Spring 2016

Various spring events, Fort Stevens and kayaking Hope Island

Family hike near Rattlesnake RidgePeter, about to set off a rocket that he built
First kayak trip of the year at Mercer Slough
Peter with his watch
Kenny and RyanSunset from deck
Hike with Alison on Middle Fork trail
The trail had not yet been cleared, but there were WTA volunteers working on it
Testing out my sling chair invention
We competed at the South Bellevue Community Center Challenge - and won!
A trip to Fort Vancouver
Peter got to set off a beaver trap at the blacksmithKenny and the Amazing Dancing Water Bowl at the science museum
We stayed at an AirBnB, I thought this nearby house was neat looking
This seemed a little over-the-top, even for PortlandPeter at his music night at Somerset Elementary
SunsetThe kids love this playground at the Seattle Center
At the Coal Mines trail from Cle Elum - Peter found a snakeThere was a lot of old equipment left laying around from the old, unused coal mine
Couldn't figure out this one
From this angle it looks like a big old animal snout
Kayaking Cottage Lake with Jean - assembly is, as usual, the most work with the Orukayaks
They do work great once they're put together, though...
A massive wooden stick towerMt Rainier from the Green River trail
At the cub scout rocket launch
Sunset/raincloud view of Seattle
A friend of our collects ancient coins. It's history in a pint-sized package.
Peter's 9th birthday party!Doing the treasure hunt. The clue was "What goes up and down, but stays in one place?" It took them about a microsecond to figure it out, and another to actually find the clue. They finished a lot faster than I thought they would!
A camping trip to Fort Stevens, Oregon Ecola State Park
I was disappointed that so many trails at Ecola State park were closed, with no explanations.
The Peter Iredale wreck at Fort StevensAt Seaside
At Battery Russell
The biking paths were so beautifulAt the Peter Iredale wreck. This picture was taken by an interesting lady who'd taken her family (with 3 kids, one newborn) on an RV trip around all of North America)
The kids loved being able to bike around independently the most
At a machine gun nest from World War II
I found some old WWII pontoon boats while biking around some of the lesser-used trails at Fort Stevens.
Finding a binocular-shaped geocache
Another geocacheAn unexpected, unmarked WWII find at Fort Stevens
I don't know what it was for, but it had weirdly twisted entries and exits. There were two of these structures close together.Massive fields of thimbleberries! This is where I ate an ant, that clamped on to my throat
While picking and eating wild blackberries and thimbleberries, I ate an ant, which clamped on to my throatHere it is, after I plucked it out with my fingers. Hard not to gag, but I was very motivated to get that thing out!
Kenny climbing a pole at the Bellevue Strawberry FestivalOvernight kayaking trip to Hope Island, near Shelton, with Jean. This is the first time I loaded it up with anything other than a tiny daypack. Packing things behind the seat worked well.
It was an absolutely beautiful day for a kayak trip
The water was like glass...At Hope Island
Mt Rainier in the backgroundThe caretaker's cabin
Nearby Squaxin Island, owned by the Squaxin tribe, is completely inaccessible. This is the "no trespassing" sign.These raccoons would have stolen our food, had we not taken precautions. Their normal food here is crabs or clams.
Found a swing
Best dinner-time view in the house!Yummy ramen/peanut butter dinner
The racoon appproached, but a few sticks tossed in his direction made him leave
Lots of sea anemonesRelaxing before sunset
Not quite as sunny the next day - approaching Steamboat IslandThe concrete reinforcements for this house were crumbling - yikes!
The seals say good-bye