Returning to Cape Lookout

Hello moody Oregon Coast!...

...your gray sky and raindrops can't keep us from playing in the sand and surf.

It's been a few years since Ezra has been to the ocean---so he needed a little refresher on the sensation of the push and pull of the waves.

Jonah was really patient with Ezra getting his balance.

It wasn't long before the pants got soaked and too heavy to keep on....

Staying at the cabins at Cape Lookout State Park means that we have hot showers to take the chill off after playing in the waves.

Time to get clean, cozy and ready for bed.

Sunbreaks and rain showers made for a relaxing day of movie watching (The Goonies) and low tide explorations.

We got a tip to try the seafood takeout window offerings at Nevør Shellfish Farm.

Over the course of the weekend we tried nearly everything on their menu.  It was excellent!

Round 1:

raw oysters, ahi tuna crudo, barnacles, bbq oysters, octopus skewer, & prawn ceviche

This was our first time eating barnacles. 

During low tide, Jonah discovered that you could dash around a mini-point and into a cave.

I love that this cave image is a color photo.

These are live gooseneck barnacles.  Prior to eating them, I thought all barnacles were like miniature calcified caldera volcanoes attached to rocks...but it turns out, that familiar variety is called acorn barnacles and they don't have "stalks" like the goosenecks we ate from Nevør...it was cool to discover this type of barnacle in the cave.

Nevør Round 2:

Sardine Toast, Ahi Tuna Crudo, Spot Prawns, Clams Casino, Eel Toast, & Dungeness Crab Cocktail 

After another fantastic lunch we headed up the coast a few miles to Cape Meares.  Ezra and I did a little hike across the dunes to the ocean while Jesse and Jonah did some freshwater fishing at Cape Meares Lake.

Ezra did the whole hike himself and once he saw the water, there was a quick beeline down the dunes.

Yay for a little sunshine and blue sky!  After hiking back, we met up with the boys.

Fishing success!  They caught 3 rainbow trout, released two, and kept this one.

We went right back to the cabin and cooked it up for dinner.  It was sooooo good!

Th weather on the coast is usually better than expected---and we were grateful for the sunshine and the opportunity to have a fire on our last night.

Window view from inside the cabin of Jonah and I making smores.  

It was a great finale to a super fun day. 

The checkout time for the cabins is 1pm, so that gave us time for one more morning frolic in the ocean before packing up.

Getting ready to "jump" waves with Ezra.

So fun!  Next time I'll remember to pack some shorts for these water kids; even if it's winter!

 

Another great stay and more wonderful memories!

Connection

My first hug with Nanna since the pandemic started. There's just no substitute for the real thing!

I'm filled with gratitude to those who made this moment possible.  

Thank you to the research scientists, trial vaccine participants, state officials, local healthcare staff and volunteers.  Thank you to my community--my friends, family, neighbors and strangers--for social distancing, wearing face masks and modifying travel and gatherings.

Thank you to Nanna.  

I'm really looking forward to celebrating your 100th birthday later this year....in person!

Peterson Prairie 2021

Our annual tradition of visiting Peterson Prairie happened last weekend.  

This excursion was our 10th winter-time trip.

Getting ready to depart.  Jesse wore a pack and towed the orange sled.  I wore a small "Diddy" pack on my front and towed Ezra in the Pulk.  Jonah wore a small pack and skied the whole 2.5 miles in beautifully.

This winter has been warmer and there wasn't much snow---we were about to cancel the reservation and then some more snow showed up a few days before our trip---how fortunate!

The Forrest Service reduced our reservation to just the weekend in order to allow the cabin to "air out" during the week between users.  This policy made us feel comfortable about going as this is the first building (besides our home) we have stayed in since March 2020.  Still, when we arrived, we thoroughly cleaned all the surfaces knowing that Ezra would be touching and climbing on everything.

We enjoyed some great meals in the light of day and also by the glow of lanterns in the evening.

Historically we have been able to share this trip with friends and family.  Jonah exclaimed multiple times that he missed Uncle Paul being with us.

Ezra, being Ezra.

Jonah self-initiated maintaining the path to the bathroom.  It snowed 6 more inches the day after we arrived so there was a fair amount of work involved.  Jonah also opted to widen the path and created a smooth ramp so that one could sled from the cabin stairs straight to the bathroom door...which we did!  

My view from inside while Jesse and Jonah worked on a snow fort and Ezra tottered around in the deep snow.

I think the happiest camper of the trip was Ezra.  He was very cooperative and cozy during the sled trips and really enjoyed exploring around the cabin despite the fact that he won't wear mittens and I forgot to pack his snow pants.

The pliable nature of the snow really motivated Ezra to keep testing it.

Ezra does things his own unique way, but he's certainly got Jesse's sense of adventure, curiosity and joy.

Taste-testing this cold powder stuff.

Remember when we weren't sure if Ezra would ever walk?  I'm so proud of this little trooper!

Thank you Peterson Prairie for another great trip in the books.

Until next year.....

xoxo