The Afternoon Vacation

Yesterday, I decided to take a half a day off. After dropping a couple of orders off at the post office, I drove out to Cannon Beach on the Oregon coast. Although I really want to take a (at least) week-long vacation, this seemed like the next best thing on a stunning warm, sunny April afternoon. I haven't lived this far from a coast in many, many years and when I got to the beach - it's about an hour and a half drive from Portland - I realized how much I miss the ocean. I rolled up my pant cuffs and took a long slow stroll down the beach. With the sand between my toes and the tide lapping at my ankles, I stopped to pick up the treasures (in the photo above) as I went. When I got to Haystack Rock, I spent some time checking out the tide pools, spotting the biggest starfish I've ever seen, the neon green anemones, and some little crabbies. Hypnotized by the relentless roar of the waves, I sat down and watched the sunset. It was a lovely afternoon that helped refresh my spirit and I hope to be doing it more.