Babysitting

It's time to update my blog.  We haven't been on any more RV trips, but we've had a chance to catch up on our Sophie-time.  Yesterday Dave and I had the privilege of babysitting our dear little granddaughter while her mom and dad enjoyed their time away by going to a movie and then to a bookstore. 

Sophie--photo taken by her parents

I'm kind of rusty at my child-care skills, but it's not work when it's your own grandchild, right? We got to hold her all we wanted, play with her, feed her, put her down for a nap, and yes, change her diapers.  It all quickly came back to us! 

The girl likes to eat.   The following three photos were taken by Dave.  I was  too busy to take pictures!

Sophie is five months old now and is great fun to be with.  She's not mobile yet, so we didn't have to worry about child-proofing.  She can turn from her back to her stomach, and did so frequently.  What a girl!

Sophie plays with "Squeaky"

After babysitting for about five hours, Tim and Kiersten came back and took us out to dinner in honor of Dave's birthday which is on Tuesday, September 20.  We were joined by our other son, Jonathan, who came down for the weekend.  We were so happy to spend time with all of them!

Sophie models Uncle Jon's trooper hat

Tonight our sister-in-law, Pam, arrives from Sacramento by way of Spokane.  She will spend a few days with us and we are hoping for sunshine so we can go to Portland's Rose Garden and enjoy some other outdoor activities. 

Motivated by Pam's visit, I gave our house a thorough fall cleaning.  Now I'm all caught up with chores until they start all over again after she leaves!

A Busy Day at Ocean Shores, WA

Today's excursion was an 18-mile drive to Ocean Shores.  We've been here before, but never when it was so crowded.  This is a planned community with a windswept, beachy feel.  Driving on the beach is allowed here.  There were lots of cars on the beach, mostly parked.

Wall-to-wall cars on the beach?  Even though it was crowded, we found a nice spot to sit and eat our picnic lunch.  We enjoyed seeing lots of families enjoying their holiday weekend.  Kites were flying, kids were digging in the sand, and a few brave ones were playing in the cold Pacific Ocean water.  Too soon, we had to leave one of my favorite spots--the beach!

Horse riders were also enjoying the crowded beach.

I liked this kite, an airplane with a rotor.

I also liked this tree, even with all the traffic visible behind the tree.  Cars were leaving, and cars were coming.  What a lively day in Ocean Shores!

Ocean Shores is on the North shore of Grays Harbor and Westport, where we were yesterday, is on the South shore.  Both areas are quite different from each other, and both are worth visiting. 

Back in Hoquiam, I drove out to the National Wildlife Refuge which is located near the airport.  I took a picture of the colorful sign and started on the trail, but then I decided that I was too tired to finish the trail.  Dave and I had gone on a 7.4 mile bike ride around Ocean Shores, and I was all tuckered out. 

I will visit the wildlife refuge another time.  The migrating shore birds visit this area mostly in the spring and the fall, not necessarily on a busy Labor Day weekend!

Hoquiam and Westport, Washington

After officiating his first high school varsity game of the 2011 football season last night, Dave was free for the rest of the Labor Day weekend, so we headed to Hoquiam River RV Park.  This is a new park for us.  It's on the (you guessed it!) Hoquiam River along Highway 101.  For those of you who have visited Forks and Olympic National Park, this park is on the way north on the west fork of 101.   

The RV park is a basic park, with basic gravel sites, but the restrooms, laundry room, and group meeting rooms are nicely kept up.  This park is quiet, just the way we like it!  With our Good Sam discount, we paid $28 per night.  This weekend the park's wifi isn't working, but we have a couple of bars of 3G Verizon cell service, so we are able to access the internet using our phones. 

The Hoquiam River

I wonder if the river really rises this high? 

After hooking up the motorhome, we headed to Westport, a fishing village about 25 miles from the RV park.  Westport was celebrating their annual Seafood and Craft Festival, and we arrived in time to have a late lunch of hot dogs (Dave) and chowder (Carol).  I wasn't hungry enough for the special, a big seafood dinner for $15 or $12 for seniors.  We listened to the band while we ate.

The festival was held on the grounds of the Westport Maritime Museum.

It's always fun to see all the fishing boats at Westport.

It was a picture perfect day in Hoquiam and Westport!