Heading North

We escaped north a few weeks ago with M and M. We stopped for a few days at their home before heading further north to see the tall ships.

We had a relaxing day, picking strawberries and tasting them with warm strawberry juice running down our fingers. M chatted with an older gentleman who told her he used to pick strawberries every year with his wife. But she had passed away and now he was picking alone. He was going to give them to his neighbors and friends. What a sweet, lonely man with some lovely memories.

Before lunch we decided to go for a short hike along the shore. 

Saw the most gorgeous hydrangeas lined up along the side of the road. The rain held off so we could enjoy our walk. That's why I carried my raincoat. Cheap insurance.

The path meandered along the shore with postcard views at each turn. We chatted as we walked, stopping every now and then to look through my super duper new zoom lens. It's kind of heavy so Mr. M carried it for a little while. I was glad to have a break from it, to be truthful. Even though I love the photos I get out of the lens, it is a wee bit heavy and cumbersome.

We're all heading to Alaska soon and I'm rethinking my decision to bring this lens. 

Unless I need it to throw at a bear. 

Then I'll be happy to have it, I think.

Dramatic rocky coast.

Have you ever seen so much dimension? I just love this coastline.

But it's not very good for sunbathing.

Testing out the super duper lens. The lighthouse was so very FAR AWAY.

I'm obsessed with lighthouses. I've always wanted to live in one.

Rock cairns everywhere.

I mean EVERYWHERE. I could have filmed about a billion of these things on this beach.

Love the smooth of these rocks.

I want to paint every one of them.

It started to rain a little bit so we skedaddled back to the car. We were ready to head out. It was getting near lunch.

As Pooh would say, "I'm rumbly in my tumbly!"

___________

Summer reading story. I was working the Children's desk last week and a little guy came up to get his game card stamped. He had practiced two different dance steps and wanted credit for them. I asked him which dances he practiced. 

"The waltz and the roomba," he promptly answered, looking at me with a will-you-just-stamp-my-card-lady look on his face.

"The roomba? You mean the rhumba?" I questioned him, giving him the librarian stink eye.

"Yeah, yeah. The rhumba," he answered.

"Which one did you like better?" I asked.

He tilted his head, looking at me closely and said, "That's a tough one, lady." 

Totally serious, he was. I had a {very} hard time keeping a straight face. He stayed silent, just looking at me.

"So which one would you pick?" I asked again.

"Well, the waltz is easier so I'll pick that one," he finally answered. And ran off to do more activities. Even though he wasn't crazy about the rhumba, he learned how to do two different dances at the library.

I love my job.