Ghost Horses
As Mom and I were stopping at one of the public access beaches, a whole group of horse-carriers turned up and all these horses got out. We don’t know exactly what it was all about. It appears they are trying to get the horses used to being near the surf. Some found it very scary, some wanted to taste it . . . and there was all this mist, so it was a very ghostly experience:
Disconnected
Last night, a woman walked by our cabin out to the slight hill in front, and she was there for about an hour. I got a clue. My phone had zero bars on it, but when I walked to the top of the ridge, I had one bar.
Well, I learned this morning, trying to call AdventureMan, it is one bar IF you are exactly in the right spot, IF you are standing with the phone in the right direction and IF the call goes through. We had one of the shortest phone calls we have ever had, me standing out on the ridge trying to maintain the connection.
The motel also advertised wi-fi, but as it turns out, it is only in SOME cabins, not all the cabins, and not our cabin.
Being disconnected is not really so bad, but I DO like to talk with my husband once a day . . . and I do like to chat a little with you!
It rained as we drove here, but we have lived in Washington State long enough to know that a little rain on the way has nothing to do with how it is going to be once we get here. We’ve had sunny weather, and last night, around 4, I looked outside (I am sleeping with the window open so I can hear the surf) and there was a little cat stalking a mouse, and all the stars in the world – it was wonderful!
Here is where we had lunch yesterday. My Mom said “you can’t show that to your friends in Qatar and Kuwait, that we ate in a BAR!” but the bar was what was available, and it was pretty shabby, but served a great Prime Rib dip sandwich. They have a lot of business – there aren’t a lot of eating places around here. Mostly, we have brought food with us, but we like to eat out from time to time. No, no photos of the Prime Rib dip; I left my camera in the car.
The Moonstone in Moclips
Moclips is one of the northernmost beaches on the Washington coast, not a far drive from Seattle, maybe 3 hours. We stopped in Aberdeen for cold groceries – milk. orange juice, salads, etc. so it took us a little longer, and we weren’t in a hurry.
We have reservations at the Moonstone. The Moonstone is not your five star kind of place, it is a very old timey Washington beach kind of place, the kind you stay when you are clam digging.
We have a little two bedroom cabin with a kitchen and bathroom, not fancy, actually, you could sleep six people if you wanted to. It would be a tight fit, but families do it.
It is a great beach for clams. Here is what clams look like when you go clam digging:
See those holes? There are clams beneath the surface. You stomp; a clam squirts and then you dig like crazy, with a “clam gun” which is a special narrow shaped shovel, or with your hands if you are really really fast and don’t mind losing all your fingernails. When you grab the clam, it is really hard to pull him out, because he is digging down like crazy.
This is what it looks like when a clam is digging down – a tiny fountain of water behind him bubbling up:
This is what the beach looks like from our cabin:
And this is what it looked like at SUNSET!
Qatar May Pardon SOME Traffic Violators
Even in Seattle, I see people on their mobile phones while driving – even in law-abiding Seattle. It doesn’t make sense to have a law that is not enforced.
It would be interesting to do the smart thing – do a study of the most common accidents, see who the violators are, see how often mobiles were at fault – talking or texting – and penalize the violators. But . . . that would mean equal-before-the-law enforcement. (Sigh.)
Some traffic violators may be pardoned
Web posted at: 9/1/2009 3:6:48
Source ::: THE PENINSULA
DOHA: The Traffic department is thinking of waiving penalties imposed on some traffic violators to mark the Holy month of Ramadan.
Participating in a question and answer session, Mohamed Saad Al Kharji, Director, Traffic Department, said here that the other day the department was looking into the cases of some violators who may be forgiven to highlight the spirit of Ramadan.
Replying to another query on the ongoing traffic violations, including using mobile phones while driving, Saad Al Kharji admitted there are a growing number of similar incidents. “Taking an on-the-spot action against these violators means creating chaos and confusion on the roads in every five minutes. But some time, we do that to create an awareness among the motorists about the violations,” the official said.
Some participants suggested that the department make a crash course on Qatari law and its traditions mandatory for all expatriates applying for a driving licence.
The government has been consistently trying to increase traffic safety awareness among motorists in an attempt to reduce the number of traffic accidents.
My / Your New Best Friend
Back when I was studying conversational Arabic, sometimes I would slip. I was supposed to say “Ana Taliba” (I am a student) when asked what my profession was, but in my exam, I slipped and said “Ana Taliban” which sent my teachers into gales of laughter. I was so embarrassed.
So Abdul Kareem Talib caught my attention this morning, by his name, but, sadly, I cannot take advantage of his kind offer. He doesn’t even have the courtesy to call me by name! And he includes his phone number, so I encourage any of you with too much time to kill to give him a call and chat him up. His e-mail is also there; for some reason he doesn’t mention he is writing out of Hong Kong.
Dearest
Compliment of the day ,I am Abdul Kareem Talib the son of Lt Colonel Deng Aluk Naeem Talib Of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM)led by Late Lieutenant Colonel John Garang Hinga can read moreon: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/spla.htm about the war and problems ,having two distinct major cultures–Arab and Black African–with hundreds of ethnic and tribal divisions and language groups, which makes effective collaboration among them a major problem that led to several wars that is still going on now.
I am contacting you for the investment of the sum of US$7,300,000.00 [Seven Million and Three Hundred Thousand United States Dollars] which was inherited by me ,before the unpleasant situation in my country that is going on now, have made up my mind to invest under your directives and financial control.
Please, I need your urgent reply, here is the telephone number you can reach me+66-8-45-666910 and reply by my e-mail.
Awaiting for your respond.
Best Regards.
Abdul Kareem Talib
abdulkareem.talib@yahoo.com.hk
St. David P. Oakerhater
Another ‘who knew? ‘ I found this in the Lectionary readings for today – a Native-American saint:
DEACON AND MISSIONARY (1 SEP 1931)
David P. Oakerhater (born around 1850) was a warrior and leader of the Cheyenne Indians of Oklahoma, and led a corps of fighters against the United States government in a dispute over Indian land rights. In 1875 he and 27 other military leaders were taken prisoner by the U S Army and sent to a military post in Florida. There, thanks to the efforts of a concerned Army captain, they learned English, were encouraged to earn money by giving art and archery lessons to visitors, and encountered the Christian faith. David and three others were moved to become Christians and to go north to study for the ministry. David was baptized in Syracuse, New York, in 1878, and ordained to the diaconate in 1881. He returned to Oklahoma and there founded schools and missions, and continued to work among his people until his death on 31 August 1931. When he first returned to Oklahoma in 1881, he said:
You all know me. You remember when I led you out to war I went first, and what I told you was true. Now I have been away to the East and I have learned about another captain, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he is my leader. He goes first, and all He tells me is true. I come back to my people to tell you to go with me now in this new road, a war that makes all for peace.
by James Kiefer
Note: the “military post in Florida” is Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, now a National Monument. Should you go there, you can learn more about his imprisonment there.
Lunch at Ivar’s in Mukilteo
Mom and I are heading out to the coast tomorrow for some time at the beach. On the Washington/Oregon beaches, you never know what the weather is going to be. It doesn’t matter how old you get, you know how Mamma’s are? Like she keeps asking me if I have a sweatshirt? Do I have a raincoat? Have I packed my toothbrush? (no, I made that last one up! 😉 )
So today we were running errands, like go to the bank so we have enough cash, like pick up a few groceries, because the places we stay have a kitchen (more important, they have a view of the OCEAN!), pick up a junky beach-book or two, and some Sudoku, and then, let’s go have lunch!
Mom LOVES Alaska fried clams, and Ivar’s does them the BEST, so we drive north to Mukilteo, but it takes forever because they are doing some road repairs on the back roads we usually take, and our “short-cuts” take a lot of time.
“Promise to remind me to take photos this time.” I ask her, but she won’t promise.
A few bites in, I remember. I’m getting better. 🙂
Here are Mom’s Alaska Fried Clams:
Even thought lunch portions are smaller, it was still a lot of clam, and very very rich, breaded and then sauteed in butter. Mom says her green beans were also really good.
Here is my grilled Alaska salmon, on a bed of spinach and orzo salad vinaigrette:
I’m like Popeye, I love SPINACH! This whole meal was delicious, and, once again, we were happy to see the restaurant had a good clientele eating lunch. Even Seattle is begining to feel the economic crunch.
Family Jokes
To wile away those last few minutes before breaking the fast, and divert your attention, here are a few jokes I got in my mail today, family kind of jokes that made me smile:
While I sat in the reception area of my doctor’s office, a woman rolled an elderly man
in a wheelchair into the room. As she went to the receptionist’s desk, the man sat there,
alone and silent. J ust as I was thinking I should make small talk with him, a little boy slipped
off his mother’s lap and walked over to the wheelchair. Placing his hand on the man’s,
he said, ‘I know how you feel. My mom makes me ride in the stroller too.’.
As I was nursing my baby, my cousin’s six-year-old daughter, Krissy,
came into the room. Never having seen anyone breast feed before, she was
intrigued and full of all kinds of questions about what I was doing. After
mulling over my answers, she remarked, ‘My mom has some of those, but I don’t
think she knows how to use them.’
*****
Out bicycling one day with my eight-year-old granddaughter, Carolyn,
I got a little wistful. ‘In ten years,’ I said, ‘you’ll want to be with your
friends and you won’t go walking, biking, and swimming with me like you do now.
Carolyn shrugged. ‘In ten years you’ll be too old to do all those things
anyway.’
******
Working as a pediatric nurse, I had the difficult assignment of giving
immunization shots to children. One day I entered the examining room to give
four-year-old Lizzie her needle. ‘No, no, no!’ she screamed. ‘Lizzie,’ scolded
her mother, ‘that’s not polite behavior.’ With that, the girl yelled even
louder, ‘No, thank you! No, thank you!
******
On the way back from a Cub Scout meeting, my grandson asked my son the question.
‘Dad, I know that babies come from mommies’ tummies, but how do they get there
in the first place?’ he asked innocently. After my son hemmed and hawed awhile,
my grandson finally spoke up in disgust. ‘You don’t have to make something up,
Dad. It’s OK if you don’t know the answer.’
*****
Just before I was deployed to Iraq , I sat my eight-year-old son down
and broke the news to him. ‘I’m going to be away for a long time,’ I told him.
‘I’m going to Iraq .’ ‘Why?’ he asked. ‘Don’t you know there’s a war going
on over there?’
*****
Paul Newman founded the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for children stricken with
cancer, AIDS and blood diseases. One afternoon he and his wife, Joanne
Woodward, stopped by to have lunch with the kids. A counselor at a nearby table,
suspecting the young patients wouldn’t know that Newman was a famous movie star,
explained, ‘That’s the man who made this camp possible. Maybe you’ve seen his
picture on his salad dressing bottle?’ Blank stares. ‘Well, you’ve probably seen
his face on his lemonade carton.’ An eight-year-old girl perked up. ‘How long
was he missing?’
*****
God’s Problem Now.
His wife’s grave side service was just barely finished, when there was a massive
clap of thunder, followed by a tremendous bolt of lightning, accompanied by even
more thunder rumbling in the distance. The little old man looked at the pastor
and calmly said, ‘Well, she’s there.
Barnes and Noble Reward
I’ve been so good. I haven’t spent much money at all, I have kept my shopping under control, even though there are things I see in the stores that make my blood run faster and give me the urge to pull out my credit card.
So I rewarded myself. I knew Philipa Gregory had a new book out called The Other Queen and so I allowed myself a trip to Barnes and Noble. I only came out with four books, and one is for someone else! Woooo HOOOOO on me!
A long time ago, I read a book by Katherine Neville called The Eight. It’s kind of like the Da Vinci Code would be if it were written by someone who kept track of his plot thread, researched his topic a little better and had something important to say about how international finance operations are run. I’ve read it more than once, I like it so much, so I am eager to see how this one works out. I like her characters, I like how they develop insight and put the puzzle pieces together.
Philippa Gregory writes total page-turners, and I always hated English history, but she makes it come alive, makes all those historical characters into flesh-and-blood human beings, so I feel like I know them. (Some of them I want to throttle. That’s a good author!)
LeCarre – he is amazing. He is brilliant. Have you read The Constant Gardener? This man has something to say, and what he says is deep, and troubling.
The Will Shortz New York Times Puzzle book is for someone a lot smarter than I am.
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