Inspiration, or The Power of the Sea

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“The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination, and brings eternal joy to the soul.” – Wyland

Do you feel the pull of the ocean, like a lure drawing you in?  We do, which is why we so love running Sweet Homes Rentals.  Our clients and guests come to the beach because they love the sea air, the stormy skies, the rays of sunshine shooting between the clouds, tinting the sky and the wet sand all shades of shimmering colors.  It is a great privilege to provide beautiful, luxurious seaside homes for our guests to enjoy while they’re giving in to the pull of the sea – whether to relax and bring them back to the quiet peace of nature, or whether the vibrant, rhythmic tide excites their energies, passions, and creativity.

In oral histories, written texts of yore, and digital images and messages of today, our oral, written and visual culture is replete with stories about the mysteries of the sea and the magical way it touches us.  Whether on a salty beach, near the powerful swells of the sea, or inspired by how the mind conjures images and impressions of the ocean, there is something indescribable about the way that Earth’s salty depths lives and thrives in our collective imagination.  So we felt particularly thankful and blessed when Casey Barber, a 16 year old guest who spent a couple of stormy days in one of our beautiful oceanfront homes, sent us a poem that she was inspired to write at the beach.  We’re pleased to share it with you here, with her accompanying photography, straight from the sandy beach of Bayshore…

Waldport

Never-ending grooves,
labyrinthine patterns
of wind-blown sand.
Cattails standoffish,
Air moist and leaden.

Silence screams and
the sun panics,
Choked behind burdensome
clouds that whisper
threats of a storm.
Gasping,

Fighting, for breath and
inhaling only
a tyranny of fog.
Stealing light,
Stealing comfort.
Translucent walls
march inland.

Sand cowers, cringes
half-protected under
Nature’s reckless debris
and scarce remains of the tide.

Some hours ago
an ocean existed
A handful of lost pools
Outlast the absence
and feign the image
of their predecessor.

An otherworldly calm
A fallout future
A hushed breeze. 

So when you come to the lush and beautiful Oregon coast to lose yourself at the sea, we hope that you also find peace, inspiration, and a creative spirit that stirs your soul and stimulates you.  In the words of e.e. cummings:  “For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), It’s always our self we find in the sea.”   Anchors Away!

A Win-Win Proposition

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We’ve never been much for popularity contests — not when either of us were kids, and not now.  But we live in a new world, filled with new media, which creates new networks of friends, information, and opportunities.  So, some time ago Sweet Homes Rentals joined the Facebook and Twitter revolution as a means to connect our friends, customers, clients, and supporters to Sweet Homes and to one another.  It’s a virtual place for us to share information about the Oregon Coast, last minute specials, news about Sweet Homes, and great photos, videos and updates about our beautiful homes.  But if we’re going to do the social media thing, we want to do it right, do it well, and do it big!  Why have 500 pairs of eyes on our posts if we can just as easily have 5,000?  So, we decided to make it a win-win game.  We ask you, your family, your friends and your networks to visit the Sweet Homes Rentals Facebook page, “Like Us” and hit “Enter to Win,” and then we give you a chance to enter our Oregon Coast Fun Package Give-Away!  When we get to 5,000 “Likes” we’ll draw one winner from all of you who submitted your info, and that person will get the following prize package:

  • A Two Night Stay at The Sand Castle – One of our most popular oceanfront homes
  • 4 Tickets to the Oregon Coast Aquarium
  • A $100 Gift Certificate for Gourmet Dinning at Ona Restaurant in Yachats, OR
  • A Giant Dune Buggy Ride for 4 at Sandland Adventures near Florence, OR

So, we’ll trade you a “Like” for a chance to Win.  We’ll surpass our 5,000 Likes mark on Facebook, and you’ll also get to keep up with news, specials, events and info from Sweet Homes.  It’s a winning proposition for everyone!

Prize is redeemable from 6/1/13 to 5/31/14. Not redeemable during blackout & holiday dates. Gift certificates are not redeemable for cash or cash back after purchase. Not redeemable with other coupons or free night specials.