New Years in Pacific City

Pacific City is a small town. You know that, and that's why we and we hope, you like it. Here is what I suggest for a perfect end and fantastic start to a new decade. We even have the perfect Salt & Pepper shakers for the occasion.

Champagne and an ice bucket.

First, book a room at The Craftsman B&B, we still have an opening. When you arrive, we will have the cookies out at check in time and the coffee machine will be ready for Nespresso or tea.

Then it's off to Twist, the local wine tasting room for a New Years Champagne Tasting. They will be pouring 4 or 5 champagne and sparkling wines, blind. Can you tell the difference? We helped them taste a few they wanted to pour, so it should be interesting. A good rule of thumb, the tinnier the bubbles, the better. And you'll be drinking out of Craftsman B&B flutes. Twist closes around 7, so get in there early.

Next on the plan is The Delicate Palette Bistro for dinner. The are doing a special menu for the night with or without wine parings. I suggest a reservation for the dinning room. We have guests checking in, so I hope there still a spot for us after our guests are settled in. There was talk of lobster mashed potatoes, check out their facebook page for the menu, when they post it. We can also make reservations for you, let us know when you book.

The last item for us is a house party here at the B&B. We are planning on starting at 9:00 p.m. so our friends from Twist and the Bistro can join us. We will be playing wii, poker and snacking on whatever Laura thinks up, if you've heard about Laura's party menus, you know it's going to be good. This is a casual BYOB kind of event, you can try your luck at whatever people bring or what you can find around the house. Our personal cellar will be closed, but we will have champagne at the ready for the strike of midnight.

Then it's off to bed, hopefully early as I need to make breakfast in the morning.

New Years Day has something going on here too. It's the Rose Bowl. I know, college football. I'm not a fan, but the local twins talked me into hosting so they could see the game in HD. All are welcome, again BYOB and I'm sure Laura will have something good to nibble on. Game starts at 2:10 p.m., all hype before that, I'm sure. Oregon is playing Ohio State.

We hope to see you in town for the year end fun.

Whale Watching Week

Hey, the end of the year. You know what that means, right? Of course, the whales are migrating down the coast. You should come down and see them spouting as the swim by. The last few days have been fantastic as it has been clear and calm. There will be trained volenteers at all the good spots for watching. The State even has a web site dedicated to these part time residents, check the locations here.

OK, I do not have whale Salt and Pepper shakers, this is as close as I can get.

I'll now have to be on the hunt for some whales. Do I need a permit?

So the number one tip on seeing the whales: They are swimming from the North to the South, so you should always be looking North. When you see a spout, just follow with your eyes a few hundred yards south and you should see more spouts. If you look to the South, they've just swam past you. 61 were spotted on Saturday!

Take advantage of our Storm Watcher Special while you look for the whales. We are also hosting the locals for New Years Eve and the Rose Bowl on New Years Day. Come join us.

Another funny thing happend, well, I think it's funny. We rely on 2 newspapers for events going on around Pacific City. They both ran stories on whale watching week. That's not unusual, it is, after all, a big deal. The funny thing is they both used the same photograph on the cover, oops!

Post Christmas, what to do.

We hope you all had a great Christmas. We did here at The Craftsman B&B. The Christmas tree was a big hit with our traveling guests. Because they were traveling for the holidays, they didn't decorate their houses, so they liked that we did.

When I turned on the tree this morning, one string of lights was out. At least it waited until after Christmas.

The other thing that happens after Christmas is you discover that missing present. Sometimes it was forgotten when all the wrapping is done. Sometimes it's just hiding under the tree, or still in the trunk of the car. Well I didn't forget this present, I just wanted to wait until today to it to show you.

These Salt & Peppers are from Gump's. They even come with their own shopping bag.

They are Sterling Silver and need to be polished often. Well, they get polished when my parents are visiting. My parents like to help with projects around the house, so polishing silver is a good one.

So living in San Francisco, I learned a few things. One is Gump's is the place where the elite brides of the City register for their wedding china and gifts. It's not like they carry items other that no other stores do, it's about service. Remember service when your shopping? I know, it's not around anymore. Kind of why you choose to stay in a B&B rather than a hotel. We provide service. OK, back to Gump's, Laura and I visited the store on our honeymoon. We had some wedding cash and wanted to get some nice things, so we checked them out. We ended up with these S&P's and mini-presents that are place card holders.

We even saw the famous San Francisco Twins! These ladies are "San Francisco." Always dressed very well and alike. They are more common the Bigfoot we get sightings of in the Pacific Northwest. Usally found around Union Square and Nob Hill. They are very friendly and always willing to be photographed. Living in the Bay Area for 10 years and I never spotted them. It was when I was a tourist, showing Laura the City that we lucked into the encounter.

We will have the tree and decorations up until after New Years Day where we are hosting 2 parties, more on that later.

This is also the prime whale watching season on the Oregon Coast. I write more about that tomorrow.

So check under your tree and in the trunk of the car or back of the closet to see if you have forgotten the last present of the season.

Merry Christmas!

Well the sleigh made it to The Craftsman B&B in Pacific City. The skies were clear last night so his flight should have been pretty smooth in the Northwest.

Hopefully our new chimney didn't slow him down. Today is a double day for the Salt & Pepper collection. We have the loaded sleigh,

and the unloaded sleigh.

Now that Santa is all done with his year long job, he's back at the North Pole with his lovely wife.

They are singing Christmas Carole's for the last time.

Next for Santa is some sunscreen, board shorts and a well deserved vacation to the tropics.

We hope you have had a great Christmas with your family and friends and as we look forward to the new year, we hope to see you in our still tiny beach town.

Happy Festivus!

Another year has gone by and the most famous holiday of the season is nearing. Today at The Craftsman B&B, we will celebrate Festivus! A holiday celebrated by those frustrated with the commercialism and pressure surrounding the Christmas and Hanukkah season.

Snowmen are still an acceptable holiday icon, regardless of which holiday you chose to celebrate. Me, I like the Winter Solstice and Festivus the best. I still celebrate Christmas but I am more in tune with the Festivus traditions.

First off we have the Festivus pole.

During Festivus, the pole is displayed unadorned, "I find tinsel distracting." Plain and simple, see yesterdays blog post. Made from aluminum, with a "very high strength-to-weight ratio."

The pole is easily stored in the crawlspace.

The Festivus dinner is again, plain and simple. I prefer meatloaf, but tonight, I think we are having pork chops and applesauce. No alcohol is served, but you are welcome to drink from a hip flask.

After the meal is served, the traditional "Airing of Grievances" begins. It consists of lashing out at others and the world about how one has been disappointed in the past year. You know this happens in traditional family gatherings anyway, so you might as well make it part of the celebration.

The "Feats of Strength" is the final tradition observed in the celebration of Festivus, celebrated immediately following dinner. Here is how it works: The head of the household selects one person at the Festivus celebration and challenges that person to a wrestling match. The person may decline if they have something else to do, such as pull a double shift at work or clean the kitchen. Tradition states that Festivus is not over until the head of the household is pinned. Failing to pin the head of the household results in Festivus continuing until such requirement is met. My brothers and I used to wrestle my Dad, until he faked an injury, usually his ribs, until one time when we really did crack his ribs.

So how ever you decide to celebrate the season, try Festivus this year. It's so easy, all you need to do is find an aluminum pole.

Is more, better?

That's a good question. Let's debate: I an a more, simple is better kind of guy. You can tell by how I did the interiors of The Craftsman B&B, the original "no lace, no doilies" B&B.

Form follows function. Ever hear that before? It means make something work, easy to use, first, then design in nice aesthetics. Michael Graves in the master of this in our era. He is the father of post-modern design.

Of course the Craftsman movement did it pretty well. I've written a lot about this in past blogs, but quickly, they ditched the ornate machine made Victorian "decoration" for simple hand made arts.

The Shakers had it almost all correct. Make useful items with your hands and your heart. Function and multi-use above all else. The celibacy part of their religion was a mistake.

But sometimes more is better. Automobiles are a great example of this. The first car I drove didn't come with a radio. Now, any car I buy must have: heated seats, dual climate control, Xenon headlights and an auto-tinting rear view mirror. 10 years ago, it was rare, now almost all cars have them, even micro cars.

Now let's talk about Christmas. I like a few gifts. I grew up on getting socks and underwear for gifts and Santa brought us toys. Seven people in the family and we were done opening presents in an hour. Plain and simple. Then I meet Laura, the first few Christmas' were insane. I thought it took all day to open presents, that was until the grand kids showed up, then it actually did take all day. Which is better?

Now we get to today's salt and pepper shakers.

Is more better? These came from Neiman Marcus. Known for being over the top, these fit the bill. Let's break the design down. First, they are S&P's. OK, simple right? Nutcrackers, very Christmas'y. But let's look a little harder, they also snow globes. Now I like a good snow globe. I have one depicting the car roll over scene in the movie Fargo. So we have nutcrackers in a snow globe that are also S&P's from Neiman Marcus. I'd have to say more is not better!

Play in the snow?

A lot of people like to play in the snow, animals and snowmen too. With the threat of snow in the coast range tonight, I thought these snowmen playing would get you in the mood.

They look like they know how to have fun. Me, not a big fan of the snow. I grew up in the stuff and I made the best of it when I was a kid. We would get blizzards every year and the snow was so light and dry, the wind would clear open spaces and cover the house with drifts. Yes, snow up to the eaves of the house! Thirty feet away from the house, no snow. We lived near a park, so when we got these drifts, it would bury the houses that faced the park. The neighborhood kids would build snow forts and an inter-network of tunnels. We would work all day and throw snowballs at the passing cars. Our mom's were pretty resourceful as well, we would wear bread bags on our feet and tuck our pants inside of them to keep dry. Years later, I discovered gaiters in a mountaineering store.

From skiing most weekends in Colorado to living at the beach. I got to say, I love the weather at the beach here in Pacific City, even though it's hailing right now. The local weather forecasters always give you the snow level. When we lived near Portland, we were at 600 feet, so if Portland got snow, we got snow. Tonight they say it will be around 1,500 feet. So when you are sick of the snow and cold, come visit us at The Craftsman B&B, we are at 18 feet.

Hey, it's the shortest day of the year. Happy solstice, and axial tilt. Still time for me to send your Christmas wishes with a Craftsman B&B Gift Certificate.

Miseltoe and Christmas Sweaters

So Mickey and Minni Mouse are getting into the Christmas spirit under the mistletoe. According to a custom of Christmas cheer, any two people who meet under a hanging of mistletoe are obliged to kiss. The custom is of Scandinavian origin.

Mickey is all embarrassed, 'cause he just got kissed or that he is wearing a Christmas sweater and a Santa hat.

We have all seen crazy Christmas sweaters, what's their origin? I'm guessing it's from grandmas wanting to be cruel to their grand kids once a year. They're always nice, so this gesture may seem nice, but it's not. Just go to a Goodwill store. They have a section just for Christmas sweaters, no joke! Here is a blog about the ugly sweater style. There is even an online store that's all about the ugly sweater.

As you have seen in the past posts, I have a salt and pepper collection and have been blogging about it, just like this blog. I photographed the collection in one day to have a consistent look to the photos. Someone else had the same idea, but for his Christmas Sweater Collection. His collection includes sweatshirts, vests and turtlenecks too. More sweater choices for your closet are here.

Have you been to a sweater party? We have, that's how we found out about the Goodwill aisle.

We know you have a crazy Christmas Sweater, let's make it pay. From now until December 30th, The Craftsman B&B will give you a 20% discount on a nights stay. All you have to do is mention this blog and show up for breakfast wearing, you guessed it, a Christmas Sweater! Just like our S&P collection, the uglier, the better.

How's your list?

Santa must be pretty close to getting his list together. He has time to play with the reindeer, well this kind of looks like a moose.

If you have your holiday lists mostly checked off, you should reward yourself with a visit to Pacific City and The Craftsman B&B.

Our cold snap seems to be over and a nice little storm blew in during the night. Storm watching season is on. The surf has been pretty good as well.

So before the crazy of the season take you into its grasp, take a break and revive your spirits for the next round of the family get together and holiday parties. If Santa can play around, you can too.

Enough cold stories, almost.

It's been cold here on the Oregon coast beaches. You are tired of hearing about it, I know, but it's rare for it to be this cold this long. Every year we've been running The Craftsman B&B, this winters have had unusual weather, colder for longer periods of time. I remember we used to get about 2 nights of below freezing. That was enough for the plants to die off to rejuvinate in the spring. The dahlias would stay green all year unless there was a frost. No time for them to build up energy to bloom in the Summer. The fuchia bushes hold flowers until a frost. I cut them to the ground every other year and they do great on the North side of our house.

We have has snow here every year, but until last year, it melted by Noon. Last year it stayed around a few days. We saw ice in the Nestucca river this year. The banks held ice all day and the surface would freeze at night. We had no rain during this cold snap so the water levels remained fairly even. When the tide came in is when the ice broke up. Thin layers of ice flowing down stream was interesting to see.

OK the story of the week is of the frozen squid that washed up onto the beaches this past week. I saw this story on Oregon Coast Beach Connection: Dozens of really large Humboldt Squid are stranding on the north coast – and they’re making a rather spectacular sight by freezing immediately on the beaches and staying intact.
What makes this incident unusual is the cold temperatures of the beaches are freezing these creatures where they land, and the rather spectacular size of many of them. The squid were 4 to 5 feet in length and weighed a little over 25 pounds. One was as tall as aquarium employee Tiffany Boothe, seen in the photo below.

Because they’ve frozen on the sand, each has been remarkably preserved. Usually, shore birds go after the eyes – but they’ve left them alone so far. They’ve also left interesting prints frozen in the sand, with icy sea water all around them.

“These squid typically reside in warmer waters off of California and Mexico, but every once in a while they will follow an offshore warm water current,” Boothe said. “When these currents dissipate, the squid get caught in water far too cold for them to handle and they get hypothermic and die."

This summer we had very warm water on the beaches here in Pacific City. Mid 60's, when the normal temps are in the low 40's.

Baby, it's cold out there!

Well the cold snap continues here at The Craftsman B&B in Pacific City. I still haven't got the down vest out, but I am wearing gloves when I go outside. I knew it was going to be another cold morning, so I slept in a little bit and when I got up with the sun just peeking over the coast range, it was 25º. That's the lowest I've seen here.

The snow men are still safe in this weather. The high yesterday was below freezing! This is one of the reasons I didn't open the B&B in Bend or Sisters, Oregon. I really like our mild temperatures we have at the beach. The bright spot is we haven't had rain, or in this weather, freezing rain.

This Salt & Pepper snowman is in two parts, I like the two part kind. They take up less shelf space and are creative.

As most of you know, I rarely drive in a car now that I live in our, still tiny town. Yesterday I needed to get black oil sunflower seeds from the farm store in Cloverdale, the next town up Highway 101. Because I don't drive, the battery doesn't get recharged often enough so starting is a slow process, but it starts. The cold has taken its toll and the car required a charge for about a half hour. I'm so glad I have the tools to get this kind of stuff done, so are the birds. I also unhooked the hoses and put the foam covers on the spigots. I'm glad I did, a few friends had some frozen pipes this morning.

So the East, off shore, winds that are rare here in Pacific City are partly to blame for our cold spell, but they do bring good surfing waves. 6 footers predicted for Friday, come on down and get your surf on!

Snowman Saftey, sort of!

We have had a few clear skied nights in Pacific City over the last few days. With the moon around it's full stage, the nights have been bright. One thing I learned growing up in Denver is that clear skies equal cold temperatures. Our first freeze was a few days ago and the dahlias are the first to show it. I cut the grass the other day and parts still had the morning frost.

As we are in for a cold snap around the Northwest, it's a warmer cold snap at the beach. I'm still only wearing a hoodie, last time I wore a "winter" coat was 1983, when I moved away from Denver.

Santa and the Snowman must have the same tailor, or stylist, as they are in similar outfits with this set of Salt & Peppers.

That's not the only good news for travelers wanting to visit Pacific City and stay at The Craftsman B&B. With the air temperature as low as it's been, it makes the water that much warmer. It's not often that the air temps are lower than the water temps. So all you surfers need to get out here, catch a wave and warm up in the water. The downside, as always, is putting on a wet wetsuit is still one of the worse experiences ever, so I'll dry your suits in our heated garage.

So come on out this weekend, surf or just watch the sunset, it's awesome when it's this clear. Watch the crab boats at night from the beach and attend our town's Christmas Tree lighting tonight at 6:30 PM.

Christmas Season

The Christmas season is here. Mot people like to start the day after Thanksgiving. That's OK, but I like to wait 'til December. The Christmas tree is up at The Craftsman B&B and the house is nearly all decorated.

Here is the first of the S&P's for the season. All the holiday S&P's are out, normally they are not part of the collection during the year. They are hanging out with the snowmen Laura has been collecting on the banquette in the dining room.

I will add the garlands to the house when: A) we get a good wind storm that blows branches out of trees, or B) before Laura returns from a week in Hong Kong.

So if you don't feel like decorating your house but want to spend some time in one that is, come pay us a visit this holiday season. Still no lace, no doilies.

Black Friday?

The day after. Another fantastic Thanksgiving dinner here at The Craftsman B&B. This year was no different, in that the food was fantastic. We brine'd the turkey for days, it was awesome. Laura baked many pies and tarts.



So yesterday, I posted turkey S&P's, today we can't forget the Native Americans that made Thanksgiving possible, so here they are.

We had a crew of Black Friday Shoppers leave early this morning. If you, like me, avoided it at all costs, great. It cost me cleaning up the roasting pan and getting the house back to normal. So now that the Christmas shopping season is upon us, we'd like to remind you of our gift certificates. You can purchase them from us for The Craftsman B&B, click here, and we also sell BedandBreakfast.com gift certificates you can use all over the country, great for giving to people who don't live near the Oregon Coast. Call me and I'll set you up, you family and friends will love them. They are also good for corporate gift giving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here at The Craftsman B&B we are doing the normal, traditional Thanksgiving. We have family and guests as well as turkey Salt & Pepper Shakers.

My parents are here from Highlands Ranch, Colorado. My Brother and his wife from Santa Barbara, California and guests from Salem and Eugene, Oregon. The friends from Pacific City include, our neighbors and the local set of twins.

We will entertain ourselves with wii boxing and bowling, Laura is a great boxer and has beaten our friend Sean, a Kung Fu Black Belt. The Detroit Lions game may end up good. Last weeks game was pretty darn good with the quarterback dislocating his shoulder on the final drive, coming back for one play to pass for a touchdown, amazing.

After dinner we will watch our favorite team, the Denver Broncos, try to win.

We hope you have a great day with family and friends, we plan to. Christopher, if your reading this, call your mother!

Salt and Pepper Collection

As many of you already know, I collect Salt & Pepper shakers. I had a few that I liked and when the collection grew out of reasonable cupboard space, I started placing them in a curio case. Friends would see them when they came over and after a while, they were giving me theirs. The other reason I started collecting them was that I'm the youngest of five kids. As anyone who knows me knows I have "particular taste," meaning: I like what I like. When Christmas presents were opened and I got things I didn't really need or not likely to use, I got the idea: In your travels and everyday life, keep an eye out for the ugliest Salt and Peppers you can find. As you will see in future blogs, there are some ugly ones, cute ones too. You decide.

OK, so the collection has grown. It outgrew the curio and we were planning the design of The Craftsman B&B. So I decided to add a shelf to the wainscoting in the Dining Room. It worked out perfectly as I unpacked the boxes of S&P's, they all fit on the shelves with no room to spare. So as the collection grew, new ones ended up on the window sill, then the sorting began. Christmas ones come out at Christmas. Bunnies and Easter S&P's are also seasonal. Poultry is next to be stored. The collection grows, but the shelf is limited.

Here is where it all started. I was planing on making dining room chairs about 15 years ago. I was thinking about Shaker chairs. So I did some research and found this place that is all Shaker. I got the catalog, pre-Internet, and saw these S&P's. They are Shaker, shakers.

OK, they are not ugly, but remember that wasn't the plan from the start. They were clever and I appreciate anyone that can be clever. So post your comments on the shakers you like. If you have some ugly ones hiding in a cupboard, send them to me where they are enjoyed by my guests and of course, me.

B&B's, a guy thing?

Those of you who have stayed with us at The Craftsman B&B in Pacific City already know what I am about to write. Those of you that haven't my be in for a surprise, we think it a good surprise.

Our original plan to get out of the rat race was to buy an existing B&B business. We are so glad we didn't. There are many reasons, the main one was we could operate the kind of B&B we wanted to run. The down side to this is starting a business from scratch, read: no customers, versus buying an existing business that already has had many guests and return guests, read: steady business from the start.

Most B&B's in the United States are in Victorian style homes. Ornate machine made trim, large multi-profile crown moldings, gaudy floral wall papers, I think you got the picture. Our idea was to be a lace and doilie free zone. The restoration of our 1921 Craftsman style home spoke to us about the way things were, plain and simple. We wanted to have a B&B that guys wouldn't be embarrassed to tell their buddies about the weekend with the "better half."

Well five years later and the New York Times has caught onto our idea. So have a few B&B's around the country. The article is here. Now we don't have a pub on site like Forty Putney Road, but we do have an award winning brew pub a short walk up the beach. We do have a fish cleaning sink and can also arrange for guided fishing in the ocean or river. Do we offer scrap booking weekends? Yes, but we also offer chair building weekends. A great guy activity, power tools! I'll teach you how to use them safely and how hand tools are also important and a real time and money saver too. This is great for couples too. You end the weekend with two chairs for your deck or yard. I think they are nice enough to be in the house too.

So people out there not wanting to experience a stuffy, overly decorated, lacy, frilly B&B or a no frills no customer service motel now have a place to spend their vacation, The Craftsman B&B.

Music Video shot here in Pacific City

MIKESCHAIR officially released their first-ever music video, Let The Waters Rise. From Mike Curb records, who signed a young Lyle Lovett, MIKESCHAIR is climbing the Christian rock charts.

Their unique video was shot on the Pacific Ocean coast among the beautiful scenery of Cape Kiwanda, right here in Pacific City, Oregon. Shot on the North side of the Cape, rarely seen by folks that think the only beach in town is the one in front of the brew pub, MIKESCHAIR - Mike Grayson, Sam Tinnesz, Jesse Hale and Jon Haire - immensely enjoyed their first video experience. Although, during the one-day shoot the filming became more than expected due to the intensity of the blaring sun, long treks up and down the vertical sand dunes, as well as the sandstone cliffs and gusty winds of sand. The guys laugh about it now, even more so as they continue to find sand creviced in their clothes and bags, a few weeks after the video shoot.

There is no question that filming on the coast, with the dunes, a gorge, and the amazing sunset as the backdrop made the whole shoot worthwhile. The beach town of Pacific City has been known for over a hundred years as a quaint fishing village and vacation destination, a unique geographical and geological area located between Tillamook and Lincoln City, found on the south end of beautiful Three Capes Scenic Loop.




"The Oregon coast has some of the most breathtaking scenery and definitely displays some of God's most beautiful creations," commented MIKESCHAIR guitarist Sam Tinnesz. "We had a great time making the video...especially climbing up and down mountains to get to different locations you see in the video."

Lead vocalist, Mike Grayson agreed stating, "The location where we shot the video was so overwhelmingly beautiful."

If you too like the setting, come stay at The Craftsman B&B and we'll tell you how to access this sceret beach.

The video was helmed by Eric Welch, founder and director for Broken Poet Productions. Welch has also directed videos for Brandon Heath, MercyMe, Jars of Clay, Toby Mac, and many more. Aristo Media is set to head up the video's distribution.

"Let The Waters Rise" is quickly climbing the CHR, Christian (Overall), AC Monitored and AC Indicator charts, proving to be a powerful record touching both programmers and their listeners. This is the group's second single off their self-titled debut project, released on Curb Records July 14th.

MIKESCHAIR is managed by Creative Trust, Inc. and booked by Jeff Roberts & Associates, both located in the Nashville, TN area.

Fishing from a Kayak

One of the most popular activities here in Pacific City, Oregon is fishing. Here at The Craftsman B&B, we have an outdoor, stainless steel sink for cleaning you catch of the day. Most people fish out of a dory boat during the summer. Fall brings the Salmon up the river, so you can fish from the bank or drift boat.



I ran across this video of a guy fishing in the ocean from a Kayak. He looks pretty well set up and has mounted a video camera to his rigging. Watch him paddle out and land a Halibut. If you've ever been in a Kayak, you know trying to pull something that big up without tipping over can be a challenge. Oh, and a warning, if you get sea sick, watch this video with caution.



Thanks to pacifickayaking.com for posting and showing the world fishing in Pacific City.

Bird Feeder

Fall is here and time once again to fill the bird feeders. We are just a bit inland, so we don't get shorebirds at the house, nor do they eat seeds, but you see them flying all over. When we clean crabs at our fish cleaning sink, the gulls find out pretty quickly. They hang out on the roof next door and wait until we are done. Then its a mad dash and the crab parts are gone in a few minutes. Our fuchsia bushes attract many hummingbirds during the summer, Anna's are here year round but we get the Rufous here too. It also attracts the neighborhood cats, so I have put a fence around the fuchsia to slow them down.

So the tube feeders went out a few weeks ago. I wait until I see the first of the migrating birds, the Brown Pelican. I've already had some interesting visitors that I never see during the summer. Our range is quite unique as we are close to the ocean, riparian and woodlands. There are tons of birds here, but they are all specific to their natural habitats. Adding a feeder brings the marginal birds to our yard. I have a feeder less than 10 feet from my desk, so I get quite a show all day long.

The Steller's Jay has been here the most. Never see them until the feeders go out. Scores of Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees jump from the apple tree to the feeder, grab a seed, back to the tree to open it and eat it, then back to the feeder. This goes on until the Steller's Jay comes and scares them all off. Yesterday was the first appearance of the Red-winged Blackbird, a group of about 5 were feeding for a while. I also saw a Starling, I know, I hate them too, but this was the first time I saw one in it's Fall plumage. Golden-crowned and White-crowned Sparrows won't feed close to the house, they like the feeder out by the fence. A Northern Flicker will stop by too, sitting on the fence to see all the action.

The best bird activity I've seen so far has been the confused Oregon Junco. These birds are ground feeders. You see them hoping around under the feeder picking up the seed that drop from the feeder. So the chickadees were all over the feeder and apple tree. There is a lot of lichen on the apple tree, so a few chickadees were storing seeds in the lichen. The Junco hopped into the tree and was just watching the chickadees eating the seeds out of the lichen. It started to hop around the tree looking for seeds too, knowing genetically that this could not be. It did figure out that the seeds were stored and started eating them.

I have another feeder on the north side of the house, out the dining room window that has yet to be discovered. The birds will find it when the south blowing winter winds pick up as it's protected from the wind.

So get a feeder out at your house. Make sure you put it where you can see the birds when you're inside, isn't that why you feed the birds in the first place?

If you want to see the migrating sea and shore birds, now is the time in Pacific City. The Brown Pelicans are on the surf line all day and rest in the river at night. Lots of grebes in the river too. The sunsets are rush hour for the geese, very noisy as they fly from feeding to resting areas.

Come on down to Pacific City and visit all our birding areas. It will take a few days, so rest here at The Craftsman B&B and update your life list of all the birds you saw during the day.

Recipe Sharing

We serve really good breakfasts here at The Craftsman B&B. Well, our guests keep telling us that and they are writing great reviews about it on-line too. We get asked to share recipes, well we really don't do that. We are half a food business, so just like a restaurant, our business is food based. We prepare good food we have tested recipes, modified and tweaked them until we think it's good enough. Then we try it out on friends and returning guests to get their opinion before an item makes our menu.

I have done a lot of experimenting with various food allergies as well. We want to serve all our guests the same meal. If we have a guest with a dietary restriction at the table, we don't want to serve them something entirely different than the rest of the guests. We don't want to make them feel isolated. We make sure all the plates look pretty much the same. That means, we have to adapt "regular" recipes to not include ingredients that a person can't have while making it look and taste like the original version. Sometimes it's easy, a lot of times it's not. So why would I want to just give out all my hard work when that's half my business?

I know it can be a challenge for someone who has come upon an allergy later in life and has a complete change in their diet. Gluten and or wheat allergies ring a bell? Baking gluten free can be a huge challenge. We have figured out quite a few muffins and cookies that are gluten or wheat free. I know oats have gluten, but most people are allergic to wheat, and other long grains, like rice and barley, yes, no beer! Oat flour can be a good substitute, but not if they are gluten free.

I have shared some of our secret recipes for our diet restricted guests. But like any restaurant, we don't share every dish to the entire world. We want you coming back for more. That said, we also try not to serve a returning guest the same dish they have had before. We do get requests and we do accommodate them, just like the reason you return to your favorite restaurant.

So over time, we have shared a few recipes with the world. Our famous Bananas Foster French Toast is very popular and the talk around our still tiny town of Pacific City. Waiters, when finding out our guests are staying with us, have asked if they had the Bananas Foster French Toast, we call it BFFT.

So another guest has been asking for our coffee cake recipe. He has started a blog that is food based and I thought this would be a good post for him, us and his morning breakfast. We've been e-mailing back and forth because we have 3 coffee cakes we make on a regular basis and didn't know which one he wanted. So after a few questions, I know the one. We call it Craftsman Coffee Cake.

If you have had it, I'm sure you'll agree, it's pretty darn good. If you haven't, book a room and ask for it for breakfast.

Pacific City, Sunset Set-up Package

We have had wine packages to include with your stay here at The Craftsman B&B from the begening. We are changing the Pacific City Package to suit the wants of our guests. We created a Sunset package. Grab a back pack including a bottle of our Bin #50, Basket Case Syrah. Inside will be 2 keepsake wine glasses and a beach blanket. Just $20.00

Head out to the beach and watch the sunset while sipping on Syrah from Pacific City's own winery, Basket Case. Not just an Oregon Coast experience, and Pacific City experience.

If you don't finish your wine before it gets dark, no worries, you can wait for the stars to come out.

Best of the West!

THE CRAFTSMAN BED & BREAKFAST CHOSEN AS Best in the West IN THE BEST OF BEDANDBREAKFAST.COM AWARDS

The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast of Pacific City, Oregon, was selected as Best in the West in the annual Best of BedandBreakfast.com Awards, 2009-2010. The Best of BedandBreakfast.com Awards are based upon a qualitative and quantitative review of the nearly 50,000 independent reviews submitted to BedandBreakfast.com, the leading online B&B directory and reservation network worldwide.

"BedandBreakfast.com surveys show that independent reviews are the most important factor when choosing a B&B. In fact, according to BedandBreakfast.com's most recent survey, 96% of consumers consider reviews to be somewhere between important and essential when selecting a place to stay, and 12% will not make a reservation at a property without them. We're delighted that inn goers concur that The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast is deserving of its accolades from travelers," explained BedandBreakfast.com's Sandy Soule, one of the most highly recognized authors and a spokeswoman for the B&B industry. "Clearly, The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast earned its stellar reviews from inn goers for its quality accommodations, breakfasts, amenities, and wonderful hospitality and service," commented Soule.

"It's an honor to be chosen for a Best of BedandBreakfast.com award, and we thank our guests for the positive reviews that resulted in this award,” stated Michael Rech, The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast’s innkeeper. "It is gratifying that our guests took the time to share their comments about our hospitality, accommodations, breakfasts and attention to the details which set The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast apart," commented Rech. Here's an excerpt from one of our reviews: The room was tasteful and the bed was so comfy. No frilly doilies or wallpaper! The private bath is great, and the service was great. Breakfast was really tasty and the coffee was FABULOUS!

For a complete list of all winners, including regional and international Best of BedandBreakfast.com Award winners, please visit www.BedandBreakfast.com and click Winners 2009-2010.

Founded in 1995, BedandBreakfast.com is highly recommended by The New York Times, Real Simple, Forbes, Travel & Leisure, USA TODAY and many others. To learn about more nearly 9,000 other perfect choices for your next B&B getaway, visit BedandBreakfast.com, the leading online bed and breakfast directory and reservation network worldwide. A variety of search functions and extensive maps enable inn goers to find the perfect B&B. Travelers can make reservations online, purchase The Getaway Gift Card from BedandBreakfast.com, welcomed at over 4,000 B&Bs in the U.S. and Canada, read up-to-date trip reports on The BedandBreakfast.com Blog, read and write independent reviews, and post questions on expert-hosted message boards.

Aurora, A Relaxing Movie Night “Inn” Update

This is an update to our Aurora, A Relaxing Movie Night “Inn” package. I have mad a visit to Aurora, NY as well as Buffalo where I saw some Frank Lloyd Wright houses and we stayed at The Roycroft Inn and I visited the Roycroft Campus. I also changed the bubbles that go with this package.

I heard about this pairing and was skeptical about it. Popcorn and Champagne? That's crazy! It really is a great pairing. Aurora, A Relaxing Movie Night “Inn” adds to that pairing with another classic, popcorn and a movie. The package is just $20.00 and is a great addition to your stay at The Craftsman B&B. A bottle of our Bin #06 Cristalino Brut Cava N.V. with a bowl of fresh made popcorn. You'll be sipping in 2 Keepsake Craftsman B&B Flutes while you enjoy snuggling and watching a DVD from our collection. Most people travel with a laptop computer and they can watch a movie, but if you left it all behind for a relaxing weekend, we have DVD players for you.

Cristalino comes in a 375ml bottle, perfect for a few glasses. This wine was rated #3 in wine.com's top 100 wines on 2007. Not the #3 bubbles, the #3 wine overall.

Aurora, more exact, East Aurora, New York is the home of Roycrofters. I mentioned them in the Asheville package as they furnished the Grove Park Inn. This guild of craftsmanship and philosophy lead to the rise of the Arts and Crafts movement in the United States. Elbert Hubbard was inspired by William Morris. Morris had his own press, Kelmscott Press. Hubbard's was called the "Roycroft Press" by latter-day collectors and print historians, the organization called itself "The Roycrofters" and "The Roycroft Shops."
The name comes from the printers, Samuel and Thomas Roycroft, who made books in London from about 1650-1690. And beyond this, the word roycroft had a special significance to Elbert Hubbard, meaning King's Craft.

Hubbard edited and published two magazines, The Philistine and The Fra. The Philistine was bound in brown butcher paper and full of satire and whimsy. The Roycrofters produced handsome, if sometimes eccentric, books printed on handmade paper, and operated a fine bindery. The guild also included a furniture shop, and shops producing modeled leather and hammered copper goods. They were a leading producer of Mission Style products.

A quotation from John Ruskin formed the Roycroft "creed": "A belief in working with the head, hand and heart and mixing enough play with the work so that every task is pleasurable and makes for health and happiness".

The Roycroft Campus, a National Historic Landmark and was placed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation on its 11 Most Endangered Places. The Roycroft Campus Corporation (RCC) was established to preserve and restore the Campus. They successfully rehabilitated The Roycroft Inn. The RCC now plans to embark on a $50 million acquisition and restoration of the remainder of the campus. Its ultimate goal is to preserve the unique architectural setting of the Campus, but moreover, to bring back to life the Roycroft community and ideals by re-introducing working artisans on the campus; developing comprehensive, compelling, and multi-faceted interpretative and educational programming; and encouraging the development of a center for creativity and innovation in the decorative arts, fine arts and literature.

In 1915 Hubbard and his wife, noted suffragette Alice Moore Hubbard, died in the sinking of RMS Lusitania.

So what did I learn after my visit? We'll the buildings of the Campus are all intact and being used. The city of East Aurora has their offices and police station in 2 of the buildings. One building is now a gallery for Roycroft craftsmen. Another building is used as an antique store and furniture repair shop. The RCC really needs some money to restore this place, think about that the next time your at a silent auction and are bidding on something you don't really need or want. Send a check to the RCC.

So the strangest thing I noticed at The Roycroft Inn was all the furniture was from Stickley. Now I'm not saying Stickley is wrong, but Roycrofters made furniture and have many furniture makers currently in the guild. I think as time went by, the Roycroft pieces were sold off and when they opened the Inn, they needed a commercially made line to fill all the rooms. Travel tip: Stay on the top floor at The Roycroft Inn, squeaky floors everywhere.

We survived the Tsunami!

An 8.3 magnitude earthquake that caused a tsunami in Samoa has resulted in a tsunami advisory for the Oregon coast. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued the advisory, saying a mild tsunami – up to two feet – could arrive on the coast about 10 p.m. Tuesday night.

“A Tsunami Advisory means that a tsunami capable of producing strong currents or waves dangerous to persons in or very near the water is imminent or expected,” the NWS said in a bulletin. “Significant, widespread inundation is not expected for areas under an advisory. Currents may be hazardous to swimmers, boats, and coastal structures and may continue for several hours after the initial wave arrival.”

The tsunami does not pose a threat to homes or structures along the shoreline, and no evacuations are planned. Officials are stressing this will result in only larger than normal waves, many of which may not be noticeable.

Here in Pacific City, high tide was happening during the expected wave, it was also raining pretty hard, so lot of water. The wave would be a tsunami, but hardly noticeable as any storm surge produces much bigger waves. The following surge up the coastal rivers would hardly register.

The Tsunami might take the sand from some beaches and on some steeper beaches, there may be some erosion.

Here at The Craftsman B&B, Laura was reading her book and Mike was watching a movie. Not wanting to stand in the rain to watch a 3 foot wave, in the dark. I guess we lived at the beach long enough to know not to worry about a tsunami that was triggered on the other side of the world.

Take our Survey

We want to know what you think. Take our quick survey/ questionnaire. We want to know what you think of The Craftsman B&B and as we finish our 5th busy season, we want you thought on a few items that have come up.

We have 2 reviews on TripAdvisor that were not Excellent or Very Good. Both wanted a TV. Our goal was for our guests to open the door to 1921, so we decided not to have TV's. What's your thought?

The other big question is about a 2-night minimum. Currently we do not have one. We wanted to grow our business and get as many people in the door, having them spread the word. A lot if innkeepers require a 2-night stay to make sure the rooms are filled on the most popular nights, Friday and Saturday. We want to be able to have rooms for people touring the coast and only staying one night along their route. Do we charge more for single night stays? Tell us what you think.

If you are a past guest, we sent you an invitation for the survey. Friends on facebook also got a wall post. So if you haven't done it, please do, our business is providing you great service during your vacation and we want to hear your thoughts and ideas.

Take our quick survey/ questionnaire.

Back to School Special

Remember when you were a kid and during the summer you didn’t know what day it was? Well, when school started you got back into the groove of counting down 'till Friday. If your kids are back in the groove, it's time for a parents vacation. Leave the kids with grandma and enjoy some alone time strolling the beach in Pacific City.

The Craftsman B&B would like to help you take a vacation from Summer Vacation.

We will give you 25% off a 2-night stay!

Book online and mention the Back to School Special.

Stay 2 nights, save 25% off lodging.

The fine print:
Online bookings only.
Valid for stays until October 8th.
Cannot be combined with any other discount or special rate.
Not valid on gift certificate orders.
Prairie Room $20.00 additional.

Oktoberfest, Year 2

Its Oktoberfest!

The Pacific City Association (PCA) would like to invite you to our 2^nd annual Oktoberfest: Root • Beer • Float. This is a Black Beer and Root Beer Festival, held Saturday, September19th in Pacific City, Oregon. The title is a play on words, as we will have root beer, black beer and the floats are for glass floats. The trophy for the people’s choice is a large glass float and we will raffle off traditional and modern art glass floats to voters at the Festival. This event promotes Pacific City. Money raised is used to buy advertising and marketing materials to promote the businesses of the PCA. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to local charity, Tillamook County Habitat for Humanity.

Our first year hosting this event, we kept it small, five root beers and nine black beers were available for tasting. This year we are able to expand the Black Beer Garden and our only rule: If it’s clear, it ain’t beer!

A souvenir mug, with tickets, is purchased and the tickets are used for 4 oz tastes and 12 oz pours of the Black Beer and Root Beer. We will also be selling event t-shirts.

The Root Beer Kindergarten is a kid friendly part of the celebration. Kids of all ages can test their taster at the Root Beer Tasting Contest, where they try to identify a national brand root beer. The prize for the winner of each heat is a handful of root beer barrel candy.

We will be having live German music and dancing with the High Fives Band from The Dalles, Oregon and Accordionist Lauri Neumann-Grable from Hillsboro, Oregon.

We will be serving German food. Bratwurst and Sauerkraut is the staple of any Oktoberfest.

It all takes place on Pacific Avenue, just West of the 4-way stop in downtown Pacific City, Oregon.

Please contact me at The Craftsman B&B. 503-965-4574 or at innkeeper@craftsmanbb.com

3 states

Here at The Craftsman B&B we get visitors form all over. They come to explore the beautiful Oregon Coast. Many other things bring them here as well; biking the coast, hiking, fishing, beer tasting, you name it. A lot of visitors choose our B&B because of our strict no lace, no doilies policy.

To show us and other guests where our guests come from, we have a map in the landing upstairs. We welcome our guests to put a pin in the map from where they currently live. If they visited Alaska, we're not interested in that. If they were born in Ohio, not important. We want to know where they live now.

So goes the challenge with any project, our map pins are always growing, but we are missing 3 states. We want to show the diversity of our country and we are missing: North Dakota, Mississippi and South Carolina.

If you know someone from these states, tell them to stay with us. If you are from one of these states, get yourself in here. This is a social media experiment, spread the word. To make things more interesting, we will make a deal. If you have a valid drivers license or ID from one of the 3 missing states and stay at The Craftsman B&B for 2 nights, we'll take 50% off your second night. But to make sure our experiment works, we need the help of our friends and past guests, so if you refer a guest from the missing states, we will take 25% off your second night the next time you come for a visit. Make sure you let your friends and family know when they make a reservation.

Good enough reason to get your family and friends to visit the Oregon Coast and our tiny town of Pacific City? I think so.

Parking

The Craftsman B&B is located in a neighborhood of Pacific City. One of the challenges of this setting is providing parking for our guests. Usually 4 cars, so no big deal. When our guests arrive in a giant SUV or 4 door truck, we have them park in front of the boxwood hedge, plenty of room.

Last week, we had several guests with giant trucks, so I parked at our neighbors house to accommodate a truck in our drive way. This is the first time we have had that happen.

So, much to my delight, our guests arrived in a Mini last night and parked where the big trucks park, sideways.

Games, pre Nintento style

Here at The Craftsman B&B in the tiny town of Pacific City, we enjoy the slower paced life. Now that doesn't mean we aren't connected to the latest trends, we just choose what we want to follow, not what our neighbors are doing. So when it comes to games, we enjoy the board game to a video game, hands down.

We encourage our guest to relax and unplug from their everyday modern lives. One way to do that is offer up classic board and card games. I grew up playing cut-throat Scrabble. 3 letter words were laughed at. We even figured out that my grandma cheated at Scrabble, she has played so long with the same set, that when she came to play at our house, her words were lame. She had memorized the wood grain of each tile, to know what letters she would choose. I my life, I have always been competitive, I'm the youngest of five kids, so I needed every advantage I could come up with.

Later in my auto racing days, I could always appreciate the "clever interpretation" of a rule book. Not that I ever took advantage, ahem.

So the house rule here for Scrabble, is you have to use our dictionary, which was published the year I graduated from high school. No new-fangled, trendy words here.

Come to Pacific City, enjoy the Oregon Coast and settle in with a glass of wine and some old time fun.

It's all about the Dory

In Pacific City, Oregon, it's all about the dory. The town is full of them and a visit to Cape Kiwanda at sunrise, you're bound to see the launching into the surf. The best time is around 11:00 AM, when the wind picks up and the dory's return to the beach. Gliding through the waves and sliding up onto the beach.

This article is a few years old but showed up in my "web radar" the other day. It's a real good story about the dory fishing here in Pacific City.

You can find out more about the Dorymens Association from their website.

Learned's Boat Shop, mentioned in the article, is on facebook and so is The Craftsman B&B.

So Dory's have a long history in Pacific City, they celebrated the 50th year of the Dorymens Association this year. The Craftsman B&B's house was built in 1921. Come and live in the history or our still tiny beach town.

Tillamook County Quilt Trail

Looking for a way to see inland Tillamook County? More than just looking at all the cows? We all know the main draw around here is the beach. We suggest you also adventure out on the Tillamook County Quilt Trail.

So here is how the trail got started: identify historic barns and other buildings in Tillamook County, enhance with a large painted wooden quilt block, share the history of the dairy farms and quilts through a self-guided tour for visitors and celebrate our Rural Heritage.

This idea, first voiced by Marti Rhea, has become a reality through a coalition of local citizens and organizations: the Farm Bureau, Tillamook County Dairy Women, Latimer Quilt & Textile Center, Tillamook Area Chamber of Commerce, the 4-H Leaders Association, the Fair Board and the Tillamook County Historical Society. Together, they put the plan into action.

The first Quilt Block Trail on the West Coast, Phase I was central Tillamook County. For Phases II and III the hope is to expand the Quilt Trail to North and South Tillamook County, that's where The Craftsman B&B is located. Phase I of the project began on January 4, 2009 and the goal was to have quilt blocks in place by the opening day of the Tillamook County Fair in August of 2009. Well they pulled it off! Twelve blocks are in place. Stop by the Chamber of Commerce, next to the Tillamook Cheese Factory, for a copy of the Quilt Trail brochure, which provides not only the route, but a history of the farms showcasing a quilt block. I'll be taking this tour soon and will post some pictures of the adventure.

This project captures a unique heritage, by combining the art of quilting and the rich history of the dairy and agricultural presence in this community. Most of the quilt block patterns come from “Patterns for an Oregon Quilt,” a book available at the Latimer Quilt & Textile Center and itself derived from a book by Eula M. Long. Many of the patterns were designed exclusively for Oregon.

When you're done with the tour, stop in at The Latimer Quilt and Textile Center is located at 2105 Wilson River Loop Road, Tillamook, OR 97141, also close to the Cheese Factory. www.latimerquiltandtextile.com

Better than S'mores

I'm not a big fan of S'mores. I know, an innkeeper that doesn't like coffee and now this? I don't mind chocolate, I have never had a craving for it and don't seek it out, yet another nontraditional trait of an innkeeper. Oh, and marshmallows, don't get me started. Besides the game "fuzzy bunny" I don't go near them. Graham crackers, not a staple of my pantry.

My guests last night at The Craftsman B&B had a great, alternative beach snack. They got Tillamook Cheese, a loaf of crusty bread, a beer and a tin can. They made a fire on the beach, melted the cheese in the can, with a little splash of beer to get it nice and creamy, and dipped with the bread. Mmmm, tasty, I'll call it Hobo Fondue.

Now cheese fondue, that's a great snack, appetizer or meal. Made the French or Bavarian style, it's soooo good. A trip to Portland, for me, usually includes a meal at Gustav's and Fondue for a start of a great meal. I used to work near Gustav's and ate there at least once a month, it's all about the cheese.

Now you may know that I'm a little bit competitive, so of course there are rules to fondue. The one rule I have always lived with is the first person who drops their bread in the fondue pot has to pay the tip on the dinner bill. But a little research truned up a few more rules via Martha Stewart:

Rule 1: If a woman drops her bread in the fondue pot, she has to kiss every man at the table.

Rule 2: If a man drops his bread in the fondue pot, he has to buy a bottle of wine for everyone at the table.

Rule 3: If someone drops two pieces of bread in the pot, they have to plan the next fondue party.

Martha's Tip: Make sure you invite men you want to kiss to your fondue party.

Next time your in Pacific City, without the kids, yearning for a beach fire, but not the "usual campfire snack" try the Hobo Fondue, then back to your cozy room at the B&B.

Watercraft Freeriders come to Pacific City

Pacific City Oregon to Host second round of 2009 IFWA Freeride World Tour and IJSBA Motosurf Western Championship on September 11-13th 2009. Click Here to sign up.

The world's greatest Watercraft Freeriders and racers will descend on Tierra Del Mar Beach located just north of Pacific City and is free to the public on this wide expanse of beach. This event marks a return to IFWA and IJSBA co-sanctioning events in order to bring the very best PWC athletes together at one venue.

If you would like to see them in action, come on down to Pacific City and stay at The Craftsman B&B, just minutes from the venue.

The Blowsion Surf Slam will bring freeriders from around the world competing for a cash purse and points towards the IFWA World title and competing for the first IJSBA Freeride World Cup. The infamous Pacific Coast surf will boost riders over 20 feet in the air while performing tricks like backflips, barrel rolls and no handed landings. Joining them will be some of the best PWC racers in the world who will display high speed turns through a grueling buoy course all while challenging the unpredictable waves.

Current IFWA points leader and last year's World-Title holder is American Ross Champion. When asked about his thoughts on the 2009 US location he said, "We are really looking forward to the Blowsion Surf Slam this year. We riders have been coming to Pacific City for the last 10 years for a private event. We are happy to be expanding the event this year and looking forward to the general public being exposed to the sport of Freeride."

Spectators will also witness exciting personal watercraft racing with the IJSBA MotoSurf Western Championship. The top racers in the country will battle it out in the challenging Pacific City surf.

Freeriders will compete in a head to head double elimination format. A panel of profession judges will score them using 50% for their wave surfing and 50% for their aerial maneuvers. Racers will compete, in a multi-lap format; through a challenging buoy course that requires split second navigation while maintain speeds exceeding 70 MPH.

The Tillamook County Fair

This year it's August 5th - 8th. That's this weekend! This years theme is "WHERE PIGS FLY." The fair board chose this theme because the Tillamook County Pig-N-Ford Association will be celebrating the 85th Anniversary of performing their World Famous Pig-N-Ford Races during the fair.

The 2009 Tillamook County Fair is said to be one of the best County Fairs in the state, if not in the nation because it is so unique and offers so much for visitors to enjoy. See all of the 4-H/FFA exhibits that Tillamook County residents have prepared for the fair. The dairy cow judging is a lot of fun. They describe the animaals in dairymens terms that are a hoot. Pari-Mutuel Horse Racing for you gambling types and what is a fair without a Demolition Derby.


Here at The Craftsman B&B, we love motorsports, we think the highlight of the fair is experiencing the excitement of the Pig-N-Ford Races, that pigs really can fly. This is something everyone will need to watch the Pig-N-Ford Races themselves to see "WHERE PIGS FLY". Come on down this weekend a see for yourselves.

Surf's Up

Long Boards invade Pacific City this weekend. I'm not one to get in the water, but many of our friends in town are, and do. Come "hang ten" with the long board legends.

Friday night, the Delicate Palate Bistro will host the registration party. Fish Tacos and cheap Mexican beer are on the menu. Get your hoodie for the season too, that way you'll fit in while on the beach, we don't want you looking like a tourist.

The Craftsman B&B has co-sponsored this event for a few years. We do it to support our local surf shop owner and board builder, Brian Bates of Seven Surf Boards.

The Dory Fleet will also be busy this weekend, so spend some time on the beach.

End of an Era

For those of you who follow my blog and those of you you check in on occasion, I thank you. This is my last blog entry. I will be handing over the keyboard to Mike and Laura and a replacement blogger to be named later.

As most of you know, I have been surviving bone cancer in my back leg for the last six months. The past week, I didn't feel like doing anything, not even surfing the Internet or blogging. So I saved up enough energy to write this last post. Mike promised he will keep on blogging for me and maybe Laura will add some posts too. After all, we all want you to know what's happening around The Craftsman B&B and our tiny beach town of Pacific City.

Looking back, I had it pretty good. I was born in January 1998 to Kobe and Pearl, their human parents are great friends to my human parents. I was the second biggest of the litter and stole Mike's heart the day he came "just to look at the puppies." I went home with them that day. I got crate trained and with Mike and Laura's schedule, I was only in it to sleep overnight and nap a few hours a day for most of the time I lived in Lake Oswego. When we moved to Pacific City, I was free of the crate, but had my own secret space to chill, it was under the espresso machine. I never really liked the beach, I don't like getting wet. The smells were pretty good though and I got to mark my territory all over town. I learned my way to the hardware store and the bank in town and always got a cookie. I love to greet the guests and make sure they got checked in OK.

I'll keep this short. I am a good dog, had a good life, but my body just gave up one me. I got really good at hopping on 3 legs, but at 100 pounds, it took a toll and wore me out. For all those friends and guests I've met, I will always remember your scent.

1/17/1998 - 7/30/2009
Oscar Meier

Replicator at The Craftsman B&B

Do we have a replicator at The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast? Well, as close to one as I have ever seen. Yesterday, Mike was clearing off his desk and ran across a note. It was a wine book one of our guests recommended we read and thought our other wine geek guests would like to read. So Mike went on the Internet and found the book, Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine. He ordered it at 12:23 PM. The book arrived at our post office today and was in the house before 11:00 AM. Inconceivable!

So when the Internet first started big with on-line shopping and EBAY, Mike thought about the replicator. Every house should have one. You order a snorkel, mask and flippers and out they come, like paper out of a printer.

For us, living in the tiny beach town of Pacific City, Internet shopping is a great deal for us. We don't have to drive to Salem or Portland to get things. We order on-line and it shows up at our doorstep, or the post office a block away. This has saved so many car trips, fuel and time. Our coffee for the espresso maker comes 2nd day air from Switzerland.

That's not the only instant gratification that happens here at The Craftsman B&B. We always tell our guests to let us know if they need anything, and we deliver. So if you want to be pampered, have your wishes come true, come stay with me at the B&B. If Mike can't get you what you need, just whisper your wish in my ear, dogs have special connections too.