Five Simple Things (July 30)

Hello.

This week we had to do some extra watering of the plants around our house and extra watering of the grass. The wildfire smoke was quite heavy this week, but not unbearable. I am a bit anxious about the end of August and start of September here because that's about the time the wildfires close to us started. Hopefully, everyone is prepared more than they were last year and can either prevent them, or at least get ahead of them. With having a large wildfire already burning south of us, it does make my anxiety a bit more high. We took a quick trip over the coast to Cape Kiwanda to get away from the heat for awhile and enjoyed the cool ocean water. It was a nice break from being stuck in the Willamette Valley and breathing in the hot, smoky air. We did a quick photoshoot with a product I received as a testing product and I can't wait to share it soon. On out way out of Cape Kiwanda we noticed a hitchhiker with a large backpack with her thumb out. This isn't the first time we've encountered hitchhikers and decided to pick her up. We found out that her name is Olivia and she is hiking the Oregon Coast Trail. She was looking for a ride into Lincoln City to get some supplies before continuing on her hike. We've picked up fisherman in Newport, Pacific Crest Trail Hikers form Czech Republic, and a few others. Hitchhikers around these parts are mostly distance hikers along the many trails and mountains around here. We've met a lot of fantastic people doing this and I hope they don't ever forget us. A few other things we did this week include, making lemon bars, enjoying the first watermelon of the season, and working with insurance adjusters to get our car fixed. Overall it was a pretty good week. Here are five things this week.

1. These Rainbows.

I love seeing random rainbows places. I like to think of the rainbows as signs from Baz, or Meia, so they give me a lot of comfort. Some days when my mental health is not 100% seeing a rainbow gives me a lot of good vibes and helps me. There are times when I've been disassociated from my trauma issues and anxiety and seeing a rainbow has brought me back to the present moment. We should all have something that sparks some joy in us and helps us through hard times. When it's raining here and we look across a field and see a rainbow, somehow it just put joy in our hearts to know that we're going to be okay, and everything we're dealing with will eventually pass. That's what I call, "Life at a Swell's Pace."

2. This Honeybee.

Jeff sent me this honeybee picture from his work parking lot on his break. I always feel bad for insects during the wildfire seasons here. It has to be harder on them than it is on us. He said this honeybee didn't look like it was injured, or struggling, and when he got out of the car to go back into work he said it took flight and went on its way. Sometimes, even bees, need a bit of a break, too.

3. This Sign.

While cleaning out the garage to prepare for our move, we found this sign. It's from many years ago when we started neighborhood watch around our neighborhood. We were part of the Neighborhood Watch group that marched in a parade through town and it was also when Baz was still alive and wore his own saddle bag sign that read, "We're taking our neighborhood back." Heavy narcotics use was bad around our neighborhood when we first moved here, and down our street alone we had several drug-related crimes. I've witnesses a man get stabbed repeatedly in our front yard, watched drug deals happen on our street, and even had a drug addict offer Skylar crystal meth when he was only four years old. We've had things stolen, our house broken into more than once, and drug needles on our property. It was awful, to say the least. The stabbing, I still carry some PTSD from that and will never forget every detail of the incident. The man recovered, and the assailant was charged with attempted murder. The house next-door to the house we currently live in and the duplex across the street from us were drug houses, at one time. There were raids on the houses with city, county, and state police using our yard as a staging ground for their raids. Looking out and seeing law enforcement with long rifles pointed at a house, while they hide behind your vehicle is something I don't ever want to see again. The duplex has since been sold and bought by a developer and it has been cleaned up a lot, but the house next-door to us still has drug activity due to the landlord. A few years ago it caught fire from heroin addicts getting revenge and we were hoping it would burn completely, but the landlord was able to repair it enough to put new tenants in it. We try to keep to ourselves, but we still have had issues with the house. The turnover in tenants is close to 100 now in just the last eight years. We are so happy to finally be getting away from all of it. I'm not sure how much patience we have left in us to continue another year of putting up with so much. We honestly feel very sorry for the next people that will move into this house we are in. They will have such a hard time dealing with it all, like we did. But, I do hope things change for them and aren't as bad as we had it. I wish them the best.

4. These Pelicans.

 

There's been a lot of pelican activity on the Pacific Ocean the last few times that we've been surfing. We enjoy watching them bob up and down across the waves catching unsuspecting fish. Pelicans always make me think of Jurassic Park when I see them. The last scene of the first movie when they are flying back from the island where a flock of pelicans were flying next to the helicopter. 

5. These Products.

Kiwi Eco Box for June and July 

Mightynest for July. 

Did you catch the moon below Jupiter and Saturn this week (25), or the Aquariids Meteor Shower (30)?

Positive affirmations this week:

Being humble is the best gift you can give yourself in this life. It takes practice, but it's worth it to keep your focus on the right things and your mind more sound. 

Have a nice weekend.

Golfing Misery At Pineway Golf Course

We had a bit of a rough time with this golfing day, carts breaking down, drunk man yelling at Skylar, and Yellow Jackets in almost every hole, needless to say, we won't be going back to this golf course anytime soon. It seems every time we go to play golf here there's always something up, but this last time was literally the last straw. Especially, with the drunk guy coming out of the clubhouse and yelling at Skylar about driving the cart over the grass. (Side note: You are allowed to drive your cart over the grass just can't be on, or within a few feet of the greens). This guy was out of control and what made it even worse was the Yellow Jackets stinging me repeatedly. After hole nine I was so ready to go. We will stick to the better taken care of courses, that's for sure. Here's a recap of our quick game of nine holes.

My arm swollen from the multiple Yellow Jacket stings, but good news, we found a miniature tee on the eighth hole, so silver lining, right? Thank god I'm not allergic to bees.

Pineway, please take better care of your course, so people like us won't feel so pushed away. The grounds around the clubhouse need better care, as well, and having patrons of the bar feeling the need to raise their voice at a child is uncalled for. 

Five Simple Things (July 23)

Hello.

We are in the middle of the "dog days" of summer here in Oregon. It's hot. We escape to the ocean during days where we are almost too hot for us. I grew up in the south, so heat is not an issue for me, but some days, even though it's hot, I'd rather be splashing in the ocean water instead. Unfortunately, with the heat, we are making national news again with a large wildfire, unfortunately. The smoke hasn't been too bad here, which is weird to say that, because to a lot of people it would be bad. Given that we've seen worse, it's not that bad. Our eyes are burning a bit, but it's tolerable. The largest wildfire burning here is the Bootleg Fire and as of right now it's burned over 400,000 acres. It's a ways away from us, but it doesn't make it any less upsetting. The amount of wildfires that have happened here in the last three years is alarming. Although, we are in the Willamette Valley and are not used to wildfires being so close to us, it's a bit unsettling to wonder what's happening to this beautiful state. Hopefully, fire crews and fighters can get ahead of these this year and the Bootleg Fire will the worst we see of 2021. Fingers crossed. Here are five things this week.

1. This Moment.

Skylar and I spent a few hours in Lincoln City, Oregon, this week picking up beach trash and other items that could end up in the ocean, or cause injuries. We ended up picking up about two pounds of trash with most of it being items that could be recycled. It's amazing to me how caress people are with, not only the earth, but even of other people. Don't be that person, be mindful of everything, including yourself.

2. This Wax.

Being in a cold water area of the world, and the chilly parts of the Pacific Ocean, we have to go with cold water wax for our surfboards. We particularly live the Sticky Bumps brand and this blueberry scent is heavenly. It's almost so delicious smelling you want to lick the bar. Putting it on our boards is a treat, for sure.

3. This Shadow.

The morning sun comes through the windows in such a way that makes me forget sometimes that I live in a city. I love how it hits this wall where our floor clock stands.

4. This Launch.

Just like with the launch of Richard Branson, we watched Jeff Bezos take flight into space this week, too. He took off from the ground with his Blue Origin program and New Shepard rocket and he had a successful flight, as well. It is incredible that they allowed the general public, like us, to view their progress into space travel. I love that we can be part of some great history being made.

5. These Days.

(Source)

The "dog days" of summer are in connection to the constellations in the sky. On July 20, 2021, the star Sirius, the dog star, lines up with the sun. The days between July 3 to August 11 are considered the "dog days" as the sun and one of the other brightest stars are in the sky at the same location. Romans thought the star next to the sun meant it was going to be hotter temperatures, but it's the Earth's tilt that brings on the hotter days in the Northern Hemisphere during the "dog days." 

Did you catch Antares in the sky this week (19), or the Full Thunder Moon (23)?

Positive affirmations this week: 

You have more control over things you allow to affect you. More control than you might realize. Here is a quick checklist of things you literally can control. Try to pick one and work on it in the coming week. Once you have one down, move to the next one. We are looking for progress here not perfection. Remember that! You can do this!

Have a nice weekend.

Surf Day

We got to fit in another surf trip this past weekend. We were able to determine that the foam board we have isn't quite big enough for Jeff, but Skylar and I rocked it. I enjoy the thrill of waiting for a wave to come in and just going for it. It's funny, as many times as I've been in the ocean, I still get startled the first time the water gets in my mouth. It's like I forget how salty it is each time we go, but once it happens I immediately remember. I don't think a lot of people realize how salty the ocean water is. I'm sure it tastes differently in different bodies of water, but the Pacific is like the worst cold broth you've ever tasted. ☺

Our surf boots are awesome. They look odd, but we find this design allows for better grip of the board. You can grab a pair here.

My contacts love the saltwater and so does my skin. 

We love our Wave Storm foam sticks. They are great for beginners and help you learn the basics of surfing. They are affordable and come with everything you need to get started with surfing, even if you've never been before. You can snag a board here and here.

(April 18, 2021)