Closing out in Washington and Oregon

  We have been hanging out with family and friends in Oregon and Washington these past few weeks.  We have been clamming, camping, cemetery chasing, and just chilling out with relatives and friends.  It has been a good wrap up for the trip.  We will be heading home in a few days.

Grayland Beach

We got four limits of clams, but then couldn't eat them because a toxin warning came out.

Duncan got to help move this boat from Aberdeen to Westport.

The salty sailor.

The dog seems to like the wetter climate and likes the trails.

Ali getting a pedicure.

Raylie worked at riding her bike without training wheels while camping in Oregon.

And she sticks the landing!

Our "home" in Memaloose State Park.

Hiking with friends and family.

Raylie and Meara, the new BFF's

I found out that my relatives were a pioneering family in the Salem area.  Several are buried in this cemetery.

One of the Blanton plots.

This plot has my great-great grandparents and a few of their children.

This is my great-great grandfather.  He traveled to Oregon on the Oregon Trail in 1853.  It was neat to learn about relatives on the Oregon trail since Sydney had been learning about the Oregon Trail.  

This is my great-great grandmother.  She also "crossed the plain" as they say, when she was about nine years old.

This is my great grandparent's plot. Raymond is a son of John and Catherine. A few of their children are buried near by.

While we were at the cemetery a woman drove up.  She wandered over to the big Blanton plot, so I asked if she knew the Blantons.  She replied, "I am a Blanton."  She turned out to be my dad's cousin.  So funny to go looking for dead relatives and meeting a live one! We were the only people in the cemetery, what's the chance of that?

Salem Cows

We have made it back to Salem, Oregon to hang with our Fairbanks friends Heather and Jake,  who moved down here last May.  They have an awesome place and have decided to try their hand at raising cattle!  Well, really they hope to raise two steers.   We arrived just in time for the beginning of the adventure.  Duncan and Jake drove to Tillamook to purchase two male jersey calves.  Since we have a pickup with a canopy, Duncan drove.  Evidently, it was a stressful drive back as the two calves flopped around in the bed of the truck, while two 12 year old girls cackled hysterically in the back seat.  They returned with two, very cute day old calves.  We are all getting to learn how to bottle feed calves.  One, that has been named Bugsy, has taken to the bottle quickly.  He is quite funny as he attacks anyone with a bottle, and then runs around jumping and kicking afterwards.  The other calf is struggling a bit.  He has not taken to the bottle quite as well, and has us all a bit worried.  He is so cute though!

The ride home.

Bugsy

The calf yet to be named.

The two together.

Kayli feeding Bugsy

Sydney tries her hand at feeding.

The calf yet to be named and I are bonding.

He is so sweet.  I just wish he would eat better.

He had to be tube feed to get something in him.

Craters of the Moon National Monument

We continue to venture north and have made it to Southern Idaho.  We spent a few days checking out the volcanic formations at Craters of the Moon national Monument.  The lava field spreads across 618 square miles and is the largest basaltic lava field in the contiguous United states.  The most recent eruption was only 2000 years ago.  There are more than 25 volcano cones in the area.

A pile of A'A'

Cinder crags

A cinder cone crater

Lava bed

Pahoehoe lava

Another crater

Sydney was not impressed with this tree mold.

This tree mold is more distinctive.

As is this one.

Lava from the Blue Dragon flow.

A lava bomb

Inside a lava tube.

Cool formations in the lava tube

Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks

We are hanging out enjoying the beautiful sights and weather of Zion National Park  The geology here is amazing. The eroded sandstone cliffs and canyons are awesome.

Sandstone cliffs

Checkerboard Mesa

A forming arch

Indian Paintbrush

A look up the canyon

Sydney taking a peek over the ledge.......

at this.......

We did some hiking. It seems to always be up.

Really high up!

The Court of the Patriarches

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Another hiking trail

Again, up the side of a cliff.

Hiking the canyon

Bryce Canyon National Park is about an hour and a half drive from Zion, so we spent a day there.  The Hoodoo formations are really cool.

Hoodoo

Arch

Lots of Hoodoos

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More Hoodoos