Picture Perfect in Greater Downtown Oysterville

Yesterday was as near perfect as I can imagine. First of all, the predicted rain showers didn’t materialize at all; the day was sunny and warm. ‘My’ Grays Harbor College EdVenture group was small – only four plus Dave-the-Bus-Driver-Blum and we all got along like a house afire. And when the day was over, Nyel and I began an evening of non-stop entertainment and fun! It just doesn’t get much better.

The EdVenture focused upon Oysterville – a short tour, a talk in the church, box lunches eaten at our dining room table, a tour of the house and then a walk down the lane for a look back at the village from a different perspective. We had such fun that we actually ran out of time and there was the suggestion that we do an Oysterville EdVenture Part II. (I don’t know how the Powers That Be would feel about such a suggestion, but I would love it.)

The Door House, Ocean Park

On the way back to the college we checked out the Door House in Ocean Park, drove along Park Avenue, nipped out to the Klipsan Beach Approach and had a look at the old Klipsan Life Saving Station and finished things up in Long Beach where we loaded up with carbs in the form of Scoopers ice cream and Cottage Bakery goodies.

We were actually a half hour late and so I had to rush home (with a flying stop at the Planter Box for chicken feed) to get ready for dinner at Maggie’s. Nyel had been working in the garden all day and he was behind, as well, so we flailed around together and got to her place right in time for THE most spectacular dinner yet – pork loins, asparagus, baby carrots, rice pilaf and I can’t remember what all else. Plus yummy appetizers before and the promise of dessert after… and, Maggie’s usual gathering of interesting dinner companions.

Doug Smith

Next stop was the Peninsula Arts Center in Long Beach. Just in time to squeeze into the last five seats for a Doug Smith concert. There were probably 60 people in the audience at least of half of whom we knew so there was lots of waving and hugging in the minutes before Grammy-winning guitarist Doug and his lovely wife Judy (a singer and flutist) began. Fabulous!

I had never heard the term “fingerstyle guitar” before but I was familiar (thanks to Irish fiddle player Randal Bays) with Doug’s “DADGAD” tuning method. The program was incredibly varied – from the Beetles’ “Eleanor Rigby” to John Phillip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” to Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You, Babe” (complete with Judy’s Cher-perfect hair flipping!) and with the old hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” thrown in for good measure! Spectacular!

Back to Maggie’s for toasted Angel Food Cake accompanied by lemon sorbet and rhubarb compote for desert. Good coffee and animated conversation put the evening way past our bedtime. A perfect day. As I said, it doesn’t get much better than that!