Nov 30 rain and wind storm

My normally quiet life received adrenaline from a visit from friends. We have hiked the beach, the nearby hills, and  foraged twice for chanterelles. Its amazing that the wild mushrooms have been continuous for two and one half months.
Yesterday we went to Pistol River to get some alder firewood. It was wet and half-rotten but we took a small load anyway. I like the incense quality of alder.

We stopped at the beach where the river meets the sea. In June, a hundred wind surfers had been practicing there and my daughter and I had watched  blond and tan  surfers with colorful sails do acrobatics in the waves. Yesterday the beach was deserted. Jeff, Laurie, and I walked the beach and through grassy dunes, Jeff collected dry sticks and made a fire. We sat on driftwood logs in the lee of a giant boulder and talked about our girls. We all have 21 year old daughters and Laurie and Jeff have 20 year-olds.

At sunset we headed for Helen's (another ex-Alaskan, now Rogue River guide), for a dinner of meat loaf, and pasta with chanterelles.

This morning, I awoke at six AM to find the wood stove crackling, coffee made, the dishwasher unloaded, and the scrabble game set out. What house guests!