3: Oregon

3

Just finished a viola practice; I'm reviving Bloch for the year end concert. Tobin has just injured his hand on a folding bed and is consequently a bit mad. We've looked up the best surfing time today and it's from 2pm on, so we're waiting till then to get in the waves and do some bodyboarding. 

No tsunami so far.

I must've spent about four hours at the beach today, not all in the waves. All five of us went out in the water armed with boogie boards and neoprene shells. Some of us (Jeff and Julias) the lucky ones had full-length suits, the rest of us had to make do with half covering (and I have the wind burn and salty bruises to prove it). Julias was experimenting with our newly purchased waterproof camera, so we might have some interesting pictures from today. I didn't spend that long in the water as the waves were only passable and I couldn't move my hands. So off I went to our claimed beach branch to join Lise who had already bailed. She went in to change as I brought out our pocket kite: a tiny stick-less kite with a disproportionately long string. I set about letting out all the string as it was very windy and I felt the need to compete with the high up kites from the other side of the river. The place was packed with Saturday beach-goers, mostly sequestered by the convenient river to the south stretch of sand, leaving the north end quite sparsely populated. I got tired of holding the kite, so I cleverly attached it to the beach branch where it remained quite happily for the next two hours or so. 

Jeff went in to change as well. Tobin, Julias, and I set about modifying the sand as much as we could with our hands and the small bucket and shovel from the beach supplies here. The plan was a castle. The reality was… not that. But still pretty impressive. I managed to build a three-foot tall mound using only my hands and my sheer arm strength. The result was a very floppy-armed Eva. The boys dug a moat, made a bridge, planned the rest of the moat, made a mount of sand, watched the mound fill in the moat, then more or less decided a hole would be a much better idea. 

The three of us started bringing loads of sand from their pile to my mound, dropping it directly on top of the pointy mountain-like pile. The idea was to create a natural base for whatever artistic creation I would endow upon it later. It was very interesting to observe the particle dynamics of the sand as my mount grew to an impressive four-ish feet tall, helped by the fact that Jeff had now returned dry-clothed and ready to try to recall his knowledge of particle physics out loud. 

After maybe two hours, we had a hole and a mound. Both very impressive considering we basically just used our hands. I had some fun making realistic mini sand stalagmites from the watery hole. Tobin had some fun in the watery hole. Julias decided it was time to go in. 

By this point Jeff had almost finished winding in the kite (which I had unwound and forgotten about, oops). I decided to really make use of the giant pile of nice damp loose sand we had accumulated… by sitting on it. It made an impressive seat actually. Quite moulded, nice and tall. Then I stood in it and watched the sides of my mountain crack in great chunks, opening up deep chasms to the heart of the structure. As the giant trapped in the mountain I removed pieces of the sides feeling like a god. 

Yes I am 19 years old. And also a child. 

Back inside we had roast chicken and terrible watery Costco green beans and cheesies chips and dried pineapple and straight up half and half cream for dinner. So pretty much the usual. We listened to some more of "The Magicians" together, people practiced their instruments, then we played some more Taboo. Our version of Taboo now involves no timer, no points, no buzzer. Each person gets six cards to try to explain. Much less stressful like this, and a lot more intellectual. 

We decided no beach fire today as we are all a bit exhausted from the beach earlier. 

After a bit of YouTube (Kate Bush music videos, RuPaul, Chris Fleming as Gayle) it was getting late and the adults went to bed. I taught Tobin how to do basic chevron friendship bracelets (I had showed him an even simpler kind earlier) as I worked on the other half of Julias' watch strap bracelet. Tobin picked it up really well. I made sure to tell him everything I wish someone had told me when I was just learning (such as move the threads you're not working with at this very second as far as they can get away from you). When I first learned, it was just from a book, and it went disastrously. So I'm glad I get to give a Tobin a better experience. 

I stayed up late again working on the watch strap. I think they're pretty much done at this point. I'll have to wait till we get home to attach them though; I'll need a needle. 

Quite a bit of the fun of this trip so far has been to have the time together as a family. It doesn't happen so much anymore, and despite the many disputes and moods and minor injuries, I think we're all feeling a lot more connected to one another. For example I've been meaning to teach Tobin how to do friendship bracelets for ages. And I think we've all practiced more so far here than we do at home. 

Patchy wifi has its perks, I must say.