Smilin' Jack: Stormy Weather

Or - Raindrops keep fallin' on my head . . .

Just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed

Nothing seems to fit

Oh, raindrops keep fallin' on my head

Keep a-fallin'

We are quickly discovering that the definition of rain between here and Seattle is vastly different. Worlds apart, really.

Rain in Seattle, we learned, usually was of a misty, almost ephemeral, quality. It would come, annoy for a while and then go away. If you stood out in it long enough you would be wet but mostly, walking through it from one shelter to the next, all it did was get you a bit damp.

Occasionally we would get a downpour but, honestly, those were more the exception than the rule. Rain, in Seattle, was easy to make fun of but, really, not all that difficult to get around.

Now let's go to Lincoln City. A new reality with new rules.

When we first came down to take a look-see at the rental it rained all day and all night. And then it rained all day the next day as we drove back to Seattle. Real rain. Heavy, plop, plop kinda rain. No fooling around with misty crap, this stuff would drench you in just a few minutes were you foolhardy enough to stand still in it for any length of time.

And, starting the night before last, we learned that kind of rain is more common than one would hope. It started pelting that night and then, with just a few pleasant interludes, it has continued. Without let-up. Without remorse. It continues.

I am thinking that we might begin to learn, in earnest, how to curse the weather and the rain. More so than we ever did in Seattle. I am thinking that we will have to learn to grab our opportunities to get out when the sun is out otherwise it might be a while before the next opportunity.

OK, that's my rant and I'm sticking to it.

Now, let's take care of some old business and then we'll move on to more pleasant things.

I am unashamedly proud of the fact that all three of my boys are Eagle Scouts. Yep!! And, to add to it, my son-in-law is an Eagle, too.

And now my Grandson, Chris, is about to become an Eagle.

I am immensely proud of his accomplishment. It is a singular achievement and he has earned the kudos and acclaim he will get for this honor.

I would like to also recognize his Mother and Stepfather for their help in realizing his goal.

Really proud Grandpa right now!!

And from that lofty aerie, we come back to the more mundane aspects of life . . . a walk along the beach. I may have mentioned that it began raining the night before last and hasn't let up since. Hahaha, part of the new reality thingie.

Regardless, there was a lull, a relaxation of the rains back to just a wee bit of a sprinkle and so Carol and I grabbed our umbrellas and headed out the door. Mind you, I have read where folks here in this particular part of the world eschew the use of umbrellas on a regular basis and for good reason, too. The wind here can be a beach.

Still, my heart sings an optimistic tune and I thought we'd take them and see what happened.

You can get an idea of how cloudy and overcast the weather was. We headed out around 0830 this morning. Just had a hankering to get out and enjoy. You know what I'm talking about.

And we weren't the only ones out and about today. Surprisingly, there are folks staying in the motels along the beach even now.

Yep!! Touristas!! Even in this lousy weather.

Last weekend, when I was in Seattle cleaning the apartment and meeting Amy's kids, the weather was grand and Carol said there were loads of people on the beach. In fact, as I drove back Sunday afternoon, I passed a steady stream of traffic heading back to Portland along Oregon Route 18. A very steady stream.

This weekend, though, with the rain and the wind, there have been noticeably fewer touristas out and about. Except for a hardy and foolish few. And Carol and I.

Hahaha, and now we have graphic proof why the locals do not bother with umbrellas. Oh, I was warned but you know the thing about human nature where you have to experience it to believe it? Well, now I'm a believer.

And as I write this, I can hear the wind whistling and singing around the house. It's windy out there, y'all.

But this one is undaunted. Hahaha, I used to think I had a rosy, Pollyanna kind of outlook on life until Carol. She adds new dimensions to the definition. She has fun regardless. And manages to get a snickering Jackie in the background, too.

Here's my shot of her getting her shot.

Hahahaha, making the best of a bad situation and enjoying it.

Way to go, Carol Anne!! Way to go!!

Then, unencumbered by a rascally umbrella, she let her artistic muse take over.

Actually, she found a small plastic star some kid had left on the beach and used to to make the shooting star for this proclamation.

Awwwww . . . garsh!!

Then, for the pièce de résistance for her creation.

Awwwwww, times two!!

And here we are.

That's the Surftides Hotel on the left. They have an unusual building for their restaurant. You'll see it in a future blog. But you can get an idea of how rough the seas were today and the overcast and moody nature of the morning.

Oh, FYI, high tide was at 0809 this morning. This picture was take at 0843. The tide was in.

And yet people and gulls were up and about.

We were walking to the south today and I stopped and got this shot to the north at some point along the way. I'm crazy that way.

Our beach.

Loving it.

You can see the wind was blowing.

And this rascal was tempting the law by illegally feeding the waterfowl along the beach. And having a grand time doing it. Plus, she had an audience.

And some visitors. Salty dogs these ones are. She had several come and light upon the rail waiting for their reward. Now, look inside the open door and you'll see her accomplice trying to get a picture of this felonious bird.

Keen fun along the beach!!

I don't know what they found but it sure attracted a lot of attention.

Mine! Mine! No, it's mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! No, it's mine, dammit!!

Documentary proof we aren't the towering intellectuals you once thought we were.

Yeah, barefoot on the beach and wading through the waves. In lousy weather. Sort of.

Here's Carol's interpretation of the same scene I shot above.

I like hers a lot better.

With her trusty ol' cell phone camera.

We made it to Bird Rock. This was my turn-around point and I'm glad we made it this far. The ol' toesies were getting a bit frosty.

But we got to see these Black Turnstones.

Fun Facts: The Black Turnstone is one of the defining species for the rocky, wave-battered Pacific Coast. It blends in well with the dark rocks, but a careful winter observer will find it from Alaska through Baja California. It is rarely found far from the vicinity of spraying waves.

I'm looking forward to watching their antics along the beach.

Here's the rock they were perched upon. I got up to about four feet from this rock. Even got the hem of my shorts wet!!

Wha . . . !?!

Carol got this shot of me. You can see one of the two dogs that were frolicking in the waves behind me. A Golden Retriever and this one, a Lab.

We were headed north now, back up the beach and I thought it safe enough, with the wind behind us, to try another umbrella. This one was given to us by some young folks we met in Seattle who were pushing tourism in Arizona. Something about not too much rain . . . whatever.

Sometimes it was just wiser to stay on the beach.

Here she is jumping for joy!!

Weather!?! I don't need no stinkin' weather . . .

And, by golly, they were paying for their weekend on the beach and they were going to enjoy their weekend . . . on the beach.

No!! You can't go in and watch TV. You can stay here with us and play on the damn beach!! PLAY!!

Carol loves the shells and . . .

. . . the other things she finds on the beach.

There's some humongous examples of seaweed on the beach.

It was a great morning. I'm glad I'm feeling well enough to get out and enjoy the beach.We're gonna make it a rule to try and take at least one walk each and every day. I'm still looking for a glass float as well as more photo opportunities.

This is good, y'know, really, really good.

Oh, and it gets better.

This is an afternoon addendum, a Blog codicil as it were. You see, I had the bright idea, this afternoon when the wind was really blowing that it might be fun to go out and take another walk on the beach, you know, experience the wind and all that.

Hahahahaha, this one ranks right up there with some of my best.

Hahaha, it wasn't a good idea.

In fact, it was terrible.

The wind was blowing so hard that it was picking the sand up off the beach and sending it downrange at a high rate of speed. To add to the misery, I still had on my shorts and Carol had changed her wet trousers for a set of capris.

Hence, both sets of legs were exposed to the elements; and in this instance those elements were tiny little projectiles of sand and grit being, well, sand-blasted across our bare legs.

Hahaha, we both, after about 30-40 seconds decided that this idea sucked, totally, and that we'd be better served turning around and heading back.

And we did, toots suite!! Ahora!! Most ricky-ticky!!

Carol, wise woman that she is, went straight back to the weather shelter, aka our house.

And me? I've never been know for good sense and my actions today did nothing to change that observation. I stayed out there but, I did, in a nod to the biting wind and sand, stay up on our little bluff over-looking the beach. Here I was semi-protected from the wind and totally protected from that irritating and very painful sand.

And from here I could gaze out comfortably over my . . . .beach.

And gaze I did when I spied these two Ding-Dongs out for an afternoon stroll.

You can see all the fun they were having . . . and you can also see the sand being whipped along the beach.

And the wind was working the ocean, too.

It was blowin' hard!!

But it was nothing for our Ding-Dongs.

Then a family parked and came down to the beach. A rousing testament to their good sense was the cute and adorable cap their youngest was, and I emphasize the word, was, wearing.

Bam, in an instant it was off and racing for the far northern end of the beach.

Dad, being the wise one, told his next oldest, the one with the dog, to . . . go fetch!!

You can still see him, way off on the right hand side still doggedly (I am shameless, aren't I?) trailing that runaway cap.

Dad finally called off his boy, sans cap, and he began making his slow, sandy way back up the beach.

Then some other young knuckleheads came and decided that it would be keen fun, here on the beach, to run and jump over the creek.

And they did.

Honestly, youth is truly and totally wasted on the young.

Id-jits.

And the wind was playing havoc not only with the sand, the electric power (we've been out once so far), the internet and the young, it was also roiling the water a good bit, too.