Strawberry Hill and Blowing Glass

Today was our last day in Oregon, I don't want to say goodbye to this wonderful place!  Today we went to the Strawberry Hill tide pools.  We planned our visit right at low tide so we got wonderful views of all the fun sea life.  Across the way we discovered a whole bunch of seals!  They were adorable and oh, so lazy.  They were basking in the sun, taking afternoon naps and occasionally slid down into the ocean for a quick little swim.  I love their cute little faces!

Bonicles are everywhere around tide pools, and to me they always look like dried up skeletons.  But while exploring Strawberry Hill I found this little community of bonicles at feeding time, it was fasinating to watch them.  All those black, fin like, "hands" would go in and out of their shells, gathering up microscopic organisms to eat for lunch. 

All the boys were enthralled in a complex engineering project, headed up by Ricky. They were trying to redirect different little water ways.  Will cracked me up, he was sopping wet and covered in sand and didn't seem to care one bit.

Andrew disappeared to the other side of the beach with garndpa and came back with a beautiful collection of aggots.

After the tide pools we returned to the Aquarium Village in New Port to do some glass blowing!  We all got to pick out what we wanted to make then had a one on one experience making our various glass keepsakes.  A few of us made paper weights, Bethy made a float and Ben made a starfish.  It was a really fun experience!

Will was the only one who didn't make something, so while everyone else was having their turn in the glass factory I played with Will out in the gift shop.  We took loads of silly pictures and downloaded all sorts of fun game apps on my iphone for him to play.  He is such a good little boy!

There was also a cute little pug that wandered around the shop who we, of course, had a fun time playing with.  He loved to sit on the sunny sections of the floor, soaking up the warm afternoon heat.

Then it was my turn, I made a tidal wave paper weight.  Making things out of glass is a lot harder then the professioals make it look.  I kept the boy that was helping us on his toes since I had no idea what I was doing.  It was cool because we go to do a lot of the process, some places I have been, you are observing more then you are actually doing something, it was the other way around at this place.

My masterpeice

Our entire family was in the tiny little studio for the magority of the afternoon, so the people working there really got to know us.  One of the owners noticed that cute little Will was the only child that didn't get to make anything, so he gave him this cool, glass egg right before we left.  Will was ecstatic, that egg became his pride and joy and wouldn't let anyone else hold it.

For dinner we went to a fun 50's diner called Flash Backs.  We all got yummy shakes or cherry cokes and enjoyed some classic burgers and fries.