Back at the Beach - Summer 2016 commences!

Do you read the last chapter of a book prior to starting? Well, I am one of those infuriating souls that do just that, so I will start with this:

The bottom line: No, I cannot blog during the school year.

I know, no brainer. But my last post was August of last year! So, what have we done since that time? Well, I started school in September, attended the Celtic Music Festival (which was awesome) in October, took the mid-winter breaks down here, and also spring break. Amazingly, even during breaks, I am still reading class material and prepping for studies. Nope  - no time for blogging.

I was out of school the end of May. Then we went to Victoria BC, which was fabulous! Here is a few of the pics we snapped:

We walked, talked, laughed, shopped, stayed in a lovely B&B, had tea, tried poutine, took a harbor tour, visited the museum, bought books, checked out Craigdarroch Castle, walked through the Empress, met Roger the Marmot, were amazed at Butchart Gardens, and didn't want to come home. 

Then, we came down to the beach for the summer. And, I have to say that it has taken me a good three weeks to relax! We have been madly doing projects in the yard, but that isn't very relaxing. Satisfying, but not relaxing. Today is the first day that I am left to my own thoughts. 

The weather has been typical, so we dodge raindrops periodically. The flower beds are looking glorious, and the seagulls found another house to roost on (thankfully!). We were able to get a new roof on the house this past (late) winter, and are planning on painting later this summer. Chuck has been very busy building a carport-shelter for Taylor's trailer (which is now completed) and is diligently working on a greenhouse-potting shed. Lisa and I revamped the front beds and we have decided to asphalt the grass and gravel driveway, since the grass doesn't grow except in the gravel drive. Ugh! That expense will have to wait a bit, however, but that is the ultimate plan.

So, for the purpose of recording, here are some photos:

I am in the process of insetting these flagstones to make a path through some grass that refuses to behave.

Chuck is hard at work building a greenhouse-potting shed for our ongoing gardening endeavors - can't wait!
You can kinda see the carport at the back of the pic that he is now using for a workshop.

newest garden decor...

I love supporting the local artisans - the gentleman who makes these replicas of
pilings and seagulls is a real North Coast character!

workin' on that lavender for my dear friend Kevin

haven't grown peppers for decades - I had forgotten how much I love growing things!

More local art - you can see chainsaw bears all over the coast, but these are especially cute.
This one is showing his love of Greece!

Alyssum seeds sprouting!

flowering thyme makes me smile

And here is Jack...or is it Martha? They were pretty ticked that we replaced our
roof with material that wouldn't sustain their nest. 

One great thing about being on summer break is that I get to cook!
Trying new recipes and eating healthy is one of my favorite hobbies.
This was our lunch today - grilled teriyaki veggies (zucchini, pineapple, pepper, mushrooms, onions) on the ancient grain farro drizzled with Greek olive oil and the balsamic vinegar we brought back from abroad. So yummy!

I have more pics to share, but this post is getting really long! I'll close out for now, and share more pics of our improvements at the beach house in the next post!

Just a little 'Body and Soul'

This Saturday, since August drizzle kept me away from a beach walk, Lisa and I decided to check out the 'Body and Soul' Festival. I have never been to a psychic fair before, so this was a whole new experience for both of us!

Tarot card readers, astrologists, psychics, nameologists and experts in magic and alchemy were all well represented. I completely enjoyed the warm, welcoming, and friendly atmosphere. I can easily see why this festival has been popular for 8 years!

I learned some things from a couple of experts and indulged in this wonderful gazing ball you see in the photo. No, it is not crystal, and it is not for seeing into the future. It is for meditation and just for plain ole coolness! It is made of clear leaded glass instead of cost-prohibitive crystal. I have always been fascinated with rocks and crystals; this was a great opportunity to not only see a lot of interesting crystals, but to hear what is understood about their healing powers.

A little alchemy for the Star Child

I could say quite a bit about what I have heard about people who are interested in these types of spiritual beliefs. However, I found this festival to be lighthearted and fun. No demons or devils laying in wait here...only smiles, information, and help for those who attended.

The Oregon Coast...because.

On the deck at the Embarcadero

Chuck and I had a wonderful time enjoying the summer weather down in Newport, Oregon. Three days and two nights of sunshine, blue skies, unique shops and good food makes for a nice addition to my summer vacation!

This view is the best in Newport

Heceta Head Lighthouse

More Summer Snaps

one of the very attentive gull parents keeping track of where we are

in remembrance of my favorite prof, Despina, who had a lovely
Greek oregano bush on her balcony in Athens

the pallet herb garden

good wishes sent out on the wind

vintage bottle mobile

re-purposing these beautiful bench armrests

A Photo Tour through the Garden

Welcome to our garden!

Re-vamp of an old, tired bed -
the lovely butterfly bush is now accompanied by a new cement bench,
some creeping myrtle and a lovely autumn fern.
Across from this space is the new garden swing  - who doesn't love a swing?

Two wonderful Greek-inspired columns are topped with more myrtle; in the background,
you can see my idea of a bird bath made from an antique pan and tray.

A giant bird-perch for all my feathered friends! The songbirds are frequenting it now,
especially since I fill the clam shells with birdseed. Come Fall, I am hopeful that
the kingfisher will be at home at the top! The three signs face the deck and say
FEEL JOY, GIVE LOVE, and, EMBRACE PEACE...
good reminders!

one of the miniature gardens with thyme; I added white rocks collected on the beach

we have planted a LOT of lavender, in many varieties - Lisa made special
garden signs for a lot of our different plants in the garden

oh my gosh, Jack...we are NOT going to hurt the babies!!

The Fern Grotto - a shady area due to the neighbor's beautiful cedar trees; in this pic you can see one of the cool
columns, a wind-chime made by Connie & Len out of silver flatware, a new trellis to disguise some fence
damage, cool driftwood re-purposed from other parts of the yard, and LOTS of new ferns!
When they all grow up, it should be pretty awesome! We have sword ferns, maidenhair ferns, Japanese holly ferns and another generic type that we picked up locally. I would love to add a licorice fern, but more research is needed.

I have always wanted to have a rock garden, and here it is! Decorative grasses and succulents
provide color and texture to all the rocks that were left from a defunct water feature. We have tried
to re-purpose much of what was here when we bought the property, like the rusting chiminea

Lisa's patio - peace and serenity; we thought this sign was perfect!

the procession of ladies up the stairs with their bounty

We are becoming experts on deer-resistant plants, and here are two of them:
a corkscrew willow and an elderberry tree. We are also quickly learning
about the pests that like to eat them, like willow aphids :-(

We are not going to do much in the front, since we are not out there much...but want to
keep some curb-appeal. We added a sweet oriental lantern and some red decorative
grasses to add some texture and variety to the massive sword ferns already in
residence. Then, we made our own unique form of yard art:

Cool Additions

Chuck has been hard at work creating some great additions to our living space.

First up: a side table for the deck that drops down when not needed.

Sweet!

Next is a loft bed for the guest room. In order to make room for bookcases to house my library (when we eventually do move down permanently), we talked about a bunk-bed scenario. I really don't want to lose my space for 2 guest beds. However, after further consideration, we decided on a sturdy loft bed suitable for kiddos and adults alike.

Most excellent! The rail and ladder are left, and they are in the works.

I am so grateful for Chuck and his ability and motivation to create awesome additions

to our dream home!