As with most much-needed, much-enjoyed mini-vacations, it was over too soon. It rained half the time and was a bit cold, but we loved every relaxing, silly minute of it. When it wasn’t raining, we walked, beachcombed, built dams, and hot tubbed. And when it rained, we played games (Clue, Jenga, Pass the Pigs, Sorry, and Scrabble), cooked together and ate (a lot), watched movies, laughed, talked, read, popped corn, and listened to music. We communed. In a word, it was restorative. Here are some highlights . . .

“Our” beach, a quarter-mile from the California-Oregon border:

Nigel builds a dam with his uncle as Baxter the dog approaches.

Aidan and Nigel goof off in the cabin:

And, my favorite: Nigel bonds with his new cousin. “He somersaults like I do!”