PS to Road Trip Post Below...

family vacation

The G-clan just returned from a spectacular week in the Olympic National Park.

We camped in three different places--three different ecosytems: rainforest, coastal, subalpine!--and enjoyed the scenery and each other to no end. 

Hike into Irely Lake. Our theme for the day became: I really like Irely Lake! 

Little troopers...

Quiet time at camp...

 Cozy bedtime!

 Cooked a fish dinner over a beach fire one night...delish and fun.

 Getting sworn in as Junior Rangers. Jez really just along for the ride,                                                         but Winnie worked hard on this!

 Elk in the Hoh Rainforest

  Jezebel made very good friends with more than few inchworms.

  

 Lake Crescent-- great swimming (if a bit cold, but the wee ones never noticed) and great kayaking!
                                  

 Hurricane Ridge: Mike and I had been here before--in 1999. It was a magnificent and bizarro time warp to be back with our two kiddos. :)

 

And, most days ended with a s'more... so, as Jez is so often heard saying these days: 

 "Thumbs up, baby!" 

A few more weekend adventure shots

Jezebel and Eaton were inseparable all weekend long. J loves small dogs so very much. And, yes, we know our boat is upside down. Easier for us to paddle that way!

 Winnie is a natural kayaker... loved it and got the rhythm down quickly!

Welcome, summer

Despite what most of the country is experiencing, we rejoiced at our first (sustained and hot) rays of summer sun this past weekend... and soaked it up by, um, getting into the water? :) Headed down the Willamette to where it meets up with the mighty McKenzie and camped with a couple dozen-ish friends to celebrate a dear friend's birthday. It was fabulous! A couple of other friends had paddled in the night before to set up camp: and they did not mess around. We pulled up to a living room complete with blow up couches, rugs laden with pillows and a fully-stocked bar (suspended from a fallen tree= awesome). This crowd knows how to step things up in the world of camping. 

Boat is loaded. With the wee camper atop the gagillion pounds gear. 

And we're off... with wonderful friend and river guide, Kate!

Winnie swims! A non-rapidy, but quick, current made "swimming" a blast (wear lifejacket, get in water, lean back, put feet up and float...!) This is Winnie and our friend Don heading downriver.

More cute children atop loads of gear. Mostly adults at this party, but these two good friends of ours make great playmates and fellow adventurers! 

 The living room.  Where you could find us painting toenails and rocks, reading, chatting, napping and eating gourmet meals between games of bocci ball, river floats, volleyball and food prep....

 I found a lot of rocks and thought it would be just fine to bring them all home. I mean, if we can carry all this stuff in, why on earth can we not carry 40 pounds of rocks out? I was saved only by the "No-Trace" Camping schpiel (leave everything as you find it). With a one or two rock exception.

  Our swimming hole...out of the current, shallow and warm. Perfect! 

Dressed up for the birthday party 

 And, since all good things do have to end, we loaded up this  morning and enjoyed a beautiful, fun float to take-out. Welcome, summer. Wonderful to have you around! 

It was another rainy weekend here, and as I'm feeling a little water-logged and over the whole "no such thing a bad weather, only bad gear" mantra we Oregonians so stubbornly repeat (and repeat and repeat), we did not do a whole heck of a lot. :) A fun gathering of friends for a bonfire/ potluck    got us out of the house, but otherwise, it was art, cooking, music and play.

A sister serenade...

Polliwog Graduates!

And our second of two fun trips down to the Olympic Trials. We watched a few great, record-breaking events, and caught us some Olympic fever. It will be fun to watch "our athletes" in London!