Rainy Stormy Afternoon at Half Moon Bay

I lasted less than 30 minutes on the beach today. Rain soaked through my "rain-coat" (where is my favorite Grunden's yellow fishermen's rain coat??), through my sweater and through my t-shirt. Waves crashing on the beach were spectuclular! The Pelicans were having a blast dive bombing the waves, but the seagulls were just taking it all in stride.

I even found a small smattering of sea glass - please excuse the rain drops on the camera lense..

The Cargo Hold - Full of Nautical Treasures!

My friends, Doug and Risa Owen, have owned The Cargo Hold for nearly 20 years in the historic downtown district of Poulsbo, Washington.  Poulsbo, borne of Scandinavian heritage and located on Liberty Bay  is the perfect setting for Doug's absolute treasure chest of specialty nautical items!

When I had my store open (2002-2007), "Caron's.. the finest in coastal living",  was located directly across the street.  Doug and I were always "friendly" competitors, working diligently together to make sure that we didn't accidentally order the same product.  Sometimes we did goof up though!

Doug prides himself on finding quality, unique nautical gifts and memorabilia: all manner of brass barometers, tide clocks,  brass accessories, telescopes, pirate games, books on nautical history, lighthouse collectibles - somehow finding space for everything in his tiny shop! Nautical art and plaques cover every square inch of wall space..  easy to spend hours finding just the perfect gift for someone special.  Heard a rumor that you might even find some specialty cigars, and the accessories to go with them!

Own a boat? Need the perfect "yachting" touch? The Cargo Hold is a favorite for boat owners that frequent the Poulsbo Marina. Poulsbo enjoys being a destination for most of the Puget Sound Yacht Clubs, and  Doug always has something new and exciting waiting! Nautical bar accessories, brass plaques, nautical designed pillows - oh, and what boat is complete without a brass lamp?

The Cargo Hold's collection of model ships is a must see. Doug's collection includes just about everything from hand-crafted ships, painstakingly put together and selling for thousands of dollars to models that anyone can afford. Could easily see how a one of these would be the perfect accent for any house on the beach; on the mantel, mounted in a bookcase, I can think of a hundred way to display these!

Loved the details on "The Constitution".  Finely hand crafted by a highly skilled artisan in Tacoma, the hull is composed of tiny shaped copper pieces hammered and put together. Every single detail has been attended to.

If you are lucky enough to visit the Kitsap Peninsula, and Poulsbo, please make sure to stop in and see the Cargo Hold in person - make sure that you tell Doug that I sent you! If you can't travel to Poulsbo, please make sure to check out their website - www.cargohold.com.

Great Blue Heron

Wow! What a storm we had last night here on the Kitsap Peninsula, the wind blew so hard to shake the living room windows, even set off my car alarm in the middle of the night.

But, it was all worth it to get up and see this serene blue heron perched on a circle of rocks on my beach.  Beautiful, graceful..


(yes, I was in my pj's when I crept down the beach trail to get this photo, and no, the neighbors didn't catch me!)

The Perfect Way to Spend a Lazy Friday Afternoon..

Last Friday, we drove North on Hwy 1, beyond Half Moon Bay, to discover a new favorite place to enjoy a lazy, sunny afternoon on the San Mateo coast.


Moss Bay Distillery has a very interesting history! Built in 1927, the restaurant sits on a cliff with a secluded beach below - the ideal location benefiting illegal clandestine activities!  During the Prohibition era, rum-runners whiskey routinely somehow found itself at what was known then as "Frank's" place. "Frank's" was a popular speakeasy, courting local politicians from the City and silent screen stars.



This was the fabulous cliff view that greeted us in the parking lot. Down below are rocks and tidepools galore, and so fun to watch the sea lions frolic in the surf! Easy to see how fog and surf made it possible to   land boats with forbidden whiskey on the beach and then drag them up the cliff.









Check out the menu! We had the most scrumptious "seafood sliders";  little salmon, crab cake and yellow fin tuna sandwiches and fish tacos - so good!  Tom and I decided that cocktails might just be the ticket while we sat all afternoon and enjoyed the view from the outdoor patio overlooking the Pacific Ocean surf to the North.

Oh, and of course we had to share a little dessert...

 Look how happy Tom is!  Perfect place to dream away an afternoon...

These are some of my favorite memories, a little sun, a good glass of Pinot Gris and a fresh seafood lunch!

Stinson Beach Sunsets

Had an absolute dream day on Saturday, driving to the Pt. Reyes National Seashore on Hwy 1, in Northern California.   Hard to imagine that another perfect day could be topped off any more beautifully.  

These photos were taken overlooking Stinson Beach, and the Pacific Ocean  from the road that rises up to Mt. Tam, and then back over to San Francisco.  Just had to pull over and drink in this incredible view!

Watch the progression of colors as the sun sinks further into the Pacific..

The sky was absolutely on fire with brilliant pink and orange flaming clouds! Love this view with the curve of Stinson Beach. During the day, when driving down this hill, the view that stretches out with white sand and all the blues of the color wheel is one of my favorites! Some days you get lucky and the surf is whipped with the white caps of the Pacific Ocean.

Tom thought he was so sneaky! Taking a picture of me, while I tried to capture one more image on my Iphone....