Identity – Childhood Memories Alphabet – N & O

N is for Newport

   One of my favorite times during the summer was our trip to the coast, to Newport. We often were able to stay for almost a week. The timing depended on harvest times. It was between the harvesting of the grass seed and the grains. I remember that one year we were at the coast on my birthday. There is a picture in the old home movies of me with my cake. For a number of years we stayed at the Waves motel, which as I remember it was near the bluff that overlooked Nye Beach. We could walk down the street and then turn down the street that went to Nye Beach. Along the way were some stores, including one which sold candy that looked like rocks. We could play on the beach, digging in the sand, finding pretty rocks and shells, and if we were very brave we could wade in the ocean. It was so cold and we had to be very careful that the waves would not knock us down. We generally drove over to Yaquina Bay State Park and looked out at the ocean, along the jetty and watched if any boats were coming into the harbor. My Dad had a pair of field glasses and sometimes he would let us use them so we could see the boats more closely. Occasionally large vessels would be coming in and we thought that was exciting. Other things we did while in Newport included: going bowling at their bowling alley, skating at the skating rink, and an evening at the drive-in movies at the theater on the other side of the bridge. I really liked looking at the bridge at Newport. I thought it was so lovely. Now I know that are a number of these beautiful bridges on the Oregon coast, but since we mostly went to Newport, it was my favorite.

O is for Overalls

    I remember my Dad wearing blue denim bib overalls whenever he was working. He also wore them when he went duck hunting, fishing, deer hunting and elk hunting.

    One time that I wore bib overalls was in 1953 at the beginning of my freshman year in high school. It was Freshman initiation and I can't remember just how it was worded, but I ended up dressing as a "milk maid." I had on a bandanna, my Dad's bib overalls worn backwards, an old shirt and rubber boots. I carried a milk pail and a milking stool. Seeing this picture of me brings back this memory.