My visit with Liz (Nootka) and company

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susanne

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What a wonderful day it was!

But first, let me say...if anyone EVER hears me say anything to the effect of "it takes 2 hours...if you follow the speed limit..." please slap me silly! I was not even out of St. Helens (7 miles from home) when those lovely blue and red lights appeared in my rear view mirror. I had gotten a late start, but I was going with the flow of traffic...everyone else was as guilty as I, yet I was the one who was pulled over. The cop informed me that he was giving me a break: he was putting down that I was in a 55 mile an hour zone instead of 50, so he was saving me $100.... was I supposed to say thanks?

This made me even later, and by the time I reached our meeting spot, Colton a nd Brandon were restless and anxious to no longer be sitting still, so off we went.

To set the scene, Astoria, Oregon, is an extraordinarily beautiful Victorian seaport that wraps around a headland where the mighty Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. Victorian houses set up high on the hillside with glorious views. With thesun light reflecting off the water, the entire world appears to be ocean and river.

Raftered Hearts lies to the south of Astoria along Young's River, and the gorgeous drive takes you past the bay and the river, with beautiful old country homes, farmland and forest along the way.

When we reached our destination, our first order of the morning was, of course, to go out and meet the horses, including the baby, Kyan. Even in their winter coats, everybody looked fat and happy, and remarkably free of the requisite Oregon winter mud. Lailah and Lark share adjoining stalls up front and greeted their visitor quite warmly (both have always been great favorites of mine, and the sweet muzzle kisses only confirmed that).

Next came Grandma Pony, who was delighted to receive her long-promised apple fritter. She was a bit skeptical about this stranger in her barn, and I think she wanted to enjoy her treat and get out with that new grandbaby of hers.

Next to her was Rogue, who is absolutely exquisite. Her photos do not do her justice, as she lithe and leggy, with an unbelievably delicate little muzzle. She's also VERY sweet...a bit shy, but not too shy to enjoy scritches and muzzle kisses.

I have to admit that, with the winter woollies hiding those intimate details, I mistook her momentarily for Mouse. He was on the other side of the aisle, telling me how wrong I had been and whickering for attention.

But once I had turned, I saw the new kid on the block -- that beautiful, adorable little silver buckskin, Bucking the Bar, aka Kyan. Cherry Bomb came up to the barn door, eagerly to check out the guest and not at all worried about her babe. Kyan, however, was rather shy and moved around the stall, keeping on the other side of mom for safety.

Everyone then was let out into the rolling hillside pastures, with Grandma Pony, Cherry Bomb and Kyan in one field and Mouse and the rest of the gang right next door.

We sat in Liz's dining room enjoying tea and talk, watching as Kyan romped, teasing and kicking mom and grandma, and braving such terrors as the water hose. In the upper pasture, Mouse and Rogue entertained us with their own games, occasionally pausing to try to get Lark in on the horseplay.

Liz, Brandon, Colton, Moonie the Mini Aussie/Sheltie (and total sweetheart) and I then went for a walk down the road to their friendly neighborhood waterfall. Brandon held my hand and pointed out where a culvert had spilled out to form icicles on the fence below.

Despite an unusually cold (no, make that freezing) day coupled with the usual coastal wind making it even colder, Young's Falls was well worth the walk. It is a spectacular sight, and practically in their back yard. The falls thunder over a 60 (or so) rock wall, with side spray frozen into icicles. Liz and I agreed that we must arrange a Liz McMillan photoshoot at this incredibly beautiful site.

Brandon and Colton did their best to skip rocks on the pool beneath the falls, then Brandon sweetly helped me pick out a rock for my traditional trip souvenir and addition to my garden. Then he found another great rock, then another and... We were nearly frozen through already, and carrying frozen rocks in my bare hands didn't exactly warm them, so when we reached the steep climb back up to the road, most of the rocks were left behind. I did keep several, however.

Back at the ranch...we warmed up before heading out once again to visit the horses and distribute their afternoon feeding. The sun was dipping below the trees, and baby, mom and grandma needed to get back into their warm barn.

After more visiting (and sharing Tom and Jerry cartoons with Brandon) it was time to head back for Scappoose.

Herein begins the fiasco part of the day...

I stopped for a snack for the road, and realized that I was far too drowsy to drive without stopping for a nap. But instead of the momentary shuteye in Clatskanie that I had planned, I woke up almost an hour later...too late to call Keith before he left work...too late to make arrangements for picking him up from the bus.

When I reached Scappoose, I drove on to his bus stop, hoping he would be there...I waited for the next bus, but no Keith, so I went home. Our caller i.d. showed numerous calls from his work, but I got no answer when I tried calling. Fortunately I soon heard a car coming up our gravel road. Once again, Daryl (BigDogs_LittleHorses) had saved the day, picking Keith up from work (sometimes I'm amazed that he even answers when we call, LOL!) I learned that, in trying to track me down, Keith had called Liz, so, much to my embarrassment, I was responsible for worrying people all over northwest Oregon.

So I'm back, safe, tired and happy after a wonderful day. We bought Daryl breakfast as a thank you, after which Keith locked the keys in our van...I believe to make me feel less like a doofus.

Thanks Liz, Brandon and Colton (and Kenny, too) for a great time!

All in all, it was a wonderful adventure, even with the mishaps getting to and from, and I hope we can do it again soon. Brandon and Colton are even cuter and sweeter in person than in their photos, as adorable as those photos may be...they are two gentle, loving, adorable boys.
 
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What great details Susanne. You make me feel like I was there with you all. Of course I know that drive well as we used to drive from Hillsboro to Astoria often when visiting our friends there. It sounds like you had a wonderful time (minus the to and fro) and those boys of Liz's sure are cute aren't they?
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I can't wait to see more photos of that new littlest member of Liz's family. Hint, hint...
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I really enjoyed your visit Susanne! Thank you for sharing it with us! Photos? Photos? Who has the photos?
 
Pictures...hello?? :lol: Words like "cute" and "adorable" just do not cut it when it comes to the particular horses in question. Must...see....Kyan....

And Lark and Rogue too, as I'm eager to see how those two young ladies are growing up.

Leia
 
wow i felt as though i were there,it sounded like a great day,your discriptions were fantastic ,sounds like a GREAT time had by all
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Susanne, as always you have a wonderful Gift of words! Seems like I was there with you reading your story.

Glad you had a good visit!

Sounds like Liz has one beautiful place.

Sorry about the Police,,,,they have been out in force. Some one I know's, DH, got tagged three times going to work one morning. :new_shocked: Only because one head light was more dim than the other.
 
Sounds like the perfect visit even with all the mishaps.

We all really do need to do the beach drive thing! It really should become an annual, or even more often, event!
 
Susanne, Liz's place sounds absolutely glorious. If you're not careful, poor Liz is going to be inundated with visitors now! :lol: (With ME being at the head of the line!)

MA
 
I'm packing my bags, hooking up the horse trailer and moving West. You peopple have way too much fun, :bgrin

and I grew up in California and lived in Washington state too. The Western coastal area is God's country.

Gee that was so well written! You could be a travel writer on the side. Good reading, very enjpyable.

Maxine
 
Ok, it was COLD and getting my hands out of my pockets long enough to take photos seemed very difficult, but I did get a few. (hope susanne doesn't mind, she is the "star" of many of them)

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Moonie had to be in line for his share of attention.

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Mouse, too!

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Rogue really liked susanne a lot.
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Cherry Bomb visiting and getting her share as well.

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Both horses are squinting against that brisk East wind, I would guess the wind chill had to be in the low teens, here, if not in single digits.

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Here's susanne and Brandon at the Falls before we walked down the trail to them. The informational signs relate to the Lewis and Clark expedition since this site is very near their winter camp 1805-1806, and the hunting parties tell of discovering this site.

That's all I have right now, there may be a couple more but I'll have to look.

It was a great visit, we yakked constantly and took that long, cold walk, but most of all, it was fun to hang out with a "horsey" someone again for a change. *LOL* So glad she got home ok, when Keith called, I just had this freaked out feeling as it was SO long after she'd left (like five and a half hours) and here I thought she'd been home for hours by then. Whew!

Thanks for the visit, susanne, and Gramma enjoys her leftover fritter, a bit at a time, sort of stretching it out. (Lailah has developed a taste for them, though, she stole a couple pieces from her, evil girl. Must be the pregnancy?)

Liz M.
 
Sounds like you all had a great day, cold or not. Tickets come and go but your visit will always stay with you.

I collect rocks too Suzanne, especially from places I visit. I like to bring a piece (usually a rock) of where I've been back home and put it in my patio garden.
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Sounds like a wonderful, if chilly, visit! Susanne do you write?? You're very good with descriptions and made me feel like I was there. If you don't write.....you should! Great pics Liz! Good to have illustrations with the story. :bgrin
 
Hmm...I do believe that every time my photo is on the forum, I'm having an exceedingly bad hair day! Of course, if it had looked good to begin with, the wind would have changed that! Really, though, my favorites of myself are when I'm with horses and dogs. And did you notice my fashion statement? True northwest logger style.

You see what I mean by Rogue? I am just in love with that little girl! That photo also shows her shy, sweet personality. I wish that both she and Maryann's Flame could come to live with us!

I totally agree that we need to plan a beach driving weekend or two or... What a fantastic time that would be!

I also think that Liz needs to prepare Cherry Bomb to take Brandon into the show ring...she is such a nurturing soul that I know she would take great care of him, and she would do well...she has a tiny, beautiful head.

I'm glad you all enjoyed my recounting...Sandy, I have written quite a bit in the past. My bachelor's degree is in journalism/advertising (with music as a minor), but in recent years my wriiting has been mostly advertising-oriented. I'm looking to regain the discipline to do some freelance feature writing, some fiction, and, of course, a book telling the story of two goofy city people/musicians who are adopted by minis and leave town to live in the sticks in a single-wide...

And Liz, I have to clarify...when Keith called you, I was already in Scappoose waiting for him at the bus stop, so I wasn't quite as late as it seemed.

Thanks again for the great time!
 
Sounds like a good weekend, but a "speeding" ticket and a lockout call to the tow company? :no: Ouch. Who needs that?

Sunday we had a fantastic breakfast in Old Town Saint Helens, at a neat corner restaurant that looks like it is stuck in the 1940s or so. Neat old wooden booths, big picture windows overlooking the town, old photos and furniture. It was really good! Now I know where to go for that.

After that, we hit all of the old junk and antique stores in town. Old Town Saint Helens is pretty much stuck in time. I love it. Very little traffic to worry about when walking around. No one hurrying. The older stores have original tile or creaky hardwood floors and have the flickering light fixtures and a slight aroma of mildew and dust. There are a also a few newer shops with expensive arts and crafts that are neat to look at but you wonder who has that kind of money to buy that stuff in this town?

Daryl
 
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Liz,, I love the pictures!!

At least your horses were polite, by the look of the photos. Mine wanted to crawl into Susannes lap!
 
I didn't mean to make it sound like you hadn't arrived there, yet, I just figured you'd already been there and home, etc., rather than the call that you hadn't appeared anywhere, yet(or that was what I feared)!!!

I realize now what happened, but jeez, gave me a scare.
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Yeah, in that wind, whose hair can look anything but a tousled mess? But you wear it well!
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The horses don't mind, anyway.

Again thanks for visiting and Daryl, Shari, any of you that can get the time, come on by for a visit.

Liz
 
Shari, I absolutely love your horses and Ella...they are so sweet and welcoming and very polite. Your Ella and Daryl's Wyatt really make me want a mini donk! I always consider my friends' animals to be my nieces and nephews, and fortunately my family keeps growing!

Liz, I know...I just feel so bad to have worried everyone...as for the hair, I just let it live its own life! And you're right, not even Carson himself was offended by my coiffure and frumpy fashions.

Daryl, despite the lockout, that breakfast really completed a perfect weekend! Not only a great breakfast and antique stores, but finally getting to shoot the potato cannon...with all the spuds launched out into the woods, I figure Daryl has a potato patch started somewhere in a clearing far from his house!
 
Sounds like an awesome weekend. I'll definatly have to come by sometime Liz, that is if you don't mind.

I sure do love little Rouge too and wish she lived here, lol.

Susanne and Daryl-- I haven't talked to you two in FOREVER. How are you? The horses? I want some recent pictures...Sarah has been asking about Flash. Are either of you going to the Schooling Show in a few weeks? I bet little Suzie would have fun there...hint hint

Erin
 
Thanks so much for sharing the visit with us - Susanne, you are so good at telling stories that I feel like I was right there! And thanks for letting us see some of the photos! Looks like you had a wonderful time! Liz - I can't believe how big Brandon is getting!!!

Liz R.
 

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