Fire!!

I thought you might like a few more of the incredible 700 pictures we took on our vacation ( I say incredible because neither of us thought we had taken so many!).  Both Cora and I like this photo...even though the top of my head seems to be missing, I like it.

I believe I mentioned I was in charge of fires.  I made small ones through out the week since we brought our own wood and did not want to go spend money on the campground firewood.  I might have been a little stingy with the wood and we had a few smoky fires from it.

As you can see, or perhaps not, Cora is in there somewhere.  She was in the process of taking a smoke bath which was successful, in that even after three showers (AFTER we got back), her hair smelled of smoke.  She also took showers at the camp showers...apparently smoke baths are just too efficient.

She tried to get some reading in, in between smoke plumes.  I am somewhat amazed that she was able to breathe during this time.  I mean, look at that picture above!  No matter how long you stare at it, she never comes out for a breath!!

So, yeah, my fire making skills weren't so good at first.

Today, I started back to work.  As a maintenance man.  We are cleaning out the old elementary school, getting it ready to house yet another school while that school is rebuilt or who knows what?   Still, the mess left behind by the last school has to be cleaned up before the new one can move in.  That is our job.

You didn't think I was cleaning an entire school by myself, did you?  No, I have a "CREW."  That crew was working all last week...I was on vacation.  However, my boss, the great guy he is, told the "crew" to listen to me, since I am their boss...huh?  So, I have seniority among the subs.  Yet, my boss still sends back our beloved lazy bastard.  We also have back a hard worker, though socially inept among conservative macho males.  The next is a new guy, who promises to work out well.  So, that is what I have to look forward to...should be interesting, although, I can obviously not post all of my opinions here.  No need to piss off everyone!

We sent off our application to get a table for our coloring books at the Hop Festival.  First weekend of August!  Come and see.

So, from here on out my beloved sun will sink lower on the horizon.  Days will only grow shorter.  I shall mourn the return to winter, even as we gain the first day of summer.  I know, a real downer, huh?  I think it may have something to do with the weird weather this year.  We had tons more rain later in the spring than usual...good for my lawn, but bad for developing veggies and me sitting outside for extended periods of time.  On the bright side, the heat of the summer is coming!!  The veggies will make it all worth it.

We had BBQ chicken and asparagus tonight...it was fair fare.

Beach Vacation!

We have been gone for almost a week.  We drove to the beach.  We camped for 6 nights.  Our campsite was pretty decent and I think, despite the cold and the breezes, we got some relaxation in.  It rained one morning and we put a tarp over the tent and it stopped and did not rain anymore...until last night...all night...and this morning...all morning.  I hate packing up in the rain.  Fortunately, we made it back to our own, dry, part of the state.

Here are a few pictures to show you what we've been up to.  Above you see us on our way out!  Everyone rode in the cab for the trip out...not so for the way back.  Someone had gas, and it wasn't Cora or me.  We never could satisfactorily discover the culprit.  So our trip there was with the windows down often.

After the ranger lady told us we could come back and trade spots if we didn't like it we began to dread what our site looked like.  As it turned out, our site was very small, and we went back and traded to a much better spot.  As soon as we got the camp set up we went to the beach...the cold, cold beach!  It was freezing and windy that first day, but it got better.  Here is our camp.

We also flew kites on the beach.  This is Cora's stunt kite!

   and below is Cora working her kite!  She was doing the two handed kite dance...very entertaining!

We also drove around the town of Ocean Shores...a few times we saw deer...

When the wild life around town got boring, we drove around Grays Harbor to the town of Westport.  We were about a week early...all the shops were closed and they were repaving the streets, but we did find a great beach with loads of beautiful shells.

Apparently the fishing season is just starting, too.  A friend we know has family here and they run a charter business, so we stopped and said "Hi."

Only a few shops were open...

Here you see Cora shopping to enlarge her wardrobe...

We found sand dollars on one beach, and other shells on different beaches.

We spent a lot of time on the beach, despite it being a cold water beach.

We beach combed, watched the dogs enjoy freedom, and we flew kites.  It's always best to fly kites with a friend.

Oh, and we ate pretty good.  We took steaks for one night, but on other evenings we ate well...err...as well.

We had Hobos (Not a real hobo, he would have kicked and screamed if we had thrown him on the grill.), and chicken, and hot dogs.

Whenever we were on the beach the dogs were enjoying themselves!  They might have been slower than they were four years ago, but they sure loved it!!

It was chilly.  Even Toby got shivery.  We got him a vest...he looked sharp AND was warm.

One day we drove up to Kalaloch, a very beautiful part of the Washington coastline.  We went to Ruby Beach and played around the tide pools.
Toby thought it was great!

Some of the denizens of the beach and tide pools were kind enough to pose for photos.

Gypsy, the entire time, took every chance available to go swimming in every available body of water.  See below.

Ruby Beach.

Barnacles and mussels.

Us on the beach.

The sun broke through and the mist picked up.  It was beautiful!!

We then traveled back south, and stopped at the "BIG CEDAR TREE."  Yeah, it was big, but this is the picture that got my heart rate going...have I mentioned I love my truck?

Then we went to Kalaloch Beach and had a picnic lunch.

Then home and more relaxation.

then more kite flying...what do you think of the new Crayon Kite?  The dragon we've had for a while.

Toby was digging, so I decided to bury him in the sand...he was cooperative for a short time.

We enjoyed reading during our vacation.

and more reading...note the tarp over the tent.  We did this to prevent the tent from soaking up more than just the morning rain...it did not rain after that.

Here is a book I picked up at the local bookstore...this is a pretty good book, even though it is dated.

We also had some decent fires...to ward off the cold.

But, we had a very good time.

Yesterday we were about ready to go home, but we stuck to the plan.  We had no sooner gone into the tent, when the skies opened up and began dropping lots and lots of water on us.  It rained all night.  And all morning.  It rained while we packed up.  See that ROPE?  It's still there.  I forgot it.  The dogs, however, we brought home.  See them?  I love those rain coats.  It was a long fun week, but I am glad to be home.

Live From Seattle!!!!

I had a nice short workday. I went home shortly after ten to shower and change so I could get my teeth cleaned. After that I came home and ...(conspiratorial wink, and look both ways) don't tell Cora...gave Toby a bath! Yes, without him being terribly dirty. Also, I know that my mother-in-law cannot tell him NO when he wants to get up and sleep on the bed with him...she's weak(or he is just SO adorable)!



We are safe and sound...(SOUND...get it? ) in Seattle. We are in the University district. We went to a dinner with our Adoption Agency. The dinner was set to begin during the 6 o'clock hour. We... arrived.



We started to take the shortest route, only to find that the two lane road across open water was block by an accident. We went to go around the body of water in question, only to be bogged down in lostness. (Cora called it lost, I call it slightly misplaced) We were actually in a residential area that had no visible sign of an exit. Why not go back the way you came? Well, now, I could have done that, but I have always felt that is simply cheating. I take great pains not to do that. Unfortunately there was no other way to get back to the main roads.



We finally got on 405 south, only to hear there was another accident...fortunately it was just beyond our exit. Still, traffic was a bitch. We got on I-90 only to find ourselves in a morass of vehicular sludge. We eventually made it to I-5, yet, not quite ON I-5. In fact, we sat upon the on ramp to I-5 for quite awhile, discussing the frustratingly close view of I-5, yet its distressing distance. Cars kept trying to merge in front of me. If it had been another day, i might have been glad to let them in, but our trek was so far paste being a slight side-track that I was beginning to think of the XBOX game Halo 2, where you can blow up other vehicles on a highway...it looked alot like the game whenever we were in tunnels...my trigger finger got itchy.



We finally made it...then had to thread our way through a QFC parking lot (QFC is a type of grocery store). We got the hotel room and then went to find our dinner dates. AAO (Americans Adopting Orphans) was waiting for us. We needed to update our Home Study and we were checking into something else, which, I am sure, Cora will endeavor to enlighten everyone on her BLOG about.



After? we went to Barnes and Noble. I got a book I need for the Masters...the library lists it as missing, as of this afternoon (I stopped to pick it up). amazon listed it for $54. Barnes and Noble had it for $19!!! I got that and one on Khrushchev. Now we are back in the room...after I made a snack and water run. So, it has been a good day, with some wonderful traffic terror thrown in.



Tomorrow we update our home study!