A Day at the Seaside

Have I mentioned the Gray Fund? Some rich personage called Ellen Gray in times past gave Reed College some money, which was to go towards non-academic trips and events for Reed students, whom she obviously felt worked too hard. Rumour has it that the original donation was so big that all events run off the interest. I went on one of these outings last Saturday, to a place on the coast not far from Portland: Cannon Beach.

We took a minibus and a generous Gray-funded picnic lunch and headed off to the most perfect beach I have seen in many a year. The coast is usually 10 to 15 degrees F colder than inland Portland but for some reason the weather turned out extra nice. The sun was hot, the breeze was cool, the sand was sandy. Has anyone ever heard of saltwater taffy? It is the best confectionary invention ever, they make it in big long stretchy ropes, (ever read an old-timey novel or something where the height of fun was a 'taffy pull'?), then chop it into morsels, and it tastes yummy and chewy. Unless you accidentally eat one which is cinnamon or popcorn or root beer flavour, yuk. I suppose it's like jelly beans in that respect. Well, I bought some saltwater taffy and we had a wander around all the twee log-cabinesque shops.

Also there was the obligatory paddle in the sea. That picture was about two minutes before I got surprised by a wave and my jeans soaked, which I suppose is obligatory too. Following squeely noises and arms flailing: not so much, but fun anyway.

So, a fun and relaxing (and cheap) day. At the end of it it also turned out that the Gray Fund had provided $100 for the group to spend on whatever it liked. We were a bit stumped actually: $40 on ice cream and then we gave the rest back to Reed.

In the evening I went to a house party on 45th, which got raided by the cops a little after I left, heehee.