Halloween by the Sea

Happy Halloween to those of you who celebrate this holiday!  This is the first time in my memory that we haven't been home or close to home on this day.  I want to wish my beloved younger sister DENISE a Happy Birthday today!  I took my bouquet of chrysanthemum in my rusty pumpkin bucket out for a photo shoot.  :-)

On Wednesday, my sister Denise arrived for a visit and so did my "Best-Friend-From-7th-Grade" Shirley and her husband John.  We all visited in the caravan for a while, then headed out for lunch together.  Buddy enjoyed having new laps to sit on.  :-)

This was our lunch destination, I'd been wanting to try it for years.  It's located right across from the fishing boat harbor, the fish here is *fresh*!

Shirley, John and Denise.  We had a fun lunch!

I had coconut prawns with yakisoba noodle and veggies.  Yum.

After lunch we took a walk along the boardwalk by the fishing boat harbor, we heard a bunch of sea lions barking and wanted to get a closer look.  Denise fell in love with this cute little boat and urged me to get a photo.

Aha, the source of all the noise.. a sea wall of large boulders was covered with sea lions.  Orrr Orrr Orrr!

Then a loop around to get a shot of the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse.. if you've been a reader of this blog for a while, you may recognize some of the next photos.  But if you're like me.. and I think you might be.. you won't mind seeing them again.  LOL!

The sea, the jetty, some dunes and the tortured trees of an ocean hillside.

Some history for you - if you want to see this image bigger, just click on it.

They have a pull-out in a perfect spot for a great photo of Yaquina Bay Bridge - I love how there is fog on the other end of the span.

Driving around and under the bridge we come to the attractive US Coast Guard Station that keeps an eye on the bay and ocean here.  

Curving down in the the Historic Bay Front where Mo's began.  

And then down to the fishing boat yard for one of my favorite snaps of the bridge and the boats.

There were many fishermen in the yard working on getting their crab traps ready for the season which begins in a month.  I love those colorful buoys!

Denise and I walked down to another gathering spot of the sea lions, on some docks near the boardwalk.  It is funny to watch them.  One had his head on another one and he kept rubbing his head along the one underneath, who every few minutes would arch up and growl and bark at him, then lay back down, at which point the one on top would begin rubbing his head on the other one.. and on and on.  Goofy creatures.  This one was blissfully swimming about.

A photo of the sea lions on the rocks from the other side.  Orrk orrrk oorrrk!

Denise spent the night on Wednesday at the Looking Glass Inn in Taft, then came to visit for a while and then we all took off for lunch and adventuring.  We drove back down to Newport and had intended to try a new place called "Saffron Salmon" in the old bay front - but it was closed.. so we walked across the street and had lunch at Ocean Bleu.  Then we browsed in an art gallery next door and then on to a quilt shop and... and some ice cream.  :-)  We then drove through a charming small community right next to our RV park called Bella Beach.  Denise showed us a cute little coffee house and bakery that we didn't even know was there!  I loved this group of different colored houses in a row.

I'm working away on the little hat for Ella, my nephew's adorable little girl.  I hope to drop it off before we leave for home.

Today is **BEAUTIFUL**, with sun and blue skies and puffy clouds and a shower and then sun.. wonderful crazy gorgeous Oregon ocean weather.  :-)

To the left, clouds, to the right, sun.. and the wonderful blue green Pacific Ocean.

To the sea...

Last night we met some of our friends from the Friends of Multnomah Falls, Joanne and Dan, they were down for a beach trip too and so we had dinner at Surfrider Hotel.  They have a great view and the food was delish.  We chatted and enjoyed each other's company for quite some time.  We've had so much fun with friends and family this week!  Today we're just relaxing and I'm going to work on that little hat, then off to find a bowl of chowder somewhere.  I wonder if we'll get any trick-or-treaters here?  Home tomorrow.  What a neat week!  I hope you have a great weekend!  ((hugs)), Teresa :-)