And yet more beautiful coastline

Also in Elliston.

Yesterday when I was out doing errands it was sunny and warm, but just breezy enough to be on that cusp between enjoying the air on my bare arms and thinking that a sweater might be nice. Fall is coming.

And a year ago, I was in the cardiac unit at Mount Sinai with my African mystery illness. I am still not 100%, maybe never will be, but considering how long it took me to work up to being able to walk around the block, I'm very grateful to be able to travel again.

I wouldn't have wanted to miss hiking along these cliffs.

The softer side of Skye

There's yet another castle -- Dunvegan -- behind where I was standing on the headland, but we actually stopped here to see the seals on the islands offshore. They were too far away to get decent photos of, even with a big lens, but I also took this picture with my point and shoot and promptly forgot all about it.

Cool reflections

Jayne on the beach.

More driftwood shots

Evening beach

Driftwood and a sand castle on the beach in the golden light before sunset.

Beach walks, a long lunch, lattes and peach smoothies. Life is tough in Manzanita.

Life's good. It's all worth it.

After breakfast, we checked out of our hotel, and I left Jayne there with the luggage while I walked over to the Avis outlet a few blocks away to pick up our rental car. I told her I'd be back in 15, 20  minutes tops, and she said, "Well, there might be a line."

Which there was. There was also only one man at the desk, and after doing the paperwork for each rental, he left the desk, took the elevator up to an upper level of the garage and drove each car down to street level. (I  rented a car at the same place last year and had to drive it down a ten-story ramp myself.) I ended up standing in line for three hours. Apparently the other rental companies in Portland were all out of cars and were sending people to Avis, but everyone in line around me -- we all got to know each other quite well -- had a reservation, for all the good it did us. Also, apparently, in the year since I was there, this Avis has become notorious for long waits and bad service. Most of us just felt sorry for the poor man who was working his ass off trying to get us our cars, and except for one shrieking woman, everyone was very relaxed and remarkably patient.

So it wasn't the relaxing drive out to the coast we had planned. I was tired. My broken foot ached from standing on it for so long. I was on the verge of being grumpy. Then we made the turn south onto 101 and pulled into this overlook.

My beautiful Pacific coast. It definitely feels like coming home.

Cannon Beach

It was still mostly foggy and chilly on the beach, nice for walking, or huddling with your family to conserve body heat. All those colorful chairs for sunbathing were empty.

Haystack Rock

I really had meant to drive up to Cannon Beach to see the famous Haystack Rock while I was staying on the coast. But I found myself quite content being lazy in Manzanita, and walking on the beach and reading and daydreaming and taking pictures of driftwood and clouds.

So I stopped off on my way back to Portland. Here it is: a rock. A REALLY big rock.

Another view of the Manzanita cliffs

In the evening light.