Back from Manzanita
So I'm back from the trip to Oregon. Took the train to Portland, than drove to Manzanita (between Seaside and Tillamook) with my sister and parents. We stopped in Cannon Beach along the way to visit the wife of my dad's cousin who died a year ago. They said she'd aged tremendously, and she definitely seemed raw and jangly and was clearly very moved to see them.
The house we rented in Manzanita smelled of mildew, like a tropical island, but was a great space for the ten of us, very cozy. The food was great (crab louie for anniversary dinner at my dad's request, made from fresh crab my brother had caught), and there was lots of story-telling and laughter as usual. The youngest nephew has started college, so my sister-in-law is suffering empty nest pangs. The beach at Manzanita was vast and beautiful, although remarkably clear of driftwood and rocks. We all reminisced about our childhood visits to the coast. My mom said it was where they went when harvest was over when she was growing up on the farm. I've always loved the Oregon coast -- always loved the smell and the sound of the ocean, the craggy bluffs and wind-shaped pine trees. Rain was predicted, but the weather ended up being perfect -- mild and misty, with occasional brief sunshine. I went for three long walks on the beach with various subsets of the family.
I didn't get a shot of the whole family or even of my mom and dad, but I did get the one above of the four generations of women: my mom, my niece and great niece, and my sister, from left to right.
Taking the train to Portland was a lot more relaxing than driving. The Portland train station is just a few blocks from my parents' new condo in the Pearl District. My sister is living there now so she can be close to her grand daughter, and my parents will be moving in when they return from California next spring. And so another era begins -- one which will allow me to explore all the new brewpubs in Portland. Woohoo!
So what did I miss while I was away?