THE 43 DEGREE PLUNGE...I TOOK IT!

Talk about temperature whiplash. My neck is killing me! Yesterday we baked, fried, and sautéed ourselves in 100 degree weather. That wasn't a record for Portland, but I'm guessing it had to have been pretty darn close. Today Eden and I rode the thermometer all the way down to 57 degrees.

While Terry got smarter in Portland at the American Meteorological Convention, Eden and I took the car and cruised through the Cascades Mountains to Cannon Beach, Oregon. It was about a fat hour from Portland. And in those sixty plus minutes of driving, the temperature took a nosedive...crashing 43 degrees in 24 hours.

But this was big stuff for Eden. She's never been on the west coast and to see the Pacific Ocean was a thrill for her. Cannon Beach is a quaint little seaside town. Lots of cute boutiques and small eateries and a brew pub or two. But of course the main attraction is to the west. The Pacific Ocean. It is dramatically beautiful on the Oregon Coast. Black monuments of rock that sit just off the beach lend an arresting and awe-inspiring presence.

So back to the weather. Yup. It was a cool (aka cold) and windy day. But this didn't stop my kid or the other crazy children from jumping in the waves. (I saw about four kids hanging in the water.) I am guessing the water temperature was barely 60 degrees...again just a guess. So first Eden listened to her mother and kept her sweatshirt on.

But then the euphoria kicked in and it was all bets off. Much to my chagrin.

Okay...now you must see the place with the sun out! Here you go!

Oregon is a truly beautiful state. Who needs a hot summer day when you are surrounded by such beauty...right! Okay...something above 60 degrees would have been nice. But ask my kid....the ocean in any weather is a gift. She totally gets it. So tomorrow...whatever it brings...we'll embrace it.

With love from Oregon...

Carolyn and Eden