Two warm dry weekends at Newport!

Wow not just one beautiful day but we had another full weekend of spectacular days here at Newport. We took in a great brunch at Izzy's yesterday, and enjoyed the breathtaking view over looking agate beach. The ocean was smooth rather than to be such a rolling sea for the boaters, the surfers were having a great day, many folks were strolling the beach and beachcombing. What more could you wish for? Oh yes, I would have loved to had time to go beachcombing too! But of course we had to get home for some repairs on the house but we so enjoyed savoring the wonderful brunch and the priceless view at Izzy's.

Last week, beachcomber and photographer Scott B. of Toledo brought in an impressive 2½" black agate, unfortunately my camera was not available. Maybe he will forward a photo for you to see.

Ernest Block, Also An Early Agate Hunter!

A couple of weeks ago an entire week here in Newport, Oregon was a celebration of Ernest Block, the composer who also was a photographer, an agate and a mushroom hunter. He lived here in Agate Beach from 1941 until his death from cancer in 1959.

According to his grandson Ernie, "He would go down to the beach hunting for agates, then he would polish the agates that he found on the beach, one at a time. Bloch apparently believed in a theory that keeping the hands busy allowed musical ideas to germinate and mature."

It must have worked. He wrote about one-quarter of his works at Agate Beach, including by some accounts some of his best pieces, such as the Jewish-themed Suite Hébraïque in 1950 and the second Concerto Grosso in 1952.

Bloch relished the beach. He used to read Walt Whitman there. Which is why, on the Ernest Bloch Memorial at the Newport Performing Arts Center are lines from Whitman saying, "Give me solitude, give me Nature ... "