She Sits

Jujube sitting! Jen emailed me this photo today as well as the one below of Julianna sleeping documenting that Julianna has indeed discovered her feet.

What a little cutie!!! I had such fun grammy-sitting Julianna earlier this week.

Sunshine

Finally had a bit of sunshine towards sunset.... here are some pictures, including one of Token looking for some nasty smelling dirt to roll in.

8 Weeks

Jen sent me these pictures of Julianna. Mike took them Saturday the 4th, the day Jujube turned 8 weeks old. My stars, time is just zooming past lately.

Cotton Candy Sunset

June started off with a great sunset last night. The actual sunset was hidden in the trees but the clouds along the horizon do a good job of reflecting the cotton candy colors.

Still, its only been in the 50's and 60's during the day -- weather dood said we are going to get Instant Summer this weekend when the winds shift -- dood is predicting 83 Saturday and 85 Sunday.

Yeah. Sure. Right. I'll believe it when I see it. Of course, he is also predicting rain on Monday.

I've had bands of showers coming across the bay this afternoon. I enjoy sitting at my desk, watching the dark clouds move in against the lighter grey and white clouds on the other side of the spit. Everything else seems so still until the wind starts to push up ridges on the bay waters. I can watch the wind's progress as it moves toward me by watching those mini white-caps. The wind and the rain usually arrive at the same time and quickly move on. Brief showers instead of the steady rain of winter.

There will be no sunset eye candy tonight. The blue patches in the sky are quickly filling in with clouds of varying shades of gray.

Gold To Pink Chinese Cabbage

The pictures are from Wednesday's sunset, the only day with sunshine this week (until today), and were taken shortly before and after the sunset. So far, the sunshine has been a rare sight -- today is only the 3rd day in the past two weeks where that yellow thingie has been in the sky.

From Jen's email with Baby Julianna's size descriptor for week 28:

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Jen, her sister-in-law Stacy, and I will be driving down to CA next week for Jen's baby shower on Saturday the 29th. Since the majority of Jen's family and friends are in the SF Bay Area, it is easier for us to drive down there than have them all have to make that 12 to 14 hour each way drive or fly up here. Stephanie is flying out from Colorado for the shower -- I am looking forward to being with both my girls at the same time (a rare treat).

We will be taking Mike's truck (which has a covered bed) so that we can bring the gifts back up here. I'll head over to Jen's Wednesday and spend the night so that we can leave bright and early Thursday morning. We should be back either Sunday or Monday - with me returning home to Netarts Bay Tuesday at the latest. So far, the weather appears to be cooperating for our travels with no snow or ice forecast for our travels through the mountains in southern Oregon and northern California.

Token and I met with the owner of Canine Garden Resort (a local kennel on the road to Tillamook) on Wednesday. Token will be staying there while I am gone and I am confident that he will be spoiled rotten while hanging out inside the house with Marie, the owner -- she's partial to small dogs and he's partial to people so its a good match. Bailey cat is self-sufficient, coming and going through the cat flap in the kitchen door for food etc., but Token needs to be with people, especially at night.

Two

Two days of sunshine! In a row! Still forking cold outside tho -- high today was in the high 40's and it is already down to the mid-30's and the temperature is still falling.

It is a very weak sun with little to no warmth but it sure is pretty after all the grey. Pictures are from just before, during, and after today's sunset.

Sunset Through My Window

The view from where I sit at the computer. That's the finch feeder Teddy gave me hanging on the pole at the corner of the deck.

The bank of 3 windows -- the center is the best for viewing the bay and sunsets -- the view out the 3rd is mainly the stand of trees you see framing the right side of a lot of my pictures.

A close up of the after sunset glow.

Finally, one that was not taken from inside -- this is from the deck just outside the front door -- showing the last of the fading glow

It cold out there taking it. Scurried backside and stood next to the blazing wood stove trying to warm up.

Sunday Sunset

Been a while since I've had a sunset -- today the drought sorta ended. Had some sun today, not a lot, but enough to give me hope that the clouds would be held at bay long enough for some color at sunset instead of the usual gray that's been so prevalent lately.


As the sun was dipping below the clouds, the clouds deepened and closed off any further color. No actual sunset but it sure was pretty. Within a few minutes of taking this last shot, the gray was back.

Hippo Birdies

Hippo birdies two me
hippo birdies two me
hippo birdies deer me
hippo birdies two me
..... and mini s'mores.....

Thursday's sunset -- the sunsets are moving further and futher south. Soon, the trees will no longer block my view and I'll watch it set behind the spit. Spent the afternoon with my friend Teddy hanging out here, at a great cafe in Oceanside, and then showing him both Cape Meares and Cape Lookout. We had a great time and are going to do it again real soon. Twas his first time at the Oregon Coast. The day was drizzly and overcast but shortly after he headed back to Portland, the clouds lifted.

Neon

T'was an ugly gray day today so I'm sharing sunsets from earlier in the week instead of bitching about my day and whining about the weather.

Both have a slightly different view -- they were taken from the breakfast room by the front door. Tis directly over the bedroom of the downstairs unit so I don't use it as an office as I had originally planned. Really does have a great view but the living room has the wood stove.

Tuesday's sunset was neon -- you can tell that the setting sun is still hidden behind the stand of trees on the right but it won't be long -- it is moving south daily.

This was Wedsnesday's sunset. Pretty but not as electric as the day before.


I'm sure my take on the day today was colored by being in a very foul mood. I'm sure I'll be in a better mood tomorrow... ok, later today.... and will be back to waxing about the silvery clouds, the sounds of falling rain and the way the trees sway in the wind. Today was a bah humbug kinda day.

As always, click on the pictures to make them bigger.

Monday Sunset

Wasn't much of a sunset tonight -- no color and the gray deepened to dark -- so I'm sharing Monday's sunset with ya.

The marine layer was present most of the day. Many times during the day I could not see the spit. Hell, at times I could not see the far point nor even the leaning tree on the closer one and then I would look a few minutes later and could see clearly. Didn't think I would see much color as the evening approached but then I saw the mist start to glow:


Shortly thereafter, the mist faded away and things started to look gray as the sun sank below the horizon.


I was about to the point of thinking that was it for color and that the dark overhead clouds were going to win when I noticed a treat starting to appear on the horizon:

My patience was rewarded with this:

Monday

Just before sunset:


A wee bit after sunset:


Token got his pre-dental antibiotic shot today. I drop him off at the vet's Wed late afternoon for a sleepover. His cleaning is set for 8:15am and I don't do 8am well at all. The tech said his tail never stopped wagging and he didn't seem the least bit bothered by the injection.

After Sunset

After sunset tonight. So calm and peaceful.

Last Night and Tonight

Yesterday's sunset:



Tonight the clouds had me thinking I wasn't going to get any color. It wasn't much at first but then this red streak was across the sky:



A nice end to the day.

A Star

Not much color in tonight's sunset. But that doesn't mean there wasn't any eye candy. If you look at the lower left of the above photo, you'll see birds on the bay, feeding on the goodies exposed as the tide went out. Here's a closeup of some of them:


A wee bit of color in this one.


If ya click on this one and make it bigger, and then click on it again and make that bigger, you will see a star in the center.


Went into town this afternoon and got a haircut. Called my wood guy to get more wood and that's about all the excitement I had today. Another peaceful day on the bay. Had some sprinkles last night but not much rain. Weather dood says to expect more showers tomorrow.

Tis starting to feel like fall. There is a crispness in the air that tells me the apples will be ready for picking soon. Soon I will be making soups and stews and other hearty food to help keep me warm from the inside out.

Saturday Sunset

Storm clouds headed this way and the clouds were piling deeper and deeper as the day progressed. Towards sunset, the winds calmed down and the bay turned to glass.


The birds on the bay were more interested in eating than their eye candy surroundings.


Just before the colors faded to gray.


Supposed to get up to a half inch of rain starting tomorrow night. Sure am looking forward to it. After a good rain, everything looks so refreshingly clean and ready for what comes next.

Am trying to figure out when I can head up to the Seattle area for some way overdue sight seeing. Is starting to look like September will have to be the month -- already have plans in October (including my birthday) and by November, I'll be running into the risks that winter travel brings.

Gonna take some planning.

Friday Sunset

Friday's sunset. Clouds have been moving overhead all day and this one was lined up just right to catch the setting sun's rays. As always, click on the photo to make it bigger.

Haven't had any measurable rain since July 2nd. Weather dood says we may get up to a half inch of rain late Sun night and Monday. Everything is crispy dry -- reminds me of the way the San Francisco Bay Area hills got by the end of June. I'm looking forward to the rain returning the vibrant back to the greens.

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday it was so foggy that I could barely see the creek.


Today.


Yet today was cooler than yesterday. Got up to 72 (for about 10 minutes) yesterday -- was 70 for most of the afternoon. Today it only got up to 68.