Of Easter and Oregon...

Although the day was blustery and cool, we were all warm & cozy inside the Ranch on Easter Sunday. After fixing Eggs Benedict (with an easy recipe for Hollandaise sauce) for Milly for breakfast, Lee & I got ready for Easter dinner. Lee brought in one of our folding tables & chairs & we set it up parallel to the dining room table - everything fit perfectly! Besides Lee & I we hosted Auntie, Auntie Millie, Jeff & Nancy, Linda, Danny (who brought me the most beautiful daffodils) & Jeffery, Jim & JoAnn, Sue & Ernie and Amber. Lee & I had prepared a feast: Lee smoked a turkey breast, I fixed a glazed spiral ham, poached Steelhead with a sour cream/dill sauce, marinated roasted asparagus, potato salad, Caesar salad and Costco rolls. Jeff brought halibut, which we baked and I must say, was delicious!

For desert I made a Key Lime pie and Easter chick cake balls & bunny cake pops. Sue also brought a raspberry desert, which was also very good! The food was wonderful, but being able to get together with so many family members was priceless!

This past week-end Lee & I took a trip to one of our favorite places: Florence, Oregon. The weather was fantastic for sand riding! The sun shone everyday we were there, and although we still needed warm clothing for the sand, it was better than getting rained out, which has happened more than once!

We explored the town, which is such a interesting place, and had lunch every day at a different restaurant. One day we ate, al fresco and had lunch sitting at a table out on the sidewalk. It was such fun watching the people walk by - one little girl, about 3 years old, was in a Spider Man shirt and had a pink blanked pinned around her neck. She WAS Spiderman! She was adorable!

One day while having lunch outside at a seafood restaurant on the Siuslaw River, we were watched over by curious seagull. I'm sure some patrons give them little tidbits, but we didn't want to create a scene reminiscent of "The Birds", so we just admired his (or her) snow white plumage! I know a lot of people find them to be a nuisance, but I feel they're beautiful birds and so smart!

We had some beautiful riding and gorgeous sunsets every day we were there. Of course, since it was a nice week-end, there were lots of ATV's, sand rails and motorcycles in the dunes; even a few trucks and other 4-wheel drive automobiles! Why anyone would take their nice truck into the sand, is beyond my comprehension, but, to each his own! I'd just be afraid of messing it up...Some of those sand hills are pretty steep! It was fun watching all the craziness.

Now we're back at the Ranch & things need to get done around here! The field has begun to green up and will need to be mowed soon. It's one of my favorite things to do around here. I love being outside with the sun on my face, riding along listening to the hum of the mower, smell the sweetness of the freshly cut grass and being with my own thoughts. This is my favorite time of the year!