Taneum Memorial Day Run

After some debating, Terry and I decided to spend Memorial Day weekend with our 4-wheel drive club in Taneum. Our Jeep was still in the shop, but we knew there would be some open seats if we wanted to hit the trails and decided it would be fun to go over there and hang out with our friends. There was talk of trails and campgrounds being closed, so Terry had the camper loaded on Thursday night so he could leave first thing Friday morning. He also towed up Mark’s Jeep for him so he wouldn’t have to worry about it on Friday afternoon.

Terry ended up leaving out house at 5:00 on Friday morning. It took him about two hours to get to camp. He was able to find a big area for the club to camp and spent the day setting up camp and hanging out with other club members as they arrived. I had to work on Friday, so rode up with Mark and Lori in their RV. We were able to leave their house in Sumner at 4:00 and the two hour drive ended up taking us four hours. There was a ton of traffic on I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass. We finally arrived at camp around 8:00.

I made some quick dinner since I was hungry when we first got there and then settled by the campfire. Terry and I both headed to bed early where he went to sleep and I was able to finish my book.

On Saturday, we got up and started to get ready for the day. Terry made some coffee while I cooked a sausage, spinach and egg scramble for breakfast. Terry decided to ride with Mark and I got to ride with Gary since they both had open seats. Once we left camp, we drove on a gravel rode for a while in order to reach the trails. The area was really pretty and there were some nice views of the surrounding mountains.

When we finally hit a trail, we crossed a wooden bridge thru a meadow and then had a few small hill climbs. We got to the top of one of the hills and then heard on the CB “my front right tire fell off” from Rock. Apparently, something happened to Rock’s front end and the passenger side tire sure enough fell off. The Tamers were hoping for an easy fix, but unfortunately, the part was broken beyond repair. The next best option was to get the rig to a point in the trail where a trailer could reach it. So, they were able to fab up a “skid” for the front hub with a tree branch and were able to drag the Toyota closer to the main dirt road. From there, Dan and Rock drove back to camp to get a truck and trailer to get the broken Toyota home. Once Dan and Rock left for camp, the rest of us (Rudi, Gary and Mark) decided to hit more trails.

Overall, the trails we ran were pretty mild. There were a couple difficult sections but the views were amazing. Rudi hit a tree stump on one of the trails and ripped a hole in the sidewall of his new tires. Luckily, it was a quick fix and then we were moving again. We hit a little snow but for the most part it was warm and dusty. After a couple hours, we returned to where Rock had broke to see there process. Dan-O was back with the trailer and had his rig loaded. We made sure they were able to get the truck onto the dirt road and then decided to find a trail so Dan-O could get some off-road action. Rock headed down the hill back to camp with the truck, trailer and broken Toyota while the rest of us went exploring.

We decided to take a new trail to check the area out and after a half hour or so, hit a dead end. Gary decided to give me a turn driving. His rig is well built and is basically a “point and shoot.” You steer the Jeep in the direction you want it to go and it goes there. It was a mild ride back to camp with a few sections of mud and snow. The funny thing was that I couldn’t easily reach the clutch. So, when it came time to shift gears, I had to slouch way down into the seat, change gears and then push myself upright again. I also learned how to start in gear and avoid the clutch all together.

We arrived back at camp around 6:30. Lori had put out some chips and dip that we snacked on before dinner. Zeus had stayed back at camp with the Lori’s and when we returned, his nails were polished pink. They said he didn’t seem to mind having his nails polished, but he didn’t like the smell. I just know they were giggling like school girls as they painted his nails. For dinner, I barbequed buff dogs and asparagus and also warmed up some chili. The buffalo dogs were really good; I will definitely do them again. After enjoying some dinner, we relaxed around be fire before heading to the camper for showers and bed.

On Sunday, I decided to stay back at camp and enjoy the sun with my book. I made breakfast for Terry and I before he left for the day. We had chorizo and eggs for breakfast. After breakfast, the guys loaded up the Jeeps and headed out for the day. I grabbed my book and laid in the hammock all day working on my tan. The temperatures reached 75 degrees at camp and I ended up with a nice tan. Around 4:00, I jumped in the shower to clean-up before Terry would come home. They ended up arriving back at camp around 6:00 and from what he mentioned, I didn’t miss out on much. It sounded like their day consisted of a lot of winching and snow. I am sure glad I stayed at camp in the sun and didn’t have to deal with the snow.

For dinner, I made some spaghetti with sausage and vegetables. After eating, we relaxed around the campfire for the last time. Zeus didn’t get much sleep in during the day, so as the evening came around, he ended up getting grumpy. We finally headed to bed around 10:00 to do a little reading before falling asleep.

On Monday, we woke up and slowly started to pack up camp. Everyone was loaded and ready to go around 9:30. We all wanted to get an early start for the ride home to miss some of the traffic that would surely come in the afternoon. The ride was going well over Snoqualmie Pass when we noticed Gary on the side of the highway. About 2 miles east of Denny Creek on I-90, his trailer blew a tire. We were able to get to the shoulder and help him change the flat. However, soon after we got moving again, maybe 10 miles, the other trailer tire got a flat. So, again, we found ourselves on the shoulder of I-90 helping change a flat. He did get lucky though. Gary only had one spare, but luckily, we had a spare tire for our truck that was the same size and bolt pattern of his trailer. After a quick stop, we were moving again. From there, we made it home without any other issues. It took us about 3 hours to get home which wasn’t bad considering we stopped to fix two flat tires.

Overall, we had a nice weekend away. I am glad I got a day to relax and look forward to going back to Taneum to check out the trails when there isn’t snow on the ground. We both can’t wait for the Jeep to be trail ready again!

Summer is Here!

Okay, I know just because it is almost 70* today and not suppose to rain doesn't mean that summer is here to stay, but it is hard to not get excited. This time of year is always fun and busy. I looked at my calendar today and Terry and I have plans just about every weekend until August. At least there will be a lot to blog about.

This weekend we are heading out with our 4-wheel drive club, the Timber Tamers, to Taneum. Our Jeep is in the shop, but we know there are a couple open seats so are going to hang out with our friends. It should be fun and I like going to new places to check them out. I hope that the weather there is nice, even though from what I have been told, there may still be snow on the ground. I am an optimist and packed some tank tops and shorts hoping for a tan. I really hope to get some time to relax this weekend and will stop by the library tomorrow to get some reading materials.

I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow, but I do. Work has been driving me a little crazy lately and I won't be surprised if I am out of a job soon. However, until then, I am working hard and doing what I am told. As long as I keep getting a paycheck, I am trying to not let the politics of sales bother me. Hopefully someday, I will find a job I love.... it would just help if I had a clue as to what that would be. Alright, well I better get back to work and finish packing, at least I don't have too much more to do (on both accounts).

Lake Sylvia State Park

We made last minute camping reservations at Lake Sylvia State Park on Thursday night. The description of the campsite said “fish from the site” so had Terry sold on that spot as soon as he read that description. On Friday, we left our house at 3:30 and stopped by Wal-Mart on the way so I could get my fishing license. My license was $24 for just fresh water, where Terry was able to get his freshwater and saltwater license for $8 total. Another benefit of being a disabled veteran in Washington. We ended up leaving the Wal-Mart in Spanaway at 4:00 and started our drive west.

We hit minor traffic on I-5 and made it to Lake Sylvia State Park around 5:30. The park was only 2 miles from the highway and the town of Montesano where it was located was very cute. We reserved site 24 for the weekend and as soon as we pulled into our site, we started to set-up camp. We were surprised at how close the lake was to the site and loved the view.

For dinner, I made tacos and salad. After we ate, we walked thru the camp loop to check out the other sites. It was a small campground with only 35 sites. Beside the site we were in, we also really liked sites 5 and 21, however, any of the sites on the outside of the loop on the water would have been nice. We tried to walk to the ranger office to get a map, but it was closed. When we got back to camp, Terry made a fire and we enjoyed the evening before heading to bed.

On Saturday, we woke up around 7:30 and started the day. While we warmed up water for coffee and hot chocolate, we decided to do some fishing. Terry and I both caught fish, but released them. The fish we were catching were all small trout. We enjoyed bringing them in, but due to the size, didn’t want to keep any. I think by breakfast, I had caught 6 trout and Terry had caught 2.

For breakfast, I made a sausage, potato, spinach and egg scramble. After breakfast, we decided to take a walk around the lake. We had looked at a map of the park when we made the reservation and noticed there was a trail that went around the lake to the north. We tried the ranger office again on our way out, but it was still closed. So, we walked across the main bridge to the day use area and then headed north on a path along the lake. It wound north until the lake wasn’t much more than a swamp and then a creek. There, it crossed over and we walked along the east side of the lake heading south until we arrived back at the campground. The second half of the walk was more trail-like than the beginning.

Once we made it back to camp, we decided to relax by the lake, enjoy the nice sunny weather and do a little fishing. The fish weren’t biting as much as they were in the morning, but we both caught a couple. Terry and Zeus took small naps while I read and enjoyed some sun. We definitely liked the lake and know when we come back, we will bring a small boat and spend some time on the water.

As evening came, we steamed some artichokes and barbequed buffalo burgers for dinner. After dinner, we walked around the campground and were finally able to get a map of the park. Terry also got a map of a hiking trail on the south side of the lake, south of the dam. When we got back from our walk, Terry made a campfire while I took a quick shower. It sure is nice to be able to clean-up after a day of camping. When I was finished with my shower, Terry showered while I enjoyed the fire. When he was done, we roasted some marshmallows and made s’mores before heading to bed.

We got up fairly early again on Sunday. We tried fishing while I was making breakfast, but we didn’t have as good of luck as we did on Saturday. I think I only caught one trout and Terry two. For breakfast we had sausage, eggs and English muffins. After breakfast, we decided to try the hike south of the dam. It was very pretty. It was only two miles long and took us just over an hour, however, we did take our time stopping for pictures and reading the highlights listed on the map. The trail was where an old lumber mill used to be so there was evidence of the lumber mill along the trail which was pretty neat.

When we got back to our site, we slowly started to pack up. We did relax for a while and did some last minute fishing and enjoyed the view of the lake before we packed up the last of our gear and headed out. We took one last walk through the loop before we left which was nice because we were able to get a better look at the empty sites for future trips. We definitely plan on coming back. We finally left a little before 3:00 and started the trip home. Luckily, the park was close enough, that we made it home and were even able to do some chores before heading to bed.

Weekend Preperation: Lake Sylvia State Park

Last night, Terry decided that we needed to take advantage of the forecasted nice weather of this upcoming weekend and go camping. We searched online for a camp site at a never-before visited state park since we want to eventually visit all the state parks in Washington. There were several fairly close that we were debating on visiting and then Terry found the winning site since it had the description of "fish from your site". So, it turns out we are heading to Lake Sylvia State Park for this weekend. We reserved site number 24. It looks like a wooded park with 5 miles of hiking, the trail goes around the lake, swimming and fishing. Terry already thinks this will become our new favorite! When I mapped it, it appears to be about 1.5 hours away, which isn't too bad, and is situated between Olympia and the coast.

Now, we have the camper plugged in and I am making a list of last minute groceries we will need for the weekend. Amazingly, there are only 3 things on the list so far. We still have to pack our gear, but hope to leave when I get off work at 3:00. Luckily, I don't have any lunch plans, so will be able to get everything together then. I am excited to get away, just the two of us, and hope to have a relaxing weekend together.

Perfect Timing

Yesterday when I walked out the front door to get the mail, I saw this:



I am so excited my Rhodie is starting to bloom, it adds so much color to the front yard. And the timing is perfect, since my tulips have just recently passed.

Veggie Patch Planting

Yesterday afternoon, Terry surprised my by bringing home 4 eggplants for my vegetable garden. Now, I have the entire garden planted except for my basil (which I am told it is still too early for). This year, I did square foot gardening. It really helped when I was planning out my garden and I think I got a lot more planted overall than if I did just rows as before. I had a few extra plants that I put into last year's garden. By the looks of it all, if everything grows correctly, Terry and I will be set when it comes to fresh vegetables this summer. I will keep you posted on the progress on the plants.

Mother's Day Weekend

Terry and I packed the car and headed up to my parents' house to spend Mother's Day in Ferndale. We had an uneventful trip on Friday afternoon. I drove while Terry and Zeus slept. We went out for dinner on Friday night to get burgers with my parents and then went back to their house and relaxed until bedtime.

On Saturday, my mom and I both woke up feeling under the weather. My throat was really sore and she had a sinus headache and sore throat. We tried to make the best of the day and headed out after breakfast to hit the mall, several nurseries and the grocery store. I was excited and was able to find all of my vegetables for my garden except eggplant and basil. Apparently, it is still to early to plant basil. We also both got some annuals for planting in pots and added color to the garden. After the nurseries, we had to head home since we filled the back of her Jeep and had no room for groceries.

After a quick trip to the store, we took the dogs for a walk and fed the ducks and llamas. It was funny watching my mom feed the ducks since the dogs would try to sneak in and eat the bread she was throwing. We stayed up late playing dominoes after dinner.

On Sunday, I had made reservations to have brunch at Semiahmoo Resort with my parents, grandma and Ed. The weather was amazing. The restaurant was right on the waterfront, so we were able to watch boats go by as we ate and had a great view. After brunch, we headed back and helped my mom plant some of her pots (by help, I carried the potting mix onto the deck and watched). Terry and I loaded up the car and headed home a little after 3:00. Terry and Zeus both napped on the way home. We had a great weekend with lovely weather. I am glad I was able to spend Mother's Day with the one that it was meant for!