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.

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.

Surfing in Pacific City

The past few days and next few days are perfect for surfing in Pacific City.  There are prevailing east winds from the gorge and valley that have made Cape Kiawanda a surfers paradise.  Whether a novice or experienced wave rider, you must wear a wet suit, the water temperature is quite chilly.  Hang ten on your surfboard or boogie board and spend some time catching the waves rolling in, rising tide is best.  You can rent gear as well at our favorite surf shop, Seven Surfboards.

Getting wet, as the surfers say, not for you.  Try flying down a 45-degree vertical slope at Cape Kiawanda on a sand board, card board works too.  We have even seen old snow board gear.  You would think you were on Oregon's Mount Hood.  In fact, there is no snow and the sound of waves from the Pacific Ocean is pounding in your ears.  The cool breeze will keep you core at a reasonable temperature as you hike up the dune for run after run.  Boarding down the dune is not mandatory and only advisable for the young and fit.  You can roll, jump or skip down too.

Just hanging out on the beach offer spectacular views of Haystack Rock.  It's 327 feet tall, takes up 10 acres and is said to be the third largest monolith in the world.  Us locals call it Chief Kiawanda.  The area was inhabited by the Nestugga Tribe up until the late 1800's with Chief Kiawanda as their leader.  The Cape and Rock was referred to as "Chief Kiawanda's playground".  If you look closely, you will see the profile of the Chief with this face pointing south and his "ponytail" being the loop on the north side of the rock.  On the beach for sunset with the “Chief“ and sky painted in hues of crimson and amber is magical.  This time of year, the sun is setting directly behind Haystack Rock.

So still too much adventure?  There is another kind of surfing here at The Craftsman B&B.  You can surf our high speed Internet via wi-fi.  And don't forget to rub my belly.