Uncle Bub comes to visit

Back a few months ago, I was talking to Rich's brother Bub on the phone. He mentioned that he wanted to come out to Oregon some time, that he had turned 65 and had never seen the ocean. So Rich and I got him a ticket, and here he is. He arrived late Saturday night. This was after a near catastrophe when he called Wednesday or Thursday last week because he didn't have anyone to take care of his dog, Dickhead. He and Rich ended the conversation with Rich promising to check with the airline to see about bringing Dickhead along. Instead, happily, Sharon arranged for a kennel at a very reasonable daily rate. Reports from the kennel are that they love Dickhead, and are treating him like a member of the family.

So Sunday we hung out at home. I was busy making tomato sauce and salsa. Sent Bub and Rich to New Seasons to buy lemon and lime juice for the salsa at one point. Bub was very intrigued by the high prices at New Seasons and wants to go back to take pictures of the meat case. Rich is going to take him to Whole Foods instead, which is much worse. My sister came out to join us, and we barbecued the fresh Wisconsin brauts that Bub brought with him. During all this time, Danny was in the process of moving out, to a house he is sharing with some other people in N. Portland.

Bub had promised to stop smoking before he came, because he knew I wouldn't allow him to smoke here. He ended up not getting acupuncture, unfortunately. Instead, he got some patches. Put one on on Sunday, but it made him a little nauseous. And he was still smoking. So by 10:00 at night, instead of being asleep, he was wired from all that nicotine. I gave him some Calms and then I went to bed. Sometime in the middle of the night, he stubbed his toe on a table in Oliver's room, where he is sleeping, because Danny had shuffled some stuff around while moving.

Monday we went to the beach, so Bub could see the ocean. We stopped first at Lincoln City, which is the first beach we come to when we take the road directly west to the coast from Newberg. The weather forecast promised 80 degree weather, but as is often the case when it is really hot in the valley (in the 90's), the fog hangs in over the beach and never quite burns off. So he could see the ocean, but could not see very far out into the ocean. After a brief stop in Lincoln City, we headed south, hoping for better weather. We stopped at Depoe Bay and Devil's Punch Bowl, then went to Newport.
We stopped at Yaquna Head Lighthouse, which was pretty cool, but because of the fog could not see much. We were hoping to see some whales. Then we had lunch at the original Mo's on the waterfront in Newport, and then decided to head back north as it just seemed to be getting foggier the further south we went. We went on past Lincoln City, and finally about 4:00 in the afternoon stopped at Neskowin, where the sun was actually shining on the beach, with the fog hovering just a little ways off. We stayed there for a couple hours, so he at least got to experience the beach. But neither he nor Rich wanted to even walk down to the water. Bub's toe was hurting him, and Rich's ankle is still bothering him.

On the way home, we had dinner at the Rooftop Bar at McMenamin's Hotel Oregon.

Tuesday we took it slow in the morning, then took the kayaks down to the boat dock in Newberg on the Willamette. We had a little picnic first with crackers and Wisconsin cheese, and Bub was drinking pop instead of beer.

He was also wearing shorts for the first time in 25 years. I had to get a little sunscreen for his legs from some other boaters - didn't want to add first degree sunburn to his little list of ailments! He was very cute.

All the photos of the beach and kayaking are on my public album in Picasa.





Bub ventured out a little and paddled around, so got to experience kayaking.















I think we're going to try another trip to the beach later in the week, and combine it with some kayaking, maybe in the little river at Seaside. We'll see how it goes...

This morning I sent the two of them off to Yamhill to get a load of mushroom compost for me. Then they are going to tour around Yamhill County while I stay home and work in the garden and do more tomatoes.