Turkey by the Bay

This year we gave our thanks in Coos Bay, Oregon with both Bauer and Caldera clans. It was a massive gathering of friends, family and seafood, and it ended much too quickly. Many thanks to our hosts!

First, and most importantly, we must introduce the little guy - Camden Everett Caldera! We got to experience Em and Keith's new baby boy in all his two-week newness. Behold...

Support his head!Carl summed it up: he's the best baby in the world.


The Caldera's house is just a block away from the beach, so we hit the bay the first afternoon in search of clams. Carl, Tory and Heidi, going after a biggun.
Go Dwayne! Real men don't break for photos...We came home with our permit limit of clams that we later cleaned (Melody removed the shells), sliced and enjoyed. There's just something about catching your own dinner...

Ping-pong was also a pervasive theme of the weekend. We were ruthless.

Up early our second day, we hunter-gatherers hit the bay in a rowboat and canoe for a long morning of crabbing.

Paul and Carl hauling the rowboat to the water
Gracie, passively mauling a vicious crab
Enjoying the morning's bounty on shore
Who knew 30 crabs could feed so many for so long? No seriously, ALL of us...ALL weekend.

Coos Bay view at sunset. Gorgeous.
We'd love to make this a more frequent tradition, if allowed. It was fun getting out to the coast and sharing the holiday with everyone!