The gifts from the garden were here to greet us when we returned home. Tomorrow will be salsa and tomato sauce canning day at our house as we use up at least sixty pounds of ripe tomatoes we found ripened on the vine yesterday. JEJ also picked zucchini, a cucumber, green peppers,and lots of green beans. I love this time of year as we begin to harvest, put up food, and enjoy the bounty from our garden.
As I began to unpack from my ocean trip, I carefully unwrapped the gifts brought home from the sea. My cobalt blue collection is now richer with a lovely vase, a piece of deep blue handcrafted glass work that will work well as a sun catcher, and a set of polished rocks for a dish on the table. The white bag full of saltwater taffy caused much debate as we gathered around the table at the ocean. Which flavor is really the best? We were trying to decide between huckleberry, creamsicle, black licorice, tropical punch, and hot cinnamon. Of course, Flamingo Jim's gift shop provided both of us with new fleece jackets to remind us of Rockaway Beach. Sand still in our shoes, cheese curds left from the Tillamook Cheese Factory, and lots of photographs and memories remain as we adjust to our daily routine here at home.
Kiki Aru, Z2, and The Princess
They are funny, talented, smart, good at texting, and great models when I have my camera ready! 
They are always up for a game of Apples to Apples, Scattergories, or Jeopardy on television. They can take any simple event and turn it into something that makes me laugh so hard I choke on my Diet Coke.
Yes, I love my nieces to pieces.
Our vacation has been made even more enjoyable by the glorious food that has surrounded us since we arrived. 
We will remember Tillamook ice cream in a waffle bowl, 
good coffee with family in the morning, 
fresh seafood night that included crab, 
Italian bread, 
and fresh clams.
We will also remember Mexican mochas at Dragonfly Sisters,
soup night that included zucchini chowder 
with lots of cheese
and exceptional wine. I will miss these great meals with our extended family as we prepare to leave Rockaway Beach tomorrow.
Today was the day we did some fun touristy stuff. We took Mom browsing to a few shops first in Rockaway. Then we headed south to Tillamook to taste the famous cheese, buy cheese curds, and have some yummy ice cream. Above is The Princess, Kiki Aru, Silver Valley Girl and mother Mary in the back.
Nothing like my favorite Tillamook Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream in a waffle cone! About a thousand other tourists must have the same idea today, but we all managed to squeeze into the cheese factory.
Z2 thought it was better to sit outside and enjoy people watching.
We then toured the Blue Heron French Cheese Company, which was a bit quieter. We sampled delicious French cheese, sauces, dips, and wines. 
After making purchases at both places we headed home to prepare a seafood dinner. 
Fresh crab, steamed clams, and melted butter were passed around as the family gathered around the table after another memorable day on our Oregon coast vacation. 
A perfect ending to a perfect day was capturing my first Pacific Ocean sunset with Annie and Shelby running along the shoreline at low tide.
Even in the rain Rockaway Beach, Oregon is a fabulous place to spend time with family. My dogs are becoming quite the ocean hounds!