At the SeaTac Airport

Late this afternoon, we took the Toad and drove the 100+ miles from Ocean Mist to SeaTac. I am flying out early tomorrow morning for a day and a half meeting in Phoenix. We decided it was easier to drive over today and spend the night rather than fight traffic in the morning. We are checked in at the SeaTac Holiday Express Inn.





Forry will go back to Auntie Violet in the morning then drive back over and pick me up when I return Saturday afternoon. There are fifteen or so of us going as a delegation from Mennonite Church USA to discuss with the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce and Convention Bureau the ramifications of holding our 2013 Assembly in Phoenix. I was invited because of my role as the Co-Chair of the Anti-Racism Team of the Executive Board. Most of the delegation members are from the Racial-Ethnic groups of the church.


It's going to be quite a contrast to go from the coastal beaches where the temperatures have barely reached 70 degrees to the 110 degrees Phoenix has been posting!

On the Beach -- With Sunshine!

It was a beautiful day today! The first really sunny day we've had in over a week, actually the first sunny day since we have been here. We finally got to sleep in this morning which in itself started the day off well. I did a couple of loads of laundry, then we walked down to the beach.



These are the dunes between the RV Park and the beach --

It's a good quarter of a mile walk through the grass over the dunes to get to the beach --

The tide was way out this afternoon, leaving neat patterns on the sand --

Moving Day & Recuperation...

Ocean Mist RV Resort has some very different rules than any place else we've ever been. Members are entitled to a two week stay just like at any other membership park, BUT you are only allowed to stay for one week on the dune side near the ocean (you're still a 1/4 mile away). Normally you spend your first week in the main park area, then the second week you move down by the dunes. Because she was very kind, the lady on duty in the office let us change it around as the grand-daughters were only going to be with us the first week we were here.




So today was moving day when we moved back up into the main area of the park. Which of course, meant we didn't get to sleep in this morning as we were supposed to be moved by 11 AM. It is just as much work to get ready to move less than a mile as it is to travel several hundred miles. The only thing we didn't have to do was hitch up the Toad. I had to chuckle as after we got everything done, I went to wash my hands and realized the one thing I hadn't done was turn the water on!




We didn't do too much this afternoon. I did put the beach towels in the washer -- and I hope they will eventually get dry in this humidity! Towards late afternoon, we went into Ocean Shores to pick up groceries, then went over to the Quinault Casino for supper. Forry and I split a delicious rib steak, then shared creme brulee.

Sunshine!?

We actually woke up to sunshine this morning! There were scattered clouds, but lots of blue sky to be seen. Daughter Dawn and Son-in-law Todd were driving up from their home in Oregon to pick up the girls early in the afternoon, so they spent the morning packing. I told them that if they hurried up and got it all done, we would be able to go done to the beach one more time. And that's all it took!



These are some of the flowers and grasses along the path down through the dunes to the beach. I think the yellow one is Tansy Butterweed (Senecio jacobaea) or ragwort, but I am not sure.

Grandpa came down to the beach with us and the girls had a chance to try flying the drivable kite (as you can see, the sun has again disappeared...!) --

Dawn and Todd and Grand daughter Havela got here a little after two and we went back into Ocean Shores to eat. We had some great onion soup along with lots of crab sandwiches -- Grand daughter Claire once more had fish and chips! When we got back to Auntie Violet, it was time to load up all of the girls' stuff and have lots of hugs good-bye.

Auntie Violet seems very empty and quiet this evening...

Rainy, Cold Day

I heard the rain early this morning on Auntie Violet's roof. It would have been a good morning for sleeping in, but this morning was "all you can eat" pancake and sausage or biscuits and gravy breakfast at the clubhouse from 8:30 to 9:30, so we had to get up and get going. We ate our fill and then returned to the motorhome for a quiet morning of reading and computer games. Since today was the girls' last full day with us, it was a shame it was so cold and rainy.



By two o'clock, the rain was down to a drizzle and Kyra persuaded me that they should go down to the ocean for one more swim. Sometimes I wonder about my sanity, but we went. We were the only people to be seen on the beach -- and nobody was playing in the waves! The only positive thing I can say is that it was a lot easier to walk on the wet sand then the soft dry stuff.

Claire didn't last long before she was back to be wrapped in a towel, but Ky spent a good well chasing crabs and flounders out in the waves. I think they were both glad to return to the park and get into the hot tub.

I made caramel brownies this afternoon for the potluck in the clubhouse tonight. After dinner we stayed and played a round of card bingo.

More Life at the Beach...

Life is so much easier when you've got bookworms in the family! They both came well supplied with their books, so we really don't have to worry about entertaining the grand-daughters.

This is mainly the bird life we have seen so far at the beach -- sea gulls in all stages of maturity --





And we've sighted lots of these little coastal deer, including several does with their fawns --

Here's Claire deciding that, once again, the only thing on the menu that looks good to her is fish and chips (we keep checking her for gills, but haven't found any yet...) --

This morning we drove down towards the Spit in Ocean Shores to go horseback riding along the ocean beach. Claire has gone to Pony Camp for a couple of years, but has never ridden a big horse. When the guide went to put her on the horse, she decided it was just "too high!" They tried her on a smaller horse, but she still thought it was too high and didn't want to ride. So just Grammy and Kyra went for an hour's ride down the sand.

Grandpa and Claire went shopping while we were riding -- we badly needed to get some dehumidifier for the motor home. The humidity here is extremely high -- right at 70% in Auntie Violet! My clothes are just not getting dry at all, nor are the beach towels.

After lunch -- Claire had her fish and chips, Forry had a crab burger, Kyra had a crab and cheese sandwich and I had a delicious crab Louie salad -- the girls and I went back down to the beach for a couple of hours. We had a light mist and then even a bit of sunshine, but after their time in the ocean, the girls were ready for the hot tub.

Tonight was Ice Cream Social night at the RV Park. Kyra, Forry and I all had banana splits with three scoops of ice cream, one each of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry with all of the toppings and lots of walnuts, while Claire had a chocolate ice cream cone. After all of that, I decided I was NOT cooking supper! Kyra said she was still hungry, so she had a root beer float and Claire had a strawberry cone. I didn't even feel guilty about it, after watching all of the calories the two of them expended running on the beach and chasing the waves.

And yes, I know, I missed writing something yesterday! I had uploaded a picture of the girls on the jetty to Facebook that I had taken with my iPhone, and I guess I thought I had done my blog... When I woke up to go the the bano about three o'clock, I remembered I hadn't done it, but wasn't about come out and turn on the computer at that hour...

Fun at the Beach

After playing in the rather chilly Pacific Ocean, Kyra and Claire know how to end the day -- in the hot tub!

Auntie Violet is sitting just above the dunes at Ocean Mist RV Park --

We can see her as we walk back up from the beach --

The object is to watch the waves and try to catch them just right --

Watch close now --

Now if Grandpa can get all of the lines straightened out --

We can even fly our kite!

We did not see the sun at all today and tonight the fog has crept up the dunes into the campground. There was a pretty good breeze blowing which was nice for flying kites, but not for swimming. I waded out no more than my knees, but the girls spent quite a while jumping into and diving into the waves. Claire got chilled and came and sat on the beach wrapped in towels with Grandpa and Grammy, but Kyra kept at it for over an hour until I called her in and took them into the hot tub.




The girls spent the morning making plaster of paris molds and sidewalk chalk with the kits we bought in town yesterday, while I worked at the getting the laundry done that I had neglected all last week. The humidity is over 65%, so things aren't drying very well.

And It All Caught Up With Us...

It's been a really busy week or so. What with getting ready for the family get-together; cooking for the get-together; having the get-together; having the day after get-together at Cass's kayaking; driving to the ocean; swimming in the ocean for several hours; and never going to bed before 10 PM; everyone was just plain wore out!



We did make trip into Ocean Shores for groceries late this morning -- Kyra and I had crab and cheese sandwiches for lunch; Claire had fish and chips and Forry had a crab burger -- and to get a few sundries. BOTH girls were without toothbrushes! We visited a kite shop (found a couple of cute ones) and an art shop, but didn't have energy for much else.



The sun finally came out about three o'clock. I had told the girls we all needed at least a half hour's nap before we went back down to the beach. Of course, "neither one needed a nap!" Kyra slept for almost an hour and Claire -- after she finally fell asleep -- didn't wake up until almost
5 PM. By then we decided it was too late to go swimming. Kyra has gotten Claire set up on Facebook and I am letting her use my little mini-computer. Between Farmville, Frontierville and Petville, they stayed occupied most of the evening. Forry barbecued steaks and I added baked Yukon Gold potatoes and sweet corn -- yummy!

The Trip to the Ocean

Today we packed up Auntie Violet and the grand-daughters and headed for the Pacific Ocean. Ocean Mist RV Resort is just a little ways out of Ocean City. We had hoped to leave Elma by eleven and actually made it by eleven thirty! We'd have met our own time schedule except for having to fish the seat belts up through the living room couch so that the girls could be buckled up. This is the first time we have taken passengers with us and needed the seat belts. Poor Forry ended up having to take everything out of the storage area under the couch in order to get to them -- and then he had quite a time getting them threaded through the holes in the couch.





But finally we were on our way. It was actually a pretty short trip out along State Highway 12 to Aberdeen, then State Highway 109 around Grays Harbor and then up to Ocean City. This is an interesting KM Resort Park. Half of it is on the ocean side and the other half inland across the little stream. During your two week stay, you are allowed to spend the second week on the ocean side after having spent the first week on the inland side. But, because I told the Diane, the desk clerk, that the girls were only going to be here for one week, she let us park our first week on the ocean side.






The trail through the dunes to the ocean starts almost directly behind where we are parked, but it is a good 1/2 mile walk to get to the beach. Then it's another good quarter mile or so out across the sand -- especially when the tide is out like it was today. The girls decided it was too cold to go into the water, so they played in the sand for a while.

Then they decided to go wading, but not above their knees; then not above their waists; and then the next thing you know they were diving into the waves and riding them in! We spent a couple of hours on the beach and in the water, then came in and showered and got in the hot tub for a bit. Forry barbecued bratwursts for supper and both Kyra and Claire said they were "really good." Nothing like fresh air and salt water to bring an appetite! It's been a good day.

We Have Company!

Today what was left of the family gathering ended up at Cousin Cass's in Shelton where the little -- and big! -- kids went kayaking and played in the Sound. This is Grand-daughter Kyra, who is a little fish!

Then we got to bring TWO of the grand-daughters home with us to Auntie Violet! Our Daughter Dawn and her husband and our oldest granddaughter are going on a bike ride this week in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Grandson Micah didn't want to stay with us -- he wanted to stay with his Cousin Varick who has LEGOS! So we decided instead of just taking Grand-daughter Kyra, we would take Grand-daughter Claire as well, leaving the two boy cousins together at Daughter MM's while girl cousins came with us.

Kyra is a typical modern kid -- very comfortable with computers. She saved up her money all last year so that she could buy her OWN computer. Claire (on the right) decided what Kyra was doing with pet and farm games was most interesting. We may have to set her up with my mini-computer while she is here this week...

Tomorrow we will pack up and head to Ocean Shores where we will be staying the next two weeks.