Manzanita

Just the four of us, plus two can't-live-without friends, escaping for a short weekend to the Oregon coast. Is it possible to stand inside a sunset? Can the sand reflect the sky? Will the Farmboy steal some pussy-willow cuttings for his Sweetheart? Are there hearts made of rock? Can a two-night getaway feel like enough to hold a girl over for weeks and weeks? Can a girl find both a new favorite coffee AND a new favorite whisky in the same small town? What does a 12 year old video-game obsessed boy write in the sand? Will the 10 year old find evidence of our small town all the way over on the coast? Who is intrepid enough to step out of a cozy house into a darkening world with a camera-holding Mama, while everyone else stays behind?

The following photos will answer each and every question.

"Your Princess is in another Castle" (Mario)

"It's dangerous to go alone, take this" (Zelda)

And if that isn't enough to make you want to visit the Oregon Coast, I don't know what else to do.

Early Winter

The new year started as usual with a late Christmas celebration with my side of the family, lovingly dubbed "Newmas". All of my state-side siblings were there with their spouses and kiddos, making for a festive and noisy celebration. We're pretty sure that we're all done with the manufacturing of babies, so it should be coasting from here on out, right?

With only a few rather frosty mornings and one skiff of snow early on, Winter has not seemed like Winter at all this go around. Mild days, not-quite-cold nights. Some days downright warm in our estimation. Rain, but not too much, buds forming early, wildlife getting fat and sassy from the feast at the feeder. A rather unremarkable and disappointingly temperate.