Rizzly.....

Today I drove a "turn and burn" to Cannon Beach. Well, maybe not quite so much burn since I chose to hang out with my friend Barbara for 6 hours before hitting the road for the drive home.
It is now after 11pm in the evening and I am smiling at a day well spent.

The reason for my 90 mile drive (one way) was because it was time to get The Gaggle together. Not all were able to gather for the beach trip, but I succeeded in getting 4 of the 6 together for the day. They say that their mission for this week is to reek mayhem havoc and chaos on the town as they giggle, write stories, giggle, run to the corner for coffee, giggle, watch movies, and did I mention giggle? As my friend Kitem once put it....Tout le monde! Vive les Gaggles!

As they toured the town today, they stumbled across this little guy, who obviously once had an important job making some sweet child happy but by a twist of fate....had been left on the sidewalk face down in lonely despair.

They looked around for possible owners and found none. Their hearts went out to him and they decided to give him a home as their mascot. He is in the process of getting a bath now and has been named Rizzly (like grizzly without the g)...because that was the name on the license plate of a car down the street where he was found. See how happy he is now?

Meanwhile, my friend Barbara and I had a wonderful time doing our own share of walking. We toured the local library, which happened to be having a book sale (always a dangerous thing for us book lovers) and Barbara blessed me with a treasured copy of Sonnets From the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Poetry....AND my Portuguese heritage......I am excited to dive into it.

We enjoyed the sunny weather and ocean breeze as we walked 4 miles of the coast line and talked of recipes, movies, family, hopes and dreams. Along the way, a gentleman asked if I could take a picture of him with his sweetie on the beach. When I said yes, she stopped her sand drawing and jumped towards him so I could snap the picture. They were so happy....with the picture, with the day, with the beach, with each other. When our walk brought us back to their spot, we found her picture complete.

Barbara and I had fun trying to figure out what the 7 3 8 represented. Those aren't date numbers because today is July 7th. Was it to mean that they had kissed 738 times? Did it mean that it felt that they had known each other for 738 years? Or maybe after 7 minutes and 38 seconds they chose to believe in love at first sight.

Right about that spot on our walk we stopped to contemplate the power of the waters as it crashed over the rocks. It amazes me. Water has no form of its own and yet is strong enough to bring beauty or devastation to any surrounding. It made me think if the scripture passage where God commanded the oceans to have boundaries. It is all an incredible and beautiful thing.

Sometime during our exploring, we stopped at a new little cafe' and sat outside on the walk for tea and dessert. Everything was natural, organic, and even vegan if one chose to go that route. I opted for a delicious licorice tea blend and then set my sights on a piece of chocolate chip bread pudding.

It was so delicious.....and so rich......I could not bring myself to eat even half of it. Instead it was boxed up and is now sitting in my kitchen for future delights.

Rosie-girl and I are home safe and sound, feeling sleepy. The Gaggle...I imagine is still giggling away while attempting to shush one another and not bother the adults. My sleepy eyes and happy heart say that it has been a good day indeed.

(note: Rosie-girl took the photos of Rizzly)