August 2nd, 2020 Today I saw the love of my life. She lives right next door and she's beautiful.
Her name is Umeko and she is from Chili. She is so exotic I can't help but sing to her.
I sit in my window and pine for her. I'm in LOVE!!!
Mom and dad went out picking blueberries at Dungeness Meadow Farm here is Sequim. She said she will make blueberry muffins and dad will make blueberry pancakes. I don't care, I don't do blueberries.
Aug 3rd, 2020 Mommy left me with daddy while she went hiking with my sister-in-law. They went to the Discovery Trail Strait View Dr Trailhead. They walked about 1 1/2 miles to the ocean and 1 1/2 miles back but didn't get me any fish for dinner. What's up with that!!!
Aug 4th, 2020 Today I was allowed to sleep after mom and dad left me alone as they went to Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center. (see all the pictures in the Aug folder)
Aug 7th, 2020 This morning there is a threat of rain and very cloudy. So I went back to bed. But mom and dad went walking down the beach at the Marlyn Nelson Park located inside the Port Williams Park.
The park was named after a guy who died in WWII at Pearl Harbor.
It is a very small park with a boat ramp, a few picnic tables and a vault bathroom. But they walked about mile or more on the beach. Probably holding hands and talking mushy!! Yuck!!!
There are over 400 different types of Lavender plants. There are two main groups: French and English. The French group make the best medicinal and the English make the best food additives. Once a year the plants are cut and dried.
Then it is de-stemmed
and cooked (just like moonshine).
It takes 10 bushes to make 5 ounces of Lavender oil. Everything is done by hand. That sounds like very hard work.
Aug 10th, 2020 I had a party with Umeko today while they left me to go to the Sol Duc Waterfall.
It took them about 1 1/2 hour drive from here to there. Then they hiked over 3/4 of a mile one way. Just to see some silly water roll over a rock. Humans, sigh.
On the way back, they stopped on the side of the highway, at the Strait Of Juan de Fuca, because there was a fog at 3 pm. Very cool. Could only see several hundred yards out toward the ocean. But land was clear as a bell!
Umeko went home before they got home. Mom and dad will never know!!!
Aug 11th, 2020 A trip to Port Townsend (less then 1 hour away) was taken today. By everybody but me! I would have seen the Point Wilson light house
And toured Fort Worden and eat lunch at the sea shore, watching the ships go by. But not me, I was left at home. Again!!
Mom & dad even had to waited for 3 dogs with white butts to get out of the road.
Aug 12th, 2020 Before mom and dad left, they went over to the pond and watch the fish and ducks get fed. They are so uncouth.
Aug 13th, 2020 Again I hid under the blankets while dad drove us about 80 miles west. We went straight west to the coast. We are staying in a very expensive place called Riverview RV Park & Storage.
After the RV was set up, they left me all alone. They went to the Rialto Beach.
This beach has some rock formations just off shore and a lot of drift wood (trees) on the high tide side of the beach. Not sure how or when they got there.
Anyway, lucky for them, they got home in time to feed me.
Aug 14th, 2020 I was too tired to protest so I went back to bed when they left and went to the Hoh Rain Forest without me.
They ate lunch there and fed some birds. WITHOUT ME!!!!!!!!!
Aug 16th, 2020 I saw dad getting ready to travel, so I went to bed. Luckily, we only traveled 113 miles. But dad took the 101 coastal highway. It was bumpy and curvy. ALOT!!! We did see the ocean a couple of times. Which was cool. Lots of white caps. We finally arrived at Hoquiam River RV Park. They parked us right next to the Hoquiam river, which feeds out to the ocean. Pretty cool!! I'll be able to go fishing tonight!!
Aug 17th, 2020 Mom found a trail at the back of this RV Park which took her into the forest. In the forest she found some old railroad tracks. (click here to watch a short video). She also saw some big ugly dogs with white butts (deer).
Aug 18th, 2020 Today, they went to Westport Washington. A sea side port city, with lots of tourist stuff to do. Like, go to the tallest lighthouse in Washington state (which was closed due to the lack of volunteers).
and of course they ate lunch by the seaside watching the ships come in and out.
Aug 19th, 2020 Dad's at it again! He bounced us all the way to Northern Albany. He finally stopped at Knox Butte RV Campground.
There are a lot of permanent residents here. That makes sense, because there is so much great shopping nearby. We'll be here about a week.
Aug 21st, 2020 There is a small creek that meanders through this park. It has ducks.
I might have to go swimming later. Oh I forgot, I don't do water!!
Aug 23rd, 2020 I got to sleep in again when they went to a local water treatment plant.
Yeah, they went to a new and improved water treatment facility called Talking Water Gardens. The city of Albany joined with the metals manufacturer company ATI to create an engineered water treatment wetland. The wetland cells mimic the cleansing and cooling processes that occur
in nature, returning treated water safely back to the Willamette River. It was a pretty cool way to create a walking, running, biking path all around a sewage treatment facility. And it didn't even smell! The city even created a couple of small waterfalls and bridges.
This place had all kinds of animals. Ducks were swimming in the green algae (or duckweed),
bunny rabbits were bouncing down the paths, blue dragon fly's were flying everywhere. Oh and the funnest thing was a couple of snakes scared dad. I would have liked to seen that!!! It was probably just a plain ol western garden snake, but it still scared him. hahahahahahaha
Aug 24th, 2020 This afternoon they went to the Historic Carousel & Museum here in Albany OR. This indoor place still celebrates a child's "ride of a life time" on a hand carved animal of your dreams. It also has a shop where the animals are still hand carved by volunteers.
Aug 26th, 2020 This morning I buckled up early. Dad bounced us 200+ miles south on I-5 and then onto west on 199 to an RV park called Laughing Alpaca. They had 3 real live alpaca's. Not sure why!
This place had a lot of trees and a river "right behind" us.
Mom and dad even left me alone while they went Kayaking on the river. I never did get a chance to go fishing!
Aug 28th, 2020 After I was served my breakfast I went to bed. Mom and dad decided to go traveling again. This time we only traveled a couple of hours. We drove to Crescent City California and stopped at a place called Sunset Harbor RV Park.
This place is a little noisy, but it is very well priced. We'll be here 1 week.
Aug 29th, 2020 After lunch they went across the street to the Crescent City Harbor
to go look at the boats and listen to some seals and sea lions:
Harbor Seal, NPS
Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) Along the coastlines of Redwood
National and State Parks, it is possible to see harbor seals hauled out
on beaches and offshore rocks throughout the entire year. They are
identified by their spotted coats of various shades of white, gray, or
brown; lack of external ear flaps; and short front limbs which are not
used in locomotion on land. Harbor seals breed along the coastline and
may be seen in large numbers lounging on the sand near the Redwood Creek
estuary, or on rocky tidal flats at low tide. Along the redwood coast,
harbor seals give birth to a single furry pup between April and May.
Pups are born alert and can swim at birth; they are weaned at 4 weeks.
It is not uncommon for a mother harbor seal to leave her pup alone and
unattended on a beach for periods of time while she feeds at sea. Harbor
seals dive for a variety of fish including sole, flounder, cod, and
herring; they will also take large invertebrates such as crab and squid.
California Se Lion, NPS
California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) California sea lions appear in
Redwood National and State Parks in summer after the breeding season in
southern California, and remain through the winter before returning
south to breed. Commonly, the population on the redwood coast consists
of adult and subadult males, with females remaining year round near the
southern rookeries. California sea lions are members of the family of
eared seals, and have an external ear flap. They use their large front
limbs in locomotion on land. In Redwood National and State Parks,
California sea lions may be seen hauled out along ocean beaches although
they are more likely to be seen gathered on offshore rocks close to
shore. California sea lions are playful and may be seen rolling and
porpoising in the surf near shore.
Steller Sea Lion, NPS
Steller (Northern) Sea Lion (Eumetopius jubatus)
Steller sea lions, also known as northern sea lions, are listed as
threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. They occur in small
groups on near shore rocks visible from the coast in Redwood National
and State Parks. Steller sea lions are the largest of the eared seals.
Adult males, or bulls, are massive, weighing in at 1,200 lbs (0.5 metric
tons) or greater. Females and subadult males are not always easily
differentiated from the more common California sea lion although with
practice the differences between the two species become apparent.
Steller sea lions tend to be lighter in color than California sea lions
which are uniformly dark brown. When freshly out of the water their fur
can appear blond. The head shape of Steller sea lions is also different,
lacking the sagittal crest or ridge of bone that results in a
noticeable bump on the forehead of California sea lions. The lack of a
sagittal crest gives the Steller's head a wider, dog like appearance.
Lastly, the Steller's vocalizations more resemble a growl or bellow,
versus the typical California sea lion bark ("arr arr arr") well known
from theme parks as well as in the wild.
It
is possible that a small breeding colony of Steller sea lions resides
in Redwood National and State Parks. Territorial bulls and females with
very young pups, born with jet black coats and observed nursing, have
been seen on rocks north of the Klamath River.
Norther Elephant Seal, NPS
Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris)
Northern elephant seals are the largest pinniped in the northern
hemisphere. They may occur sporadically in Redwood National and State
Parks when they haul out on beaches to undergo their annual molt during
summer months. To date only young, immature subadults have been recorded
on park beaches. When molting elephant seals look unhealthy, but this
is a normal process. Female and immature elehphant seals are tan in
color and, as with other true seals, lack external ear flaps and possess
short front flippers. There is a small breeding colony to the north of
Redwood National and State Parks, at Point St. George in Crescent City.
To me they just sound like ugly dogs barking:
In early afternoon, you could see the fog roll in off the bay water
Aug 30th, 2020 This afternoon I was allowed peace and quiet while they went to Stout Grove Trailhead inside the Jedediah Redwood State Park.
The redwood trees are known for being the largest tree in the world and are only found in Northern California after being harvested into extinction in the other parts of the world. Several more pictures within the Aug pictures link, below.
Here is a 5 1/2 minute video from the dash cam driving from the Stout Grove Trailhead. The video ends at a wooden covered bridge. (click here to view the YouTube video)
Aug 31st, 2020 Today I was left behind while "THEY" went out to the Trees of Mystery. They said it was fun. They took a tram ride up over the trees and walked around a lot of trees.
When they were all done, they stopped at the De Martin Beach Picnic Area. They sat in the Jeep and watched the ocean roll in.
Very cute Tiger's got a girlfriend :) Looks beautiful there, yummy blueberries! May God continue to bless you and keep you safe in your travels!
ReplyDeleteBoy, Oreo's ears perked right up when I played the video of you singing to Umeko, Tiger. Looks like you've covered a lot of territory! Hang in!!🐈🤗
ReplyDelete