Back From Oregon

We're back from the Oregon Coast – a big weekend with our anniversary and Berry's first beach experience. No sun, no togs, no swimming, but she loved it. She wore her cosy pink anorak and trotted all over the beach, chasing puppies and telling us about dogs and seagulls. After a fashion. She gave a valiant chase to one puppy, but he was bigger and faster and more interested in his stick, so it ended in a little disappointment. It turns out Berry's not at all keen on sand. Although 90% of her was rugged up in winter gear, she got sand on her fingers and did no-no-no hands until I got it all off.

We had a completely relaxing weekend with Mike and Marianne and their kids and stayed at their cousins' incredible holiday home on (and I mean on) Cannon Beach, which is famous for the impressive Haystack Rock and for being where Goonies was filmed. But I've never seen Goonies, so....

Spectacular views in every direction, and you'd think that'd mean we'd see the weather coming. But no... our attempt at Berry's second trip to the beach ended with a breathless sprint back to the house (picture below!). A sudden storm whipped up with icy, icy rain and piercing wind. Berry was wide-eyed and wet-faced under her little anorak hood, and we didn't try to go out after that.

Nathan and I got to go out to a bar by ourselves, imagine! We felt like grown-ups, like normal people again – it was such a novelty. As Berry gets bigger I'm looking forward to a lot more of that ("normal people" time, not necessarily bars...)

I've been working on some great new Bella Figura girls, in case it seems like I've just been wandering around on windswept beaches....