Watching The Ocean

Chuck and I got away for a few days this passed week. We planned this in January and I'm so thankful we did. Born and raised in San Diego I love the ocean and certainly didn't appreciate it as much as I should have when I lived there. 

We live on the east side of Puget Sound, a waterway between Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula so we're five minutes from the water. But we're a three hour drive from the ocean.

We went to Ocean Shores and got there around 2:30 Monday afternoon. The weather was cold, rainy and windy. Oooh that wind was cold!

 

This was our view when we arrived. And it was like this for a couple days.

 

We went to the grocery store and bought stuff for breakfasts and dinners but we usually went out for lunch. We played games, read books, walked along the beach, we did whatever we wanted! By Wednesday afternoon the clouds began to part and the view was beautiful! There was so much wildlife there too. One night we drove around the peninsula at dusk and saw 24 deer in about 2 miles!

Little Sandpipers were all over the beach. It's a little hard to see them in the second photo but all those little spots are Sandpipers!

 

I walked along the beach every single day. And every day it was different! Shells and rocks, driftwood and shifting sand. Looking out the window one day, I saw a bald eagle! 

All bundled up and ready to go out!

There were two paths going from the back of the building by the pool, out to the beach.

Looking back, our room was on the top floor. I spent a lot of time out on that balcony!

 

In this picture you can see on the right side, the affect the wind had on the sand compared to the ocean washing up on it.

 

Then on Wednesday afternoon the sun came out!! Oh you guys, it was glorious!!

 

Walking back to the condo, I'm coming to the end of the path and run into this... they really were everywhere!

 

On Thursday, I pulled the chair up to the window and I sat there for three hours. I didn't stress about work. I didn't think about things going on in the world. I just watched the water. I watched the waves crash. I watched the tide come in. I just sat and watched the ocean.

 

And I thought about how blessed I am: I have a loving family; I've had amazing opportunities that many haven't had. This trip being one of them. The Lord has been so good to me and I'm humbled by the grace He pours out to me day after day. 

Have you had an opportunity recently to just 'watch the ocean'?

Scatterbrained

The first thing I thought when I woke up this morning was, "Oh my gosh, the blog!!" I just haven't had time/energy to write lately. Let alone read and comment on your blogs, I'm so sorry!

My sister and her granddaughter should be here sometime in the next day or two. They're driving up from California and even though they're texting and letting us know when they reach their destinations for the night they aren't quite sure when they'll arrive. I spent today cleaning bathrooms, preparing the guest room, I cleaned the couch, caught up on laundry, just all those things you do when you're having people stay at your house.

Chuck, Beth and I have been walking on the Interurban Trail that runs along I 5 north of Seattle. 

(I've been writing and deleting for about 10 minutes now. Nothing sounds right or I don't like the sentence structure or the sentence doesn't make sense, my brain has been so scattered lately.) Sigh...

 The wildflowers are so pretty along this trail

After a while Beth usually ends up walking behind us a little, her legs are shorter and she tires easier but one time she just took off! She loves to check the step count on her phone!

 

This week just Chuck and I went and except for the underpass, this part of the trail was pretty straightforward. One long straight path.

We both thought this picture looked like a wall that's been painted to look like a road or path to fool people!

My brain is in a fog so I'm going to stop here. I hope you're all doing well today.