Every year our local School Foundation has an auction.  This year, the theme was Superheroes.  You were encouraged to come as your favorite superhero.

Robin, The Boy Wonder, was there.

Here he is schmoozing with Clark Kent, aka Superman.

I guess I don’t know my superheroes well enough to recognize them all, but I’m sure this superhero is fighting for our school children everyday.

As is this one.

Is there really a superhero called Rip Current?

Ah, I do remember the Incredible Hulk.

And Popeye, of course!

I didn’t think Cat Woman was a hero, but, whatever.

And Poison Ivy???  But she sure looks cute.

You didn’t have to limit yourself to a comic strip or movie superhero.  To some of us, superhero means different things.  Like Gene Simmons, for example!?!

I must tell you that, many years ago, I had this lad in my preschool class.  See how tall he looks compared to everyone else?

Perhaps these boots have something to do with it.

Ah, I like Ghandi as a superhero.

I planned to dress up as Abigail Scott Duniway.  She was an Oregon Trail Pioneer and fighter for woman’s suffrage.  All those women are my heroes.

The auction was a huge success.  Everyone involved is a superhero for our kids!

Last week was the Washington State International Kite Festival here on the Long Beach Peninsula.

The beach approach is lined with vendors.

It’s traditional in my family to have mini-donuts during the Kite Festival!

But the real action is on the beach!

There are people and kites everywhere.

All of these photos were taken by Keith Schwartz from Beachdog.

He even went up in the City of Long Beach’s Fire Department bucket truck for some great aerial views.

This gives you an idea of how big some of the kites are!

We have a boardwalk near the edge of the dunes.  A great place to watch the action!

We also have a dune trail that’s a part of the Lewis and Clark trail.

There are some great historical markers along the trail.

I wonder what Lewis would think of all these kites!  Hmmm…..I wonder if Lewis knew Ben Franklin?

These kites are called “revs.”

A new world record was set at this year’s Festival-64 kite flyers and 64 kites.  It beats the old record of 54 set in Bristol, UK

The kites were flown to the music “Eye in the Sky” from the Alan Parson’s Project.

The formations were amazing.  It was like kite ballet!

So were these.

And these reminded me of the Blue Angels.

It was a fantastic week.

Hope you can come next year!

I live in a charming beach town called Long Beach, Washington. Long Beach is on a Peninsula that is 28 miles long and 2 miles wide–just a little finger of land.  But, it’s a beautiful and diverse place.  Of course, I see it everyday.  Actually, lots of times I don’t see it, if you know what I mean.  But last weekend, an acquaintance was here with her husband.  They were celebrating their anniversary.  Virginia sent me photos that she took of the area, and it’s incredible to see “my hometown” through someone else’s eyes!

This is our photographer, Virginia, inside the trunk of a very large tree!

The three bodies of water surrounding the Long Beach Peninsula are the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River and Willapa Bay. The southern most end of the Peninsula is attached to the mainland.

The bar, where the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean is very treacherous.  North Head Light House guards the entrance from the north.

‘Cause you sure don’t want to run aground on these rocks!

Cape Disappointment Light House guards the river side.

Great name, Cape Disappointment.  Named by English Sea Captain John Meares.  He was looking for the Columbia River, decided this wasn’t it (even though it was), named the headlands and sailed off!

On the hike up to Cape D, you pass Dean Man’s Cove.

Baker Bay is a sheltered harbor.

It’s home to the Ilwaco fishing fleet.  This is salmon country.  Notice the fog just burning off.

Where there’s salmon fishing, there are also canneries.  I can’t believe how charming Virginia’s pictures make it all look!

This statue is of a California Condor.  It’s based on a description in the Lewis and Clark journals describing the “large buzzard” they saw feeding on a whale carcass.

Jim and Virginia had dinner at one of the port restaurants and snapped this nighttime picture.

The only high areas of the Peninsula are in Ilwaco–and they provide some great views.

This is looking south.

We have lots of conifer trees.

And lots of trees covered with lichen.

The English ivy may be pretty, but it’s a non-native, invasive weed!

Ah, the beach.

I really should go down there!

As you can see, we’re not in a very crowded area!

Sandpipers.

Some gulls.  I’ve been seeing these lately, and they’re not the usual California seagulls.

Some chainsaw art along the dune trail.

Here’s our common California gull.

Eeew!  I haven’t seen a jelly fish for a long time!

Low tide.

Early sunset.  While the rest of the nation has been sweltering this summer, we’ve pretty much been under a permanent fog bank with temps in the 50′s and 60′s.

Beach cottages.  We have a lot of grass covered dunes between the houses and the ocean here.

Weathered cedar shingles are the norm around here.

It’s such a great beach look.

It’s peak bloom time right now for the wild roses.

I love how something so ordinary can be so beautiful.

Sea captain?

Daisies are also at their peak right now.

And don’t you love the saturated color of these hydrangeas?

The wild foxgloves are almost finished blooming.

At the north end of the Peninsula is the village of Oysterville, the first settlement here.

At the local cemetery.

The historic Oysterville church.

Oystering is still big business on Willapa Bay.

Good advice!

Thanks, Virginia.  It’s so nice to see all the wonderful things in my own backyard through someone else’s lens.

A few days ago I was having lunch at the Port of Ilwaco.

As I drove away, I saw some local crabbers getting the pots ready for the upcoming Dungeness crab season.

I wonder if these guys would be good quilters?

As I pulled over to take some pictures, I heard, “Hello, Karen.”  It was Ed–a guy I grew up with and went all through school with.

This is what they’re hoping to catch.  Dungeness crab.  In my book, there’s none better.

Every fisherman has his own color buoy.

The season starts near the end of the month, and right now the crab pots are stacked up everywhere.

If I were a crabber, I’d want buoys this color!

Crab is a traditional Christmas treat in our family.  I can’t wait!

We still had Sunday left, and, as promised, we started it off with a bit of a sleep in.  That was followed by Orange Rolls and Quiche–and I forgot to take pictures!

But, can you believe they’d been here two days and we hadn’t even walked across the lawn to the Quilt Studio?  I’m sorry they never got to visit Anna Lena’s, but this was the next best thing.

They were quite impressed by the rick rack holder Bob had built!

Kasi wanted to finish her wonderful Owl Quilt, so I gave her a quick lesson in stippling and off she went!

Didn’t it turn out fantastic!?!

Kasi intends for it to be a floor quilt.  Some of the squares are Minky–so it will really be tactile for the baby.

While Kasi was quilting, Kathleen was busy trying on my aprons.  Here’s the Saucy Circle Apron.

And the Lilly Apron made with my Butterfly fabric.

This one’s reversible, so she had to model both sides.

Kasi had seen my Garden Trellis quilt in Studio post, and had to bring the first quilt she ever made–a Garden Trellis quilt!  She made it for her mom many years ago.  It was easier to pin hers up than to take mine down!

Since she had only stitched in the ditch when she made it, we decided to put it on the long arm and quilt some flowers in it.

Won’t her mom be surprised!

Here’s Kasi getting a binding lesson.  I wish I had a photo of what Sally was doing during this time–she was Swiffering the floor!  Not that it needed it, of course!

Don’t you love Kasi’s embroidered jeans?  Melissa, this one’s for you!

We had a great late lunch at Full Circle Cafe in Ocean Park,then drove through historic Oysterville. The old church there is so charming.

And here’s one of my favorite houses.

It was all over too soon,but, let’s check Kasi’s list and see how we did.

Kasi’s list.

Tour a cranberry bog ?
Visit the beach ?
Meet Monica ?
Meditate in that fabulous craft space ?
Meet Poppy (now Lola)  Oh no, poor Lola!
Tour the little Swedish cabin ?
Sleep in ?
Stay up late ?
Drink wine – well, I think Lemon Drops count! ?
Eat yummy fun food at fun yummy restaurants ?
Shop all/any cute little stores in downtown Long Beach ?

Well, I guess it’s best to leave something undone–that way there can be a next time!

Sometimes it’s easy to forget to look around us–at the beauty that surrounds us.

This is the view through the trees as you walk to North Head Lighthouse.

Then you round the bend, and there it is!

Once you walk past, you’re looking north at the bluff.

We walked to the top, and this was the view toward the Long Beach Peninsula from there.

And south to Benson Beach.

We walked back on the Lighthouse Keepers Trail.

A last peek back at the lighthouse.

Then past the light keeper’s house, which is now a B&B.

Yeah, pretty nice country we live in!