Jet's Flaming Gorge Pics

We're not often able to save Jet's pictures from his camera before he erases them. We were able to get pictures he took on our Flaming Gorge trip. Here are some of my favorites.

That last picture is fun. I was watching Jet watching robins hopping around that tree. I got a picture of him with his camera where he was taking pictures. If you look carefully at his picture you can see a robin to the left of the tree.

Our Vacation, Thy Creations, and Our Relations- Part 3

The next morning I was awake when I started to hear robins, then Swainson's thrushes, then other birds like Steller's jays. Amazing how loud birds can be in the middle of the woods in the early morning. I loved it. We wanted to get up early so we could pack up and get to Stout Memorial Grove before the parking area got too filled up.

 

Road trip! 

 

When we left the campground we did see a deer. It was fun to see something other than mule deer like we get in Utah. It's ears were so small.

 

After checking to make sure everyone had their jackets/hoodies before we left Oregon, we realized the one person who didn't have one was me. It was back at my parents' house. When we packed up in Utah, we left Jr.'s jacket behind but my parents had an extra one they gave him.

We got creative with me. We recently got a couple of car blankets and I was able to wrap one around me under my vest. We thought with how it fit it made me look like a character on Endor in The Return of the Jedi, which was appropriate because that was filmed in the Redwoods.

When I visited the Redwoods as a child, I remember looking up and thinking, "Wow. These trees are so tall." It was the same this time. Wow. Those trees were so tall.

Banana slugs! You saw my shirt, right?

The Redwoods are awesome.

We celebrated National Camera Day on June 29.

Family picture!

Have I mentioned the Redwoods are awesome?

It was a good thing we did go early because when we left, the parking lot was completely full and cars were parked all over along the roadway. We managed to get out, though, and drove up along the Oregon Coast on the way back to my parents' house, stopping at several places along the way.

 

Welcome to Oregon.

Harris Beach

Arch Rock

There was a Western Gull that on the car next to us when we pulled up and just stayed there for quite a while. Later, it flew off and the car left then it decided it was our van's turn. We had some fun before it flew off again. 

We also stopped for some nostalgia for me. Growing up, one of the places we liked to visit along the coast was Bandon. When cousins came to visit we would often go to the cheese factory there to get ice cream and squeaky cheese (cheese curds). The cheese factory is now Face Rock Creamery but we stopped to get ice cream and squeaky cheese. We found a flavor of cheese we like- Vampire Slayer and it's good as cheese curds as well. Since it was National Waffle Iron Day, we let the kids get their ice cream in waffle cones.

When I was younger we would also go to the beach at Face Rock in Bandon. It was tradition to get pictures of us facing up like the rock. This trip I shared with my family the legend behind Face Rock. Then I made my kids face up like we would with cousins growing up. Ah, family history.

Walking like crabs.

Don't you just love the ocean?

We eventually made it to our final destination of my parents' house again and we were exhausted after such a long but wonderful day.

 

I'll share more of our wonderful vacation later.

Selfie

On President's Day, February 19, I made sure to get a quick selfie with the flag. It was so quick, I didn't notice my hand was in the picture. Heh Heh.

Of course I used to take selfies before they were called selfies and they were with film cameras where you couldn't just look and see if your hand was in the picture until you took all the pictures on the roll and had them developed. Back in my day.
 

Celebrating Amongst Chaos

Here's another example of how life is chaos. I mentioned that the Summer Solstice was coming up. Then it came and went without me even thinking about it. Usually we at least acknowledge it. Sigh.

 

We did make pizza on Detroit Style Pizza Day, June 23. We didn't make Detroit style pizza but pizza nonetheless.
Jet has developed a little quirk when it comes to pizza. He doesn't finish his pieces. He will eat most of a piece then put the crust back then take another piece. Heh Heh Heh.

We checked out Eric Carle books from the library since his birthday was on June 25.

 

For Paul Bunyan Day on June 28, we read a tall tale about Paul Bunyan and ate pancakes while I said, "How about some flapjacks?" like in Groundhog Day. 

 

On June 29 we celebrated National Camera Day and National Handshake Shake Day by using my phone camera to take a picture of a handshake between Nichole and I.

It was also National Waffle Iron Day so we had waffles.

Meatier Meteors

June 29 was National Waffle Iron Day. The kids made waffles for us before we went out to celebrate National Camera Day, also on the 29th. We took the camera out to the lake in the same spot we went to see the Christmas Star. This time however we looked for shooting stars since the next day was Meteor Watch Day or Meteor Day and we wouldn't be able to go out on the night of the 30th. We didn't see any shooting stars but it was good bonding time and it was nice to look at the stars where there wasn't as much extra light as in the middle of the city.

The next night, June 30, we had individual pizzas for dinner. People could choose their own toppings. Some of the pieces ended up "meatier" than others. Get it? Get it? That was Jr.'s suggestion.

I sure do love creativity... and nice family time.