I found this picture of Hollywood Beach, Oxnard, Ventura County, California (quite near where we used to live).  The Ventura County beaches were some of our favorite places to walk.  This photo is an iconic view of Hollywood Beach.

March 2

March Photo a Day.  March 2.  Dream.  When I think of the word dream, my mind immediately envisions my dream place-- the beach.  Today I am dreaming of the beach.  All the Pacific Ocean beaches where I would walk and wade and watch the waves.  Imperial, Silver Strand,  Huntington, Ocean, Redondo, Manhattan, Pismo, Hendry's, Santa Barbara, Emma Wood, Thornhill-Broome, Ventura, Rockaway.  Just to name a few.

It was hard to choose just one.  Point Mugu Beach along Pacific Coast Hwy, Ventura County, Ca.  The closest beach to our home.  I dream of walking there again.

January 30, 2025

 On a cold winter's day, I need cheering up.  The best way?  Remembering the beach!

What a lucky guy, to live so close to the beach! (near Rockaway Beach, Oregon)

January 5, 2025

 If you have been reading Willows Cottage blog for very long, you will know that I am a beach girl.  While I love the mountains and the trees, my heart is at the beach.

 Looking back on last year, March 2024, I was sifting through photos from our road trip to Outer Banks, North Carolina, which we took with our Coffee Couple, T and S.  Now my heart yearns to return and soak in the beauty of the ocean, the sand, the surf.

Do you love the beach?

Still On the Road

 This is another week of Friday Fave Fives that I am focusing on our travels. Yes, this has been a long trip. Long but wonderful.  We have put many many miles on our car, and seen many many places in the past two weeks.  These are the highlights from this past week for which I am thankful.

1.  The one full day we were in western Oregon, we happened to be there for a memorial service for a family member (we did not know when the service would be when we left home).  Although the occasion was a sad one, the service for my cousin's husband, it was also a reunion for all the cousins on my father's side of our family. I honestly can't recall the last time we were all together. Yes, six boys and two girls.

2. And after the memorial, four of us dragged our spouses along to a coffee shop so we could continue talking and remembering and making more memories. Actually, when we planned this trip, we did not know there would be a service or that we would see all my cousins.  It was a very special time.  (We were in the Portland area for only thirty-six hours!)

3.  Of course, if we are on the west coast, we have to make a visit to the beach!

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

4.  Our drive home is taking us through mountain passes, among evergreen forests and along basin and range desert-like terrain, and midwest breadbasket farms.  Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and finally Ohio. We love to travel, obviously. But we are also looking forward to being home soon.

Twin Falls, Idaho

Long, straight roads through Idaho and Wyoming.

5.  I am thankful that both my brother and The Professor are good drivers.  On Sunday, on the way to the beach, we drove through a torrential rainstorm.  Safely.  And all along the highways and byways, two lane roads, and freeways, we have been safe.  As I mentioned to The Professor just this afternoon, it is amazing that there are so few road accidents, considering all the cars and trucks and busses on the roads and all the drivers (good and bad).  We have three more long days of driving to reach home; we would appreciate any and all prayers for our safety.

PS:  did you notice that I actually was able to post a few photos?  We may have a solution!

Spring!

 Happy Spring!  We took a spring break trip this week.  Our friends T and S mentioned that they were planning a trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina and asked if we wanted to join them.  It took about 3 seconds for us to yell, "Yes!"  And since it is now Friday, I decided to share our Five Faves from our trip to the beach.  What is Friday Fave Fives?  It's a way for people to contemplate about their blessings and share five of them each Friday with Susanne as our host.  Follow that link above to join in.

1.  I do need to preface our trip faves with one other blessing.  Sunday was my birthday.  So many people from all over the world sent messages, emails, cards, texts, facebook posts to wish me a Happy Birthday!  I was thrilled and overwhelmed with all the love from so many people.  In person, we attended church and then enjoyed a Chinese dinner at a local restaurant with family.  All my children and grandchildren and my brother either wished me Happy Birthday in person or called me to talk with me.

2.  OK, on to our beach trip.  On our way to Outer Banks, we caravanned with T and S.  In spite of some unexpected snafus like missing turns and exits or following the wrong car (that was hilarious), we managed to arrive safely.  Did you know that OBX is the abbreviation all the locals use for Outer Banks?

3.  We found wonderful coffee shops and restaurants.  Oh my.  The food was so yummy!

Eleanor especially LOVED Front Porch Cafe in Nags Head (and Roanoke Island)!

4.  All of us are beach bums.  We love the beach.  So, walks on the beach were the best part of the trip.

5.  We enjoyed some sightseeing adventures.  Ft. Raleigh (where it's all about the lost colony on Roanoke Island).  Cape Hatteras lighthouse and Bodie Lighthouse.  The Wright Brothers Memorial at Kitty Hawk, where Orville and Wilbur Wright flew the first airplane and changed the world.

Bodie Lighthouse

Cape Hatteras lighthouse (undergoing some renovations)

Eleanor Elizabeth loves flying in airplanes, so she especially enjoyed the Wright Memorial at Kitty Hawk.

An amazing life size replica of the 'first flight'.

I am so thankful for a wonderful spring break trip!

The Northern Oregon Coast, Part 1

When you visit Oregon, you need to drive to the coast.

We started our coast weekend by driving to the most northern Oregon coastal town, Astoria.

At Astoria, you can cross north over the Columbia River on a long and high bridge into Washington. 

 We chose to turn south on Hwy 101. 

...after we enjoyed The.Best fresh caught fish and chips at Bowpicker's.

See that empty spot in the middle of the photo where there are no landmarks?  That's where the Columbia River flows into the Pacific Ocean.

In case you were wondering, yes, the lumber industry is still going strong in the Pacific Northwest.

As you drive south, you will often be hugging the cliff on your left and peering down onto the beach on your right.  And when I say, peering down, I mean down a long way.

Eventually (after a few miles of hair raising cliff hangers), you will arrive in Cannon Beach.

Cannon Beach is the location of Haystack Rock.

I remember playing around Haystack Rock as a child, trying to wade out as far as I could during low tide to maybe reach the rocks in front.

(Unless you drive down to the beach and get out of your car, your photos will inevitably include lines and poles.)

Cannon Beach is a favorite tourist destination for most of the year, and there are many shops and restaurants to visit.  We stopped at an art store because my sister-in-law's niece has a display in the art gallery.  Then we popped in to a candy store and there was a friend from our church in Portland!  What a wonderful surprise to find her there!

And then we arrived at the 'real' beach, Rockaway.

Twin Rocks

at Rockaway Beach

In this somewhat closer up shot, you can spot all the birds perching on top of the rocks.

That was Day One of our Oregon beach adventures.

Come back for more!

November Travel Thankfulness

Friday Fave Fives!  I am a little bit late posting, but it is still Friday.  Looking back over the past week as we continued and finished our road trip, I am filled with thankfulness for all the beauty and friendship and family. 

DONE!!!  (Note:  I took bundles of photos, but I am having trouble getting them to download so I can post them.  I will keep trying, so come back later for the photo feast.)

1.  Time with FAMILY.  We had meals with The Professor's sisters and their sons.  All the conversations and reminiscences.

2.  Dinners at our favorite restaurant, SHARKY'S.  Like, four times...  Eleanor Elizabeth loved the chips and salsa.

3.  Time with Younger SON in San Diego.  It was wonderful to have three days to just hang out, visit sightseeing places in San Diego and talk and talk with him.

4.  Time on the BEACH.  (Here's where you get lots and lots of photos!)

I am always happy when my feet are in the sand.

5.  I am thankful to be home.  Two long flights but we landed safely and were picked up by Younger Daughter and delivered safely HOME