Foot off the accelerator--Oregon Coasting

[LitTrog]

For those of you who can endure yet another "look at me in a kilt" thread...

I recently enjoyed a reprieve from several months of full-throttle employment, joining the surviving members of my family for a week on the Oregon coast. My wife and son (and me), my Ma, and my brother's family all got together last week for some much-needed time in each other's company, repairing the diaspora that has flung us across the country, from Davenport, Iowa to Vancouver, Washington. We rented a beautiful little house on Cannon Beach and I threw a couple kilts in the suitcase.

We were fortunate enough to experience a block of near-record high temperatures (70's-80's deg. F), which meant that the frigid ocean currents which are typical for this part of the Pacific were actually bearable. The adults waded in and out of the surf, but the kids spent every moment they could splashing in the icy water, finally being yanked out once their lips appeared smeared with smurf blood.

Cold? Yeah.




Headed down to the beach. See if you can name my tartan!



While the youngsters played, my biologist wife was in heaven--the tide pools in this area are teeming with life and low tide revealed some truly monstrous anemones and starfish (or sea stars, depending on your generation).




My little threesome lives in the Rocky Mountains, and my wife wanted to get out and hike in the coastal rainforest. It's an amazing change from the character of our Colorado forests--mossy, dense and fecund with a lovely tinge of rot in the air. We took a day and hiked the trail from Lewis and Clark's winter quarters at Fort Clatsop to where it ended at the beach just south of Astoria. Nothing too strenuous--flat and leisurely and fun.





Stopping to investigate a fist-sized slug. My boy thought this was awesome, of course.



The mid-trail map occasioned an Abbot and Costello routine centered around the concept of "You are here." I was getting flummoxed trying to explain to my son that he wasn't literally on the sign, but rather the sign illustrated where he was in relation to landmarks and trailheads, etc. Two minutes in, I finally realized that he was completely messing with my head. Karma sucks.



My wife and I had the opportunity to enjoy an evening out, eating a wonderful dinner and attending a performance of Arsenic and Old Lace. And, yeah, I know my mode of dress will offend the purists out there, but sharing a suitcase with two other people really limits one's selection of attire. That, and I haven't worn this particular shirt for months. Either I'm getting older and fatter in certain areas of my torso, or the black-market HGH I'm ingesting is actually showing results. Or it magically shrunk. Dunno.




A sunset enjoyed from the back deck of our house:



Beautiful stuff and a wonderful vacation. Also, a good opportunity to be "the weirdo in a kilt" in a different part of the country. Giddyup.

[unixken]

Looks like a wonderful trip. The photos are excellent. Thanks for posting them.

[GMan]

Wonderful shots!

[azwildcat96]

Looks like a good time! When is your boy going to ask for his first kilt?

[Leoghan]

some great picts, and you all look like you are having a great time. couldn't ask for more.

[tulloch]

Wonderful photos. Looks like a great time. Did someone make those hose or are they commercially produced?

[LitTrog]

Wonderful photos. Looks like a great time. Did someone make those hose or are they commercially produced?

I bought them from Rocky at USA Kilts:

http://www.usakilts.com/index.php/ki...knit-hose.html

There are only 4 colors listed on the site, but if you talk to Rocky, he has many, many more colors available. They will take longer to receive because they will be a special order, but no more expensive. This particular color is ochre.

[LitTrog]

Looks like a good time! When is your boy going to ask for his first kilt?

Oh, he's got himself a kilt!

[sailortats]

In that first pic of you and your better half in the ocean: you can tell how cold the water is just by looking at the pic. Your son is certainly growing up fast, as they all do.

[CMcG]

For those of you who can endure yet another "look at me in a kilt" thread...

Yay!!! A "look at me in a kilt" thread!!!

The mid-trail map occasioned an Abbot and Costello routine centered around the concept of "You are here." I was getting flummoxed trying to explain to my son that he wasn't literally on the sign, but rather the sign illustrated where he was in relation to landmarks and trailheads, etc. Two minutes in, I finally realized that he was completely messing with my head. Karma sucks.

I got a particular kick out of your son giving you the gears... taught him well, you have

My wife and I had the opportunity to enjoy an evening out, eating a wonderful dinner and attending a performance of Arsenic and Old Lace. And, yeah, I know my mode of dress will offend the purists out there, but sharing a suitcase with two other people really limits one's selection of attire. That, and I haven't worn this particular shirt for months. Either I'm getting older and fatter in certain areas of my torso, or the black-market HGH I'm ingesting is actually showing results. Or it magically shrunk. Dunno.

I'm not sure why the outfit you wore to dinner and a performance Arsenic and Old Lace would offend anyone, purist or otherwise? The tattersall (?) shirt is actually fitting the way current tastes in menswear would have it, your cable-knit hose are extra awesome, the kilt is the right height/length, and I think ghillie brogues tend to look better with short laces